Emerging disease is the greatest threat facing these toads today. Threats to this species include habitat loss and fragmentation, over-collection for the pet trade, and most notably, chytridiomycosis (amphibian chytrid fungus). In recent years, there has been a continued drastic decline in this toad's population, and no individual has been seen in the wild throughout its historic range since 2009. Populations in El Copé disappeared over the course of just a few months in late 2004. Panamanian golden frogs have been catastrophically affected by chytridiomycosis, an emerging disease caused by an aquatic fungal pathogen, called amphibian chytrid fungus.
They are assumed to be rare or extinct on Cerro Campana and have been extinct at El Valle de Antón for more than 40 years. These toads were once fairly common and had been seen in the wild as recently as 2005 but have since all but disappeared throughout their northern range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species classifies the Panamanian golden frog as critically endangered.
