Dr Lee Berger
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BVSc (Hons), PhD
Research Fellow
Amphibian Disease Ecology Group
Building – Education Wing, Room EG-078 Part time |
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Telephone: |
(07) 4433 1735(Australia) |
+ 61 7 4433 1735(International) |
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Facsimile: |
(07) 4433 1767(Australia) |
+ 61 7 4433 1767(International) |
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Email: |
lee.berger@jcu.edu.au |
Experience
Worked as a research assistant and veterinarian before doing aPhD(Diseases in Australian frogs) at the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratoryand James Cook Uni from 1995-2001.Spent a year at the National Wildlife Health Centre in Madison, Wisconsin doing amphibian pathology then returned to Australia to take up the current job at JCU.
Research and professional interests
Amphibian diseases, particularly the pathogenesis and epidemiology of chytridiomycosis
Wildlife diseases and conservation
Teaching
Postgraduate and honours supervision
Grants
ARC Discovery, 2004-2008 – Pathogenesis of chytridiomycosis
Dept of Environment and Heritage – 2005-2008 Pathogenesis and epidemiology of chytridiomycosis
Awards
2000 - CSIRO award for research excellence
2007 - Ian Clunies Ross Award for veterinary academic achievement
Professional Affiliations
Member – Wildlife Disease Association
Publications – selected recent
For a full publication list (link)
Phillott A.D., Speare R., Hines H.B., Meyer E., Skerratt L.F., McDonald K.R., Cashins S.D., Mendez D. and Berger L. Minimising exposure of amphibians to pathogens during field studies. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. (In press)
Hemingway, V., Brunner, J., Speare, R., Berger, L. Viral and Bacterial Diseases in Amphibians. In Amphibian Decline: Disease, Parasites, Maladies and Pollution. 2009. (Amphibian Biology, Volume 8). H. Heatwole. J Wilkinson (Eds).Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia. 2009. pp 2963-2985
Berger L, Longcore J, Speare R, Hyatt A, Skerratt L. 2009. Fungal Diseases in Amphibians. In Amphibian Decline: Disease, Parasites, Maladies and Pollution. 2009. (Amphibian Biology, Volume 8). H. Heatwole. J Wilkinson (Eds).Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia. 2009. pp 2986-3052
Voyles, J., Young, S., Berger, L., Campbell, C., Voyles, W.F., Dinudom, A., Cook, D., Webb, R., Alford, R.A., Skerratt, L.F., Speare, R. 2009. Pathogenesis of chytridiomycosis, a cause of catastrophic amphibian declines. Science 326: 582-585
Berger, L., Skerratt, L.F., Zhu, X., Young, S., Speare, R. Severe sparganosis in Australian treefrogs. Journal of Wildlife Disease 2009; 45: 921-929
James TY, Litvintseva AP, Vilgalys R, Morgan JAT, Taylor JW, Fisher MC, Berger L, Weldon C, du Preez, L., Longcore, JE. Rapid global expansion of the fungal disease chytridiomycosis into declining and healthy amphibian populations. PLOS Pathogens. 2009; 5. e1000458
Berger, L., Speare, R., Marantelli, G., Skerratt, L.F., 2009. A technique to evaluate the activity of antifungal compounds against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and unsuccessful treatment of experimentally infected green tree frogs (Litoria caerulea) by fluconazole and benzalkonium chloride. Research in Veterinary Science87: 106-110
Kusrini, M. D., Skerratt, L. F., Garland, S., Berger, L., Endarwin, W.Chytridiomycosis in frogs of Mount Gede Pangrango, Indonesia.Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2008; 82; 187-194.
Mendez, D., Webb, R., Berger, L., Speare, R. Survival of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on bare hands and gloves: hygiene implications for amphibian handling. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2008; 82: 97-104.
Skerratt LF, Berger L, Hines HB, McDonald KR, Mendez D, Speare R. Survey protocol for detecting chytridiomycosis in all Australian frog populations. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 2008; 80: 85-94
Hyatt, A.,Boyle, D., Olsen V., Boyle, D.,Berger, L., Obendorf D., Dalton A., Kriger, K.Hero, M., Hines, H, Phillott, A.,Campbell, R., Marantelli, G., Gleason, F. Colling, A.Diagnostic assays and sampling protocols for the detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2007;73: 175-192
Webb R, Mendez D, Berger L, Speare R. Additional disinfectants for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2007; 74:13-16.
Skerratt, LF, Berger L., Speare, R., Cashins, S., McDonald, K., Phillott, A., Hines H., Kenyon, N. The spread of chytridiomycosis has caused the rapid global decline and extinction of frogs. EcoHealth 2007 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-007-0093-5
Young S, Berger L, Speare. Amphibian chytridiomycosis: strategies for captive management and conservation. International Zoo Yearbook2007;41:1-11.
Voyles J, Berger L, Young S, Speare R, Webb R, Warner J, Rudd D, Campbell R, Skerratt LF. Electrolyte depletion and osmotic imbalance in amphibians with chytridiomycosis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2007
Schloegel LM, Hero JM, Berger L, Speare R, McDonald K, Daszak P. The decline of the sharp-snouted day frog (Taudactylus acutirostris): the first documented case of extinction by infection in a free-ranging wildlife species? EcoHealth 2006;3:35-40.
Berger, L., Marantelli, G., Skerratt, L. F. Speare, R. Virulence of the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, varies with the strain. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2005 68:47-50
Berger, L.,Hyatt A., Speare, R., Longcore, J. E. Lifecycle stages of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis the amphibian chytrid. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.2005 68:51-63
Webb R, Berger L, Mendez D, Speare R. MS-222 (tricaine methane sulfonate) does not kill the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2005;68:89-90.
Berger L, Speare, R, Hines H, Marantelli G, Hyatt AD, McDonald, KR., Skerratt. LF.Olsen V, Clarke JM, Gillespie G, Mahony M, Sheppard N, Williams C, Tyler M. Effect of season and temperature on mortality in amphibians due to chytridiomycosis. Australian Veterinary Journal 2004;82:31-36.
Marantelli G, Berger L, Speare R, Keegan L. Changes in distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and keratin during tadpole development leading to high mortality after metamorphosis. Pacific Conservation Biology 2004;10:173-179.
Berger L, Speare R, Middleton D. A squamous cell carcinoma and an adenocarcinoma in Australian treefrogs. Australian Veterinary Journal. 2004; 82:96-8.
Speare, R., Skerratt, L., Berger, L., Johnson, P. M.Mebendazole toxicity causing bone marrow suppression and haemorrhagic septicaemia in macropods. Australian Veterinary Journal 2004: 82: 300-3003
Berger, L., Speare, R. and Skerratt, L. Distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and pathology in the skin of green tree frogs (Litoria caerulea) with severe chytridiomycosis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2005 68:65-70.
Morehouse, E.A., James, T.Y., Ganley, A.R.D., Vilgaly, R., Berger, L., Murphy, P.J. Longcore, J.E. Multilocus sequence typing suggests the chytrid pathogen of amphibians is a recently emerged clone. Molecular Ecology 2003;12:395-403.
Boyle DG, Hyatt AD, Daszak P, Berger L, Longcore JE, Porter D, Hengstberger SG, Olsen V. Cryo-archiving of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and other chytridiomycetes. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2003;56:59-64.
Berger, L., Hyatt, A., Olsen, V., Boyle D., Hengstberger, S., Marantelli, G., Humphreys, K., Longcore, J. E. Production of polyclonal antibodies to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and their use in an immunoperoxidase test for chytridiomycosis in amphibians. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 2002;48:213-220.
Zhu, X.Q., Beveridge, I., Berger, L., Barton, D., Gasser, R.B. Single-strand conformation polymorphism-based analysis reveals genetic variation within Spirometra erinacei (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) from Australia. Molecular and Cellular Probes 2002;16(2):159-65.
Berger, L., Speare, R., Thomas, A. Hyatt, A. Mucocutaneous fungal disease in tadpoles of Bufo marinus in Australia. Journal of Herpetology 2001; 35: 330-335.
Wright K, Berger L, Nichols DK, Speare R, Sredl MJ, Pessier A, Johnson B. Roundtable: amphibian population decline. Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery 2001;11(2):14-27.
Mutschmann, F., Berger, L., Zwart, P., Gaedicke, C. Chytridiomycosis in amphibians- first report from Europe. Berliner und Munchener Tierarztliche Wochenschrift 2000;113: 380-383.
Conference Presentations – recent
Invited Speaker
Berger L, Johnson M, Speare, R. Fungicidal effects of chemical disinfectants, UV light, desiccation and heat on the amphibian chytrid, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. AmphibianHusbandry and Hygiene Conference, Werribee, December 10-14th 2004.
Berger, L. Pathology of Chytridiomycosis. International Workshop on Biology, Isolation and Detection of B. dendrobatidis. Geelong. April 4-7. 2005
Berger, L. Experimental infection methods for chytridiomycosis. International Workshop on Biology, Isolation and Detection of B. dendrobatidis. Geelong. April 4-7. 2005. Geelong. April 4-7. 2005
Berger, L., Speare, R., Skerratt, L. “A chytrid parasite of amphibians, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis - A new killer on the block” 8th International Mycology Congress. Cairns, Australia August, 2006
Berger L. AmphibianDiseases. CL Davis Wildlife Pathology Short Course, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, August 2008.
Proffered Papers
Berger, L., Webb, R., Voyles, J., Warner, J., Speare, R., Skerratt, L. “Pathogenesis of Chytridiomycosis” Wildlife Disease Association Conference, Naracoorte, South Australia. September 2006
Skerratt, L., Berger, L., McDonald, K, Hines, H, Speare, R., “Mapping Chytridiomycosis in Australian Frog Populations” Wildlife Disease Association Conference, Dryandra Woodlands, Western Australia. September 2007
Berger L, Skerratt L, Speare R. Overview of Chytridiomycosis. Wildlife Disease Assocation (Australasian Section) Conference. Kioloa, September 2008