Alarm raised after strange backyard phenomenon worsens in Aussie region
On Friday, scientists from the University of Queensland announced they would begin investigating the problem, noting it was important to determine whether the tumours were being caused by something that could also impact human health.
Dr Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo from the School of Veterinary Science explained that frogs can get similar types of cancers to humans. And because they breathe and absorb water through their skin, they're a good bio-indicator of any contaminants in the environment.
'Because frogs have such an intimate relationship with our waterways, anything we put out there in the form of chemicals or pathogens — viruses, fungi, parasites or bacteria — they're going to be probably the first type of vertebrate that is going to be exposed and manifest something,' she told Yahoo News Australia.
'That is where the concern is, and that is why we need to investigate.'
Related: Mutant turtles discovered in contaminated Aussie waterways
Chemical contamination found in one-third of frogs
Dr Gonzalez-Astudillo said the investigation should not cause 'wide-scale panic' about new contaminants entering the environment, and it's important to stress the cause of the growths remains a mystery. But there are pervasive substances like PFAS, which is commonly used in non-stick cookware and flame retardants, or even long-banned chemicals that can exist in the environment for decades, and it's important to rule this out.
Chemical contamination is a known problem affecting frogs. An Australian Museum and University of NSW study published in April found 36 per cent of frogs in eastern NSW had either a rodenticide or legacy pesticide in their livers. But frogs are also highly susceptible to disease — the introduction of chytrid fungus caused at least six extinctions in Australia.
Clusters of the mystery tumours have been restricted to towns around Far North Queensland, and since 1998, non-profit group Frog Safe has assessed 60 animals. Last year, Yahoo reported that since 2020, four new forms of the disease had emerged that hadn't been encountered before.
Because the tumours are generally found around the eyes and mouth, without medical attention, vital bodily functions are inhibited, and the frogs die.
Herpes virus linked to separate disease cluster
In Queensland, the tumours have been found in white-lipped and common green tree frogs. Similar symptoms have been documented in the North American leopard frog, where the problem was linked to a frog herpes virus that develops when the weather is hotter.
Anecdotally, the mystery frog tumours in Queensland are becoming more prevalent, but this now needs to be backed up by scientific evidence. It's rare for vets to treat sick frogs, so it's believed most cases go unreported.
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For the research to be successful, the University of Queensland team need public help. They're calling on anyone who spots a frog with an unusual growth to contact Frog Safe on (07) 4006 3784 and email the photos to sickfrog@frogsafe.org.au.
Attempts will be made to treat all sick frogs, and no animals will be killed specifically for the study. The research is expected to run until November, 2026 and is supported by the CSIRO Ecosurveillance Systems team.
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He assured them that in the first 20 minutes of the experience, with adrenaline coursing through his body, he felt absolutely nothing. Back in the Water Last month, Ms. Craney marked the fifth anniversary of her attack. She is back in the water, swimming and diving. She recently moved from Sydney back to Cairns, near the site of her bite, to be closer to the ocean she loves. She is also starting a business, teaching diving to people who struggle with trauma. On her drive up, she stayed with Mr. Pearson and Ms. Minett at their home in Coopernook. They went for a quick swim at Crowdy Head, where Mr. Pearson was attacked, near where she hallucinated. She peeled off socks that featured cartoon sharks and, on the soles, the words 'BITE ME.' Looking out at the waves he's surfed for five decades, Mr. Pearson said that his attack, more than 14 years later, still colored his every encounter with the ocean. 'I used to stare at the waves, thinking of how I would ride each one,' he said. Now, each surf is tinged with fear. But he swallows it and paddles out, several days a week. How long does an attack stay with you? A few years ago, Mr. Pearson got a call from a staff member at a nursing home, who asked if he would meet with a resident in his 80s. The man, who had Alzheimer's, was experiencing night terrors that seemed to stem from his experience with a shark. The man had been attacked in 1955. Mr. Pearson visited him twice, listening to his story, as he does for new members of Bite Club. Even though the man couldn't remember Mr. Pearson's name on the second visit, he recounted the details of his attack as if it had just happened. Their chats seemed to bring the man peace, and his nights were calmer after that. For Mr. Pearson, that's what it's all about. What he has lost in his uncomplicated love for the ocean, he has gained in profound connections with hundreds of people around the world. 'You get to make a difference,' he said. 'We share this thing.'
