Scientists have warned that there is a need to take urgent action as otherwise a deadly salamander fungus will wipe off the native North American salamander population. The actions include temporary ban on salamander imports so that the Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) fungus could not spread in the high-risk regions.

The high-risk regions include Sierra Nevada and the central highlands of Mexico. As per the researchers, the fungus has originated in China and it has spread to the parts of America through pet trade.

The researchers have requested the US Fish and Wildlife Service to levy an immediate ban on the imports of live salamanders to the US till the time scientists come up with a plan to prevent the infection's transmission.

San Francisco State University biologist Vance Vredenburg said that the policy at this point of time could lead to positive results. In Europe, the fungus entered through the pet trade and led to 96% of fatality rate among salamanders.

In lab setting, the fungus has proved deadly to American salamanders. The researchers named three important carriers of the fungus - blue-tailed fire-bellied newt (Cynops cyanurus), the Japanese fire-bellied newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster) and the Tam Dao or Vietnamese salamander (Paramesotriton deloustali).

The researchers affirmed, "We've made specific predictions, on the ground, of where North American species are most vulnerable to Bsal. And the places that have the highest amount of trade in these salamanders happen to be in those high-risk areas".