Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the identity of imported salamanders infected with SVCV as C. orientalis and indicated that the animals likely originated from the vicinity of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China19 (Figure 3). Phylogenetic relatedness between the salamander SVCV and goldfish SVCV strain SH140501 isolated from Shanghai additionally supports the likelihood that the imported salamanders originated from this region of eastern China as Shanghai is 165 km from Hangzhou.28 We do not, however, know whether the salamanders harbored SVCV at the time of capture or were exposed to the virus during holding and transport. Moreover, it is unclear at this time, if the salamanders were infected by ingestion of or through contact with (perhaps at sites of dermal abrasions) contaminated materials. Nonetheless, these findings demonstrate the potential for translocated amphibians to serve as a source for the introduction of SVCV. Specifically, hundreds of thousands of C. orientalis are collected each year in China, and many of these animals enter the United States pet trade, creating the possibility that some individuals could escape or be released into the wild.35 Such releases, even in the absence of exotic salamander species becoming established, could represent a possible mechanism by which SVCV or other pathogens are spread. Furthermore, identification of C. orientalis as a host for SVCV raises the question of whether additional amphibian species imported into the United States could cryptically harbor pathogens of economic importance.