Images

A hunter wearing a blaze orange beanie and camouflage jacket aims a bolt-action rifle with a scope, standing in a leafless woodland during what appears to be late fall or winter.

These images show the hyphae and spores of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (in green) invading the lab grown skin cells of little brown bats. (Isidoro-Ayza, 2024, Science)

Scientists from the National Wildlfe Health Center vaccinate a bat agains WNS. 

Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in North America, updated Jul 2026

In summer 2026, USDA APHIS provided mobile incinerators from the National Veterinary Stockpile to our Madison, Wisconsin campus, where we incinerated 1,000 lbs of CWD-positive and 1,000 lbs of CWD-negative samples. We're now testing residues for prions to assess incineration efficacy.

Photographs from a Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from Washington, USA

Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center have been working on vaccines to protect bats from diseases like such as rabies and white-nose syndrome. The most promising method is called orotopical vaccination. By applying the vaccine to the bat’s muzzle, the gel-based vaccine is spread to others in the colony through grooming.

Photograph from a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) found dead in Wisconsin, USA. Numerous nematodes are present in the ventriculus (white arrowhead) and duodenum (black arrow). 

A USGS scientist reaches for a microbiological plate with cultures from salamander skin to investigate for potential pathogens.

A USGS scientist prepares to analyze a skin swab from a salamander to investigate for potential pathogens.

A USGS scientist examines microorganisms from salamander skin to investigate for potential pathogens.

A USGS scientist examines a skin sample from a salamander as part of a study to investigate for potential pathogens.

Thanksgiving Banner_ Holiday hours banner "The USGS National Wildlife Health Center will be closed Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 and have reduced staffing on Friday,  Nov 28, 2025 for the Thanksgiving holiday which may affect your shipments, submission processing and results reporting.  Please plan your specimen collections and shipments accordingly for r

A USGS scientist examines salamanders as part of a study to investigate for potential pathogens.

New World Screwworm is a fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) that lays eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Once hatched, the larvae (maggots) consume the living tissues at the edge of the wound, leading to severe illness and death if left untreated. 

New World Screwworm is a fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) that lays eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Once hatched, the larvae (maggots) consume the living tissues at the edge of the wound, leading to severe illness and death if left untreated. 

USGS is developing and testing a safe rabies vaccine for vampire bats and conducting field studies for a practical delivery of this vaccine to wild populations of bats in the future. 

Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in North America, updated July 23, 2025.

Photomicrographs from a Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) from Ohio, USA. Hematoxylin and eosin stain. (A) Renal tubules are distended with various stages of intraepithelial coccidia (arrowheads) and are surrounded by inflammation.  (B) Macrogamonts and fewer microgamonts (arrowheads) expa

Emaciation with serous atrophy of fat in a Northern Sea Otter Case Of The Month 2025

Figure 1. Photomicrographs from a Northern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) found dead on a beach in Alaska, USA. (A) Lymph node. Germinal centers are depleted. Adjacent mesenteric adipose tissue markedly atrophic (arrowheads). (B) High magnification of mesenteric adipose tissue.