Scientists call for ban on live salamander imports to US to stop skin-eating disease

Move needed to prevent spread of deadly fungal disease via pet trade to the wild where it can wipe out salamander populations

The import of hundreds of thousands of live salamanders to the US each year should be banned to save wild salamanders from a deadly disease, scientists say.

They say the move is needed to stop the skin-eating fungal disease, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), from spreading via the pet trade to wild populations, where there is currently no effective way to control it.