Amphibians are one of the most rapidly declining groups of animals globally, and infectious disease is a major cause of these declines in some areas. Fieldworkers have a key role to play in combating this; they can help detect disease, and through good practice they can reduce the risk of introducing and spreading disease.

This note – produced by the the Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK – advises field workers and others who may come into contact with amphibians (through ecological survey and monitoring, training, research or education activities) on simple procedures to substantially reduce the risk of introducing and spreading amphibian pathogens. The advice is based on the latest available evidence relating to fungal and viral pathogens, but this should also be effective for many other types of pathogen and may also help reduce the spread of invasive animals and plants.