Story perspectives
Frog Die-Offs Fuel Malaria Surge in Costa Rica, Panama
12/1/2025
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Story summary
- A surge in malaria cases in Costa Rica and Panama is linked to frog die-offs caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd).
- Bd has devastated frog populations since the 1990s, affecting about 500 species.
- Frogs and tadpoles that prey on mosquito larvae disappeared, enabling mosquito populations to rise.
- Malaria cases in Costa Rica and Panama rose fivefold.
- Efforts are underway to reintroduce resistant frog species in Panama's cloud forests.
