Population genetic analysis of the snake-infecting fungus, Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, in the eastern United States
Dates
Publication Date
2022-04-06
End Date
2016-07-31
Citation
Lorch, J.M., Ladner, J.T., Palmer, J.M., Ettinger, C.L., Stajich, J.E., Farrell, T.M., Glorioso, B.M., Lawson, B., Price, S.J., Stengle, A.G., and Grear, D.A., 2022, Population genetic analysis of the snake-infecting fungus, Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, in the eastern United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9J2MCLJ.
Summary
Snake fungal disease (SFD; ophidiomycosis), caused by the pathogen Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), has been documented in wild snakes in North America and Eurasia, and is a potentially emerging disease in the eastern USA. However, a lack of historical disease data has made it challenging to determine whether Oo is a recent arrival to the USA or whether SFD emergence is due to other factors. Here, we examined the genomes of 82 Oo strains to determine the pathogen’s history in the eastern USA. This dataset contains metadata on the strains used in that study.
Summary
Snake fungal disease (SFD; ophidiomycosis), caused by the pathogen Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), has been documented in wild snakes in North America and Eurasia, and is a potentially emerging disease in the eastern USA. However, a lack of historical disease data has made it challenging to determine whether Oo is a recent arrival to the USA or whether SFD emergence is due to other factors. Here, we examined the genomes of 82 Oo strains to determine the pathogen’s history in the eastern USA. This dataset contains metadata on the strains used in that study.
The data were collected perform whole genome analyses on strains of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola. The metadata will be used to help determine temporal and spatial relationships between the strains, determine genetic diversity of strains, and determine how long the fungus has likely been in North America. The data could also be used by future researchers to examine host-pathogen relationships.
