Detecting Snake Fungal Disease in GA Waterways Using eDNA Analysis

Snake Fungal Disease (SFD) is a severe to fatal skin infection affecting wild snake populations in the Eastern United States, caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo). Oo can be detected by analyzing environmental DNA (eDNA) that is free-floating within the environment due to behavior, such as shedding and can be sampled noninvasively.

Our research began with developing a protocol for collecting and analyzing eDNA to determine the presence of Oo in waterways. The protocol's validity was initially tested on waterways surrounding the University of North Georgia (UNG) Gainesville campus. Oo was positively detected in the UNG pond and local creeks. Although the protocol is proficient, Oo’s presence in Georgia waterways containing larger snake populations is unknown. However, we predict Oo is present outside of the Gainesville area. By applying the same protocol and extending the sampling area, we can further determine the Oo range and understand how its widespread distribution impacts snake populations.

Our sampling locations include the Amicalola area, Georgia mountains and Atlantic coast. Once the water samples are collected using sterile 1L bottles, they are vacuumed filtered using 0.45μm mixed cellulose ester filters. DNA will be extracted using Qiagen Dneasy PowerWater Kit, and a qPCR analysis will be utilized to amplify and analyze the DNA for the presence of Oo. Our qPCR results will inform if Oo is observed in our samples, providing implications for the role of SFD in decreasing snake populations, guiding future mitigation efforts, and expanding future research to include soil and time variation.