Wildlife Disease and Environmental Health in Alaska
Science Center Objects
Environmental health is defined by connections between the physical environment, ecological health, and human health. Current research within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recognizes the importance of this integrated research philosophy, which includes study of disease and pollutants as they pertain to both wildlife and humans. Due to its key geographic location and significant wildlife resources, Alaska is a critical area for future study of environmental health.
Return to Ecosystems
Avian Influenza Research
Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These viruses generally do not cause illness in wild birds, however, when spread to poultry they can be highly pathogenic and cause illness and death in backyard and commercial farms.
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Migratory Birds
Migratory birds, and particularly those using habitats close to human settlements, may be infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria. The USGS is working with public health professionals to understand the role of birds in the maintenance and dispersal of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Additionally, the USGS is investigating how antibiotic resistant bacteria in birds may relate to public and ecosystem health.
Beak Deformities in Landbirds
Over the past 20 years, Alaskans have witnessed a startling increase of beak deformities among Black-capped Chickadees and other species of resident birds. This disease, called avian keratin disorder (AKD), is characterized by debilitating beak overgrowth and other abnormalities of keratinized tissues. Affected birds have difficulty feeding and preening, and may suffer high rates of mortality.
Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Alaska Seabirds
Seabird die-offs occur irregularly, but recent die-offs were unusual due to the large number and variety of species affected, the long die-off duration, and the large spatial extent. Coastal residents and scientists have been monitoring the size and scope of these die-offs, as well as investigating potential causes.
Molecular Ecology Laboratory in Alaska
The Molecular Ecology Laboratory at the USGS Alaska Science Center provides genetic capabilities for the wide range of science needs of the Department of the Interior nationally as well as on trust species and resources in Alaska.
Wildlife Disease and Environmental Health Fact Sheet
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Date published: July 11, 2019Status: ActiveHarmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Alaska Seabirds
Elevated ocean temperatures are linked to the development of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Toxins from these blooms may pose health threats to marine organisms, including seabirds. Since 2015, the USGS has worked with a variety of stakeholders to develop testing methods and research projects to better understand the geographic extent, timing and impacts of algal toxins in Alaska marine...
Attribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: August 21, 2018Status: ActiveAntibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Migratory Birds
Migratory birds, and particularly those using habitats close to human settlements, may be infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria. The USGS is working with public health professionals to understand the role of birds in the maintenance and dispersal of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Additionally, the USGS is investigating how antibiotic resistant bacteria in birds may relate to public and...
Contacts: Andy Ramey, Ph.D., Christina Ahlstrom, Ph.D. -
Date published: August 22, 2017Status: ActiveBeak Deformities in Landbirds
Over the past 20 years, Alaskans have witnessed a startling increase of beak deformities among Black-capped Chickadees and other species of resident birds. This disease, called avian keratin disorder (AKD), is characterized by debilitating beak overgrowth and other abnormalities of keratinized tissues. Affected birds have difficulty feeding and preening, and may suffer high rates of mortality...
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Date published: July 13, 2017Status: ActiveAvian Influenza Research
Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
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Year Published: 2013Wildlife disease and environmental health in Alaska
Environmental health is defined by connections between the physical environment, ecological health, and human health. Current research within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recognizes the importance of this integrated research philosophy, which includes study of disease and pollutants as they pertain to wildlife and humans. Due to its key...
Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Pearce, John M.; Oakley, Karen; Whalen, Mary E.View CitationWildlife disease and environmental health in Alaska; 2013; FS; 2013-3027; Van Hemert, Caroline ; Pearce, John ; Oakley, Karen ; Whalen, Mary
Poecivirus is present in individuals with beak deformities in seven species of North American birds
Avian keratin disorder (AKD), a disease of unknown etiology characterized by debilitating beak overgrowth, has increasingly affected wild bird populations since the 1990s. A novel picornavirus, poecivirus, is closely correlated with disease status in Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska. However, our knowledge of the...
Zylberberg, Maxine; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Handel, Colleen M.; Liu, Rachel; DeRisi, Joseph L. Ecology of influenza A viruses in wild birds and wetlands of Alaska
Alaska represents a globally important region for the ecology of avian-origin influenza A viruses (IAVs) given expansive wetlands in this region which serve as habitat for numerous hosts of IAVs that disperse among four continents during the annual cycle. Extensive sampling of wild birds for IAVs in Alaska since 1991 has greatly extended...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Reeves, Andrew B. Validation of a screening method for the detection of colistin-resistant E. coli containing mcr-1 in feral swine feces
A method was developed and validated for the detection of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli containing mcr-1 in the feces of feral swine. Following optimization of an enrichment method using EC broth supplemented with colistin (1 µg/mL) and vancomycin (8 µg/mL), aliquots derived from 100 feral swine fecal samples were spiked with of one of five...
Chandler, Jeffrey C; Franklin, Alan B.; Bevins, Sarah N.; Bentler, Kevin T; Bonnedahl, Jonas; Ahlstrom, Christina; Bisha, Bledar; Shriner, Susan A. Gulls as sources of environmental contamination by colistin-resistant bacteria
In 2015, the mcr-1 gene was discovered in Escherichia coli in domestic swine in China that conferred resistance to colistin, an antibiotic of last resort used in treating multi-drug resistant bacterial infections in humans. Since then, mcr-1 was found in other human and animal populations, including wild gulls. Because gulls could disseminate the...
Franklin, Alan B.; Ramey, Andrew M.; Bentler, Kevin T; Barret, Nicole L; McCurdy, Loredana M; Ahlstrom, Christina; Bonnedahl, Jonas; Shriner, Susan A.; Chandler, Jeffrey C Waterfowl occurrence and residence time as indicators of H5 and H7 avian influenza in North American Poultry
Avian influenza (AI) affects wild aquatic birds and poses hazards to human health, food security, and wildlife conservation globally. Accordingly, there is a recognized need for new methods and tools to help quantify the dynamic interaction between wild bird hosts and commercial poultry. Using satellite-marked waterfowl, we applied Bayesian joint...
Humphreys, John M.; Ramey, Andy; Douglas, David C.; Mullinax, Jennifer M.; Soos, Catherine; Link, Paul T.; Walther, Patrick; Prosser, Diann J. Antibiotic resistant bacteria in wildlife: Perspectives on trends, acquisitions and dissemination, data gaps, and future directions
The proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment has potential negative economic and health consequences. Thus, previous investigations have targeted wild animals to understand the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in diverse environmental sources. In this critical review and synthesis, we summarize important concepts...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Ahlstrom, Christina Limited detection of antibodies to clade 2.3.4.4 A/Goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus in North American waterfowl
During 2014, highly pathogenic (HP) influenza A viruses (IAVs) of the A/Goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage (GsGD-HP-H5), originating from Asia, were detected in domestic poultry and wild birds in Canada and the US. These clade 2.3.4.4 GsGD-HP-H5 viruses included reassortants possessing North American lineage gene segments; were detected in wild birds...
Stallknecht, David E.; Kienzle-Dean, Clara; Davis-Fields, Nick; Jennelle, Christopher S.; Bowman, Andrew S.; Nolting, Jacqueline M.; Boyce, Walter; Crum, James; Santos, Jefferson; Brown, Justin D.; Prosser, Diann; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Casazza, Michael L.; Krauss, Scott; Perez, Daniel; Ramey, Andrew M.; Poulson, Rebecca L. Survey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies: Limited evidence for exposure of mammals
Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are maintained in wild waterbirds and have the potential to infect a broad range of species, including wild mammals. The Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska supports a diverse suite of species, including waterfowl that are common hosts of IAVs. Mammals co-occur with geese and other migratory waterbirds during the summer...
Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Spivey, Timothy J.; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Atwood, Todd C.; Sinnett, David R.; Meixell, Brandt W.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Jiang, Kaijun; Adams, Layne G.; Gustine, David D.; Ramey, Andrew M.; Wan, Xiu-Feng Genetic evidence supports sporadic and independent introductions of subtype H5 low pathogenic avian influenza A viruses from wild birds to domestic poultry in North America
Wild bird–origin influenza A viruses (IAVs or avian influenza) have led to sporadic outbreaks among domestic poultry in the United States (US) and Canada, resulting in economic losses through the implementation of costly containment practices and destruction of birds. We used evolutionary analyses of virus sequence data to determine that 78 H5 low...
Li, Lei; Bowman, Andrew S.; DeLiberto, Thomas J.; Killian, Mary L.; Krauss, Scott; Nolting, Jacqueline M.; Torchetti, Mia Kim; Ramey, Andrew M.; Reeves, Andrew B.; Stallknecht, David E.; Webby, Richard J.; Wan, Xiu-Feng Introduction of Eurasian-origin H8N4 influenza A virus into North America via migratory birds
We identified a Eurasian-origin influenza A(H8N4) virus in North America by sampling wild birds in western Alaska, USA. Evidence for repeated introductions of influenza A viruses into North America by migratory birds suggests that intercontinental dispersal might not be exceedingly rare and that our understanding of viral establishment is...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Reeves, Andrew B.; Donnelly, Tyrone F.; Poulson, Rebecca L.; Stallknecht, David E. Effect of climate change on disease spread in wildlife
A growing body of evidence indicates that climate change alone, or acting synergistically with current anthropogenic threats, is affecting the health of wild populations of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Measurable by-products of climate change include elevated atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, higher average global temperatures;...
Hofmeister, Erik K.; Van Hemert, Caroline R. Evidence for haemosporidian parasite infections in Spectacled Eiders (Somateria fischeri) sampled in Alaska during the breeding season
We assessed hematozoa infection in Spectacled Eiders (Somateria fischeri) at two areas in Alaska. No Haemoproteus or Plasmodium species were detected. Leucocytozoon prevalence was 6.5% for adults across sites and 41.9% for juveniles sampled in the Arctic, providing evidence for local transmission. All ...
Reed, John A.; Sexson, Matthew G.; Smith, Matthew M.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Ramey, Andrew M.-
Date published: September 8, 2020Data Associated with Poecivirus Testing of Individual Birds with Beak Deformities
This data set is comprised of two tables, one with results of poecivirus screening of tissues from six North American avian species using PCR followed by Sanger sequencing in addition to unbiased metagenomic sequencing, the second lists the names and sequences of primers used.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 26, 2020Argos GPS Satellite Tracking Data for Three Large-Bodied Gull Species and Hybrids (Larus spp.) - Processed Data
This metadata document describes the data contained in the "processedData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected from 42 Argos-linked GPS satellite transmitters attached to three species of large-bodied gulls (genus Larus) and hybrids thereof, captured at landfills in southcentral, western and northern Alaska. The transmitters carried GPS receivers
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 25, 2020Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) Measurement Data from Brazil, Texas, and Alaska
This data consists of a single table morphologic measurement data and sex as determined by behavior and genetic techniques from 362 Buff-breasted Sandpipers (Calidris subruficollis) from Brazil, Texas and Alaska (1994 - 2017).
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: May 20, 2020Nesting Habitat and Nest Survival Data for American (Pluvialis dominica) and Pacific (P. fulva) Golden-Plovers on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012−2013
This data set contains information (in two tables) on nesting habitat and nest survival for American (Pluvialis dominica) and Pacific (P. fulva) Golden-Plovers monitored at seven study sites across an elevational gradient (28−416 m) on the Seward Peninsula in northwestern Alaska during the summers of 2012 and 2013. We used principal components analysis to reduce habitat me
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: January 14, 2020Influenza A Virus Persistence Data from an Urban Wetland in Anchorage, Alaska, 2018-2019
This dataset is three tables with details of samples and aliquots of waterfowl feces deposited in filtered surface water collected from an urban waterbody in Anchorage, Alaska in 2018-2019. Sample vials were submerged underwater in the same waterbody from which the samples were collected and the samples were tested for the presence and viability of influenza A virus. Temperature data and water...
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 18, 2019Influenza A Antibodies in Pacific (Gavia pacifica), Red-throated (G. stellata), and Yellow-billed Loons (G. adamsii) in Alaska, 2008-2017
This data set contains three spreadsheets with results of Influenza A Virus (IAV) screening in blood from Pacific, Red-throated, and Yellow-billed Loons at three locations in Alaska. Loons were captured along the Beaufort Sea Coast, Chukchi Sea Coast, and Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta from 2008-2017. Three different tests were used and the results are presented in separate spreadsheets. All s
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 17, 2019
Blood Parasite Infection Data from Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus), Alaska, 2007-2008
This data set consists of two tables associated with a study of Haemosporidian parasite infection in Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus) sampled at six locations throughout southcentral and southeast Alaska in 2007-2008. The first table contains species, location, banding, and morphometric data for all samples. The second table contains results from heamosporidian parasite screening of
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 14, 2019
Sampling, Antimicrobial Resistance Testing, and Genomic Typing of Carbapenemase Producing E. coli in Gulls (Larus spp.) in Alaska, 2016
This data set includes information on collections of fecal samples from wild gulls (Larus spp.) at seven locations in Alaska, USA. Samples were screened for carbapenemase producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) and tested for resistance to multiple antibiotics.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 14, 2019
Plasmodium Parasite Infection Data from Mosquitoes Collected in South-central Alaska, 2016
This data set includes two tables associated with a study of Plasmodium parasite infection in mosquitoes collected in south-central Alaska during the summer of 2016. The first table contains data regarding mosquito collection from three sites using CO2 baited CDC light traps. Mosquitoes were sorted and pooled according to collection date, genus, and location and subsequently screened for Plas...
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: May 13, 2019
Influenza A Virus Data from Emperor Geese, Alaska
Data set containing avian influenza A virus (IAV) sampling information for Emperor Geese in Alaska, 2015-2017. The data are in three tables: 1) collection data and IAV screening results from fecal samples at several sites in southwestern Alaska, 2) results of blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) tests for IAV antibodies in blood serum collected from nesting female
Attribution: Alaska Science Center