Preliminary health screening and possible pathogen determination in aBufo bufo(Linnaeus, 1758) (Amphibia: Bufonidae) population

The population of the common toad, Bufo bufo, on Jersey (Channel Islands, UK) has undergone a marked decline over recent years. Hypothesized causes for this decline include land use change, pollution, climate change and predation. We examined the carcasses of 97 wild adult common toads for gastrointestinal and pulmonary helminths. In addition, 31 adult toad carcasses were examined for the presence of ranavirus infection, and 212 wild common toads were examined for the presence of infection with the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Three nematode species Rhabdias bufonis, Aplectana macintoshii and Oswaldocruzia filiformis, and one species of cestode, Nematotaenia dispar, were identifie…