Tadpole population may be under threat from new disease, say scientists

Study finds parasitic disease in samples taken across three continents, as 42% of frog species are listed as being in decline

Tadpoles are contracting a new and highly infectious disease that may threaten frog populations worldwide, British scientists have found.

A parasitic disease caused by single-celled microbes known as "protists" was found in the livers of tadpole samples taken from six countries across three continents, the scientists said in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal on Monday.