Images

Coral reefs are prone to phase shifts where they quickly transition from coral-dominated to a uniformity of other organisms, typically algae. The Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Central Pacific is a unique case where a transition from corals to corallimorphs occurred.

This microscopic image shows a sun-shaped area within turtle skin cells where chelonid herpesvirus 5 replicates. The virus capsids, or protein shells, are arrayed like a corona around the circle. ChHV5 is associated with fibropapillomatosisa tumor disease affecting endangered green turtles.

This image shows the blue version of sylvatic plague vaccine bait for prairie dogs. 

Prairie dogs in the wild are less likely to succumb to a deadly disease called sylvatic plague after they ingest peanut-butter-flavored bait that contains a vaccine against the disease.

The arrows in this image point to mouths of individual corallimorphs, which are a type of invasive anemone that typically thrives in coral reefs that have been degraded by environmental or man-made disturbances. Each corallimorph mouth is surrounded by a corona of tentacles.

Healthy elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) on the seafloor along the southeastern coast of Buck Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. Elkhorn coral is one of many important reef-building species that create 3D structure on the seafloor. Coral reef structure provides habitat for marine life and helps break up waves as they approach the coastline.

Tables are placed below bat boxes to collect guano from roosting bats during spring/summer. NWHC is investigating use of community guano samples from summer roosts for Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) surveillance.

Here a scientist is measuring the length of the forearm of a bat captured in Dane County, Wisconsin. General morphometric data are collected from each bat captured.

Vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) are the primary spreader of rabies, a lethal disease that harms livestock and people across Latin America, where this bat lives. 

USGS scientist swabbing a Central Newt in Wisconsin to look for an invasive fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal).

This figure shows the measured and forecasted growth and spread of CWD in white-tailed deer in th core area where CWD occurs in Wisconsin, USA.

Home Zip Codes of Hunters Harvesting Deer in Dane, Iowa, Richland, and Sauk Counties in Wisconsin from 2016-2017

A Chinese firebelly newt (Cynops orientalis), the salamander species recently found to be infected with the spring viraemia of carp virus, or SVCV.

A Chinese firebelly newt (Cynops orientalis), the first salamander species found to be infected with the spring viraemia of carp virus.

Plants were grown in prion-spiked growth media at the National Wildlife Health Center to investigate the role of prion contaminated plants in CWD transmission dynamics.

National Wildlife Health Center pathologist Susan Knowles obtains a skin biopsy for analysis under a microscope from a Coluber constrictor (North American racer) submitted for diagnostic testing.

A. Heart, multifocal and focally extensive necrotizing myocarditis. H&E. Inset: Section of same heart tissue; immunohistochemical staining of influenza A virus antigen is strongly positive in areas of necrosis. B. Pancreas, multifocal and focally extensive necrosis of the acinar epithelium. H&E.

Necropsy of bird performed by NWHC pathologist. 

Long-wave ultraviolet (UV) and white-light illumination of lesions associated with white-nose syndrome.  Wing from dead Tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) lit from above with hand-held 51 LED 385-nm UV flashlight shows points of orange–yellow fluorescence.  

2016 NWRC Accomplishment Report Photos. In 2016, NWRC's National Wildlife Disease Program sampled more than 21,800 wild birds for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Gophersnake with crusting of scales on the head due to Paranannizziopsis sp. infection.

Pacific Coast