Asian fungus puts salamanders in Europe at risk

BERLIN - Europe's salamanders could be decimated by a flesh-eating alien species that has wreaked havoc in some parts of the continent, scientists say in a study published on April 19.

Researchers who examined the impact of the invasive fungus native to Asia on fire salamanders in Belgium and the Netherlands found it to be lethal and almost impossible to eradicate.

The study, published in the journal Nature Research, provides a warning to North America, where the fungus hasn't yet taken hold.