Publications
View citations of publications by National Wildlife Health Center scientists since our founding in 1975. Access to full-text is provided where possible.
Wildlife Health Bulletins
Wildlife Health Bulletins
Wildlife Health Bulletins are distributed to natural resource/conservation agencies to provide and promote information exchange about significant wildlife health threats.
Wildlife Disease Case Definitions
Wildlife Disease Case Definitions
Case definitions provide a standardized, science-based set of criteria for diagnosing disease and pathogens. This manual provides case definitions for selected diseases of importance to wildlife in Canada and the United States.
Filter Total Items: 1660
Proposed attributes of national wildlife health programmes Proposed attributes of national wildlife health programmes
Wildlife health is important for conservation, healthy ecosystems, sustainable development, and biosecurity. It presents unique challenges for national programme governance and delivery because wildlife health crosses not only jurisdictional responsibilities and authorities but also inherently spans multiple sectors of expertise. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) encourages...
Authors
Craig Stephen, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Natalie T. Nguyen, P. Zimmer, J. P. Duff, D. Gavier-Widen, T. Grillo, H. Lee, J. Rijks, Marie-Pierre Ryser-Degiorgis, T. Tana, M. Uhart
The expectations and challenges of wildlife disease research in the era of genomics: Forecasting with a horizon scan-like exercise The expectations and challenges of wildlife disease research in the era of genomics: Forecasting with a horizon scan-like exercise
The outbreak and transmission of disease-causing pathogens are contributing to the unprecedented rate of biodiversity decline. Recent advances in genomics have coalesced into powerful tools to monitor, detect, and reconstruct the role of pathogens impacting wildlife populations. Wildlife researchers are thus uniquely positioned to merge ecological and evolutionary studies with genomic...
Authors
Robert R. Fitak, Jennifer D. Antonides, Eric J. Baitchman, Elisa Bonaccorso, Josephine Braun, Steven Kubiski, Elliott Chiu, Anna C. Fagre, Roderick B. Gagne, Justin S. Lee, Jennifer L. Malmberg, Mark D. Stenglein, Robert J. Dusek, David Forgacs, Nicholas M. Fountain-Jones, Marie L. J. Gilbertson, Katherine E. L. Worsley-Tonks, W. Chris Funk, Daryl R. Trumbo, Bruno M. Ghersi, Wray Grimaldi, Sara E. Heisel, Claire M. Jardine, Pauline L. Kamath, Dibesh Karmacharya, Christopher P. Kozakiewicz, Simona Kraberger, Dagan A. Loisel, Cait McDonald, Steven Miller, Devon O’Rourke, Caitlin N. Ott-Conn, Mónica Páez-Vacas, Alison J. Peel, Wendy C. Turner, Meredith C. VanAcker, Sue VandeWoude, Jill Pecon-Slattery
Quarterly wildlife mortality report January 2019 Quarterly wildlife mortality report January 2019
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) Quarterly Mortality Report provides brief summaries of epizootic mortality and morbidity events by quarter. The write-ups, highlighting epizootic events and other wildlife disease topics of interest, are published in the Wildlife Disease Association quarterly newsletter. A link is provided in this WDA newsletter to the Wildlife Health...
Authors
Bryan J. Richards, Barbara L. Bodenstein, Robert J. Dusek, Tonie E. Rocke, Katherine L. D. Richgels
Building a response network to investigate potential pathogens associated with unionid mortality events Building a response network to investigate potential pathogens associated with unionid mortality events
Unexplained mortality events have confounded the mussel conservation community for over 30 years. While the effects of chemical pollutants and environmental factors have been examined, few investigations have focused on the identification of potential mussel pathogens. Consequently, very little is known regarding the impact that pathogens have on freshwater mussel health, especially as...
Authors
Eric Leis, Diane L. Waller, Susan Knowles, Tony Goldberg, Joel G. Putnam, Jordan Richard, Sarah Erickson, Emilie Blevins, Jesse Weinzinger
Seasonal sex steroids indicate reproductive costs associated with snake fungal disease Seasonal sex steroids indicate reproductive costs associated with snake fungal disease
Emergent diseases may result in population declines by inducing mortality directly or through sublethal effects on host reproduction. Snake fungal disease (SFD) is an emerging threat to biodiversity, but the sublethal impacts of disease on host fitness are poorly characterized in snakes. The cryptic nature of most snakes makes direct assessment of the fitness consequences of SFD...
Authors
Craig M. Lind, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Ignacio T. Moore, Ben J. Vernasco, Terence M. Farrell
Challenges and opportunities developing mathematical models of shared pathogens of domestic and wild animals Challenges and opportunities developing mathematical models of shared pathogens of domestic and wild animals
Diseases that affect both wild and domestic animals can be particularly difficult to prevent, predict, mitigate, and control. Such multi-host diseases can have devastating economic impacts on domestic animal producers and can present significant challenges to wildlife populations, particularly for populations of conservation concern. Few mathematical models exist that capture the...
Authors
Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Robin E. Russell, Kelly A. Patyk, Meggan E. Craft, Paul C. Cross, M. Graeme Garner, Michael K. Martin, Pauline Nol, Daniel P. Walsh
Population differences in susceptibility to Plasmodium relictum in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata Population differences in susceptibility to Plasmodium relictum in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata
Domesticated Australian and Timor zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis, and T. guttata guttata, respectively) were inoculated with canary (Serinus canaria) blood containing a Hawaiian isolate of Plasmodium relictum (lineage GRW04), a hemoparasite that causes avian malaria. In two experimental trials, Timor, but not Australian zebra finches developed parasitemia that was detected...
Authors
Erik K. Hofmeister, Christopher N. Balakrishnan, Carter T. Atkinson
Identifying management-relevant research priorities for responding to disease-associated amphibian declines Identifying management-relevant research priorities for responding to disease-associated amphibian declines
A research priority can be defined as a knowledge gap that, if resolved, identifies the optimal course of conservation action. We (a group of geographically distributed and multidisciplinary research scientists) used tools from nominal group theory and decision analysis to collaboratively identify and prioritize information needs within the context of disease-associated amphibian decline...
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, M. J. Adams, Robert N. Fisher, Daniel A. Grear, Brian J. Halstead, Blake R. Hossack, Erin L. Muths, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Robin E. Russell, Kelly L. Smalling, J. Hardin Waddle, Susan C. Walls, C. LeAnn White
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Assessment of chronic low‐dose elemental and radiological exposures of biota at the Kanab North uranium mine site in the Grand Canyon watershed Assessment of chronic low‐dose elemental and radiological exposures of biota at the Kanab North uranium mine site in the Grand Canyon watershed
High‐grade U ore deposits are in various stages of exploitation across the Grand Canyon watershed, yet the effects of U mining on ecological and cultural resources are largely unknown. We characterized the concentrations of Al, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Se, Ag, Tl, Th, U, and Zn, gross alpha and beta activities, and U and Th radioisotopes in soil, vegetation (Hesperostipa...
Authors
Danielle M. Cleveland, Jo Ellen Hinck, Julia S. Lankton
Impact of sylvatic plague vaccine on non-target small rodents in grassland ecosystems Impact of sylvatic plague vaccine on non-target small rodents in grassland ecosystems
Oral vaccination is an emerging management strategy to reduce the prevalence of high impact infectious diseases within wild animal populations. Plague is a flea-borne zoonosis of rodents that often decimates prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) colonies in the western USA. Recently, an oral sylvatic plague vaccine (SPV) was developed to protect prairie dogs from plague and aid recovery of the...
Authors
Gebbiena M. Bron, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Samuel. Michael D., Julia E. Poje, Faye Lorenzsonn, Jonathan P. Matteson, Jesse T. Boulerice, Jorge E. Osorio, Tonie E. Rocke
Mortality of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus carissima) naturally exposed to microcystin-LR Mortality of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus carissima) naturally exposed to microcystin-LR
We describe a die-off of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus carissima) associated with acute intoxication with microcystin-LR in 2016 at Scofield Reservoir in Utah. High levels of this cyanotoxin in water from the reservoir and gastrointestinal content of bats supported this diagnosis.
Authors
Marcos Isidoro Ayza, Lee C. Jones, Robert J. Dusek, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Jan H. Landsberg, Patrick Wilson, Stephanie Graham
USGS quarterly wildlife mortality report October 2018 USGS quarterly wildlife mortality report October 2018
No abstract available.
Authors
Bryan J. Richards, Robert J. Dusek, Anne Ballmann, Natalie T. Nguyen