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.
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A pelagic outbreak of avian cholera in North American gulls: Scavenging as a primary mechanism for transmission? A pelagic outbreak of avian cholera in North American gulls: Scavenging as a primary mechanism for transmission?
Avian cholera, caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, is an endemic disease globally, often causing annual epizootics in North American wild bird populations with thousands of mortalities. From December 2006 to March 2007, an avian cholera outbreak caused mortality in marine birds off the coast of Atlantic Canada, largely centered 300–400 km off the coast of the island of...
Authors
Michelle Wille, Scott McBurney, Gregory J. Robertson, Sabine Wilhelm, David S. Blehert, Catherine Soos, Ron Dunphy, Hugh Whitney
U.S. Geological Survey science strategy for highly pathogenic avian influenza in wildlife and the environment (2016–2020) U.S. Geological Survey science strategy for highly pathogenic avian influenza in wildlife and the environment (2016–2020)
Introduction Through the Science Strategy for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Wildlife and the Environment, the USGS will assess avian influenza (AI) dynamics in an ecological context to inform decisions made by resource managers and policymakers from the local to national level. Through collection of unbiased scientific information on the ecology of AI viruses and wildlife...
Authors
M. Camille Harris, John M. Pearce, Diann J. Prosser, C. LeAnn White, A. Keith Miles, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Christopher J. Brand, James P. Cronin, Susan De La Cruz, Christine L. Densmore, Thomas W. Doyle, Robert J. Dusek, Joseph P. Fleskes, Paul L. Flint, Gerald F. Guala, Jeffrey S. Hall, Laura E. Hubbard, Randall J. Hunt, S. Ip, Rachel A. Katz, Kevin W. Laurent, Mark P. Miller, Mark D. Munn, Andrew M. Ramey, Kevin D. Richards, Robin E. Russell, Joel P. Stokdyk, John Y. Takekawa, Daniel P. Walsh
First detection of bat white-nose syndrome in western North America First detection of bat white-nose syndrome in western North America
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging fungal disease of bats caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since it was first detected near Albany, NY, in 2006, the fungus has spread across eastern North America, killing unprecedented numbers of hibernating bats. The devastating impacts of WNS on Nearctic bat species are attributed to the likely introduction of P. destructans from Eurasia...
Authors
Jeffrey M. Lorch, Jonathan M. Palmer, Daniel L. Lindner, Anne Ballmann, Kyle George, Kathryn M. Griffin, Susan Knowles, John R. Huckabee, Katherine H. Haman, Christopher D. Anderson, Penny A. Becker, Joseph B. Buchanan, Jeffrey T. Foster, David S. Blehert
Spatiotemporal distributions of intestinal helminths in female lesser scaup Aythya affinis during spring migration from the upper Midwest, USA Spatiotemporal distributions of intestinal helminths in female lesser scaup Aythya affinis during spring migration from the upper Midwest, USA
We examined the associations between intestinal helminth infracommunity structure and infection parameters and the age, size, and year and region of collection of 130 female lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) during their 2014–2015 spring migrations through the upper Midwest, USA. We identified a total of 647,174 individual helminths from 40 taxa, including 20 trematodes, 14 cestodes, 4...
Authors
J. C. England, J.M. Levengood, J. M. Osborn, A. P. Yetter, J. M. Kinsella, Rebecca A. Cole, Cory D. Suski, Heath M. Hagy
Concentrations and spatial patterns of organic contaminants in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs at United States and binational Great Lakes Areas of Concern, 2010–2015 Concentrations and spatial patterns of organic contaminants in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs at United States and binational Great Lakes Areas of Concern, 2010–2015
Tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, were sampled across the Great Lakes basin in 2010 through 2015 to provide a system-wide assessment of current exposure to organic contaminants. The results provide information identified as critical by regulators to assess the “bird or animal deformity or reproductive problems” beneficial use impairment. Eggs were collected from 69 sites across all 5...
Authors
Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul M. Dummer, Diana R. Goldberg, J. Christian Franson
Wound repair in Pocillopora Wound repair in Pocillopora
Corals routinely lose tissue due to causes ranging from predation to disease. Tissue healing and regeneration are fundamental to the normal functioning of corals, yet we know little about this process. We described the microscopic morphology of wound repair in Pocillopora damicornis. Tissue was removed by airbrushing fragments from three healthy colonies, and these were monitored daily...
Authors
Jenny Carolina Rodríguez-Villalobos, Thierry M. Work, Luis Eduardo Calderon-Aguileraa
Widespread detection of highly pathogenic H5 influenza viruses in wild birds from the Pacific Flyway of the United States Widespread detection of highly pathogenic H5 influenza viruses in wild birds from the Pacific Flyway of the United States
A novel highly pathogenic avian influenza virus belonging to the H5 clade 2.3.4.4 variant viruses was detected in North America in late 2014. Motivated by the identification of these viruses in domestic poultry in Canada, an intensive study was initiated to conduct highly pathogenic avian influenza surveillance in wild birds in the Pacific Flyway of the United States. A total of 4,729...
Authors
S.N. Bevins, Robert J. Dusek, C. LeAnn White, Thomas Gidlewski, B. Bodenstein, Kristin G. Mansfield, Paul DeBruyn, Donald K. Kraege, E. L. Rowan, Colin Gillin, B. Thomas, S. Chandler, J. Baroch, B. Schmit, M. J. Grady, R. S. Miller, M.L. Drew, S. Stopak, B. Zscheile, J. Bennett, J. Sengl, Caroline Brady, S. Ip, Erica Spackman, M. L. Killian, Mia Kim Torchetti, Jonathan M. Sleeman, T.J. DeLiberto
Blood selenium concentrations in female Pacific black brant molting in Arctic Alaska: Relationships with age and habitat salinity Blood selenium concentrations in female Pacific black brant molting in Arctic Alaska: Relationships with age and habitat salinity
Blood samples collected from 81 female Pacific black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) molting near Teshekpuk Lake, Alaska, were analyzed for selenium concentration. The concentration of selenium in blood of after second year (hatched two or more years ago) females (0.84 μg/g wet weight) was significantly greater than the concentration in second year (hatched the previous year) females...
Authors
J. Christian Franson, Paul L. Flint, Joel A. Schmutz
Experimental challenge of a peridomestic avian species, European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), with novel Influenza A H7N9 virus from China Experimental challenge of a peridomestic avian species, European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), with novel Influenza A H7N9 virus from China
In 2013 a novel avian influenza H7N9 virus was isolated from several critically ill patients in China, and infection with this virus has since caused more than 200 human deaths. Live poultry markets are the likely locations of virus exposure to humans. Peridomestic avian species also may play important roles in the transmission and maintenance of H7N9 at live poultry markets. We...
Authors
Jeffrey S. Hall, S. Ip, Joshua L. Teslaa, Sean W. Nashold, Robert J. Dusek
Use of multiple sequencing technologies to produce a high-quality genome of the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of bat White-Nose syndrome Use of multiple sequencing technologies to produce a high-quality genome of the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of bat White-Nose syndrome
White-Nose syndrome has recently emerged as one of the most devastating wildlife diseases recorded, causing widespread mortality in numerous bat species throughout eastern North America. Here, we present an improvised reference genome of the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans for use in comparative genomic studies.
Authors
Kevin P. Drees, Jonathan M. Palmer, Robert Sebra, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Cynthia Chen, ChengCang Wu, Jin Woo Bok, Nancy F. Keller, David S. Blehert, Christina A. Cuomo, Daniel L. Linder, Jeffrey T. Foster
Evidence for common ancestry among viruses isolated from wild birds in Beringia and highly pathogenic intercontinental reassortant H5N1 and H5N2 influenza A viruses Evidence for common ancestry among viruses isolated from wild birds in Beringia and highly pathogenic intercontinental reassortant H5N1 and H5N2 influenza A viruses
Highly pathogenic clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8, H5N2, and H5N1 influenza A viruses were first detected in wild, captive, and domestic birds in North America in November–December 2014. In this study, we used wild waterbird samples collected in Alaska prior to the initial detection of clade 2.3.4.4 H5 influenza A viruses in North America to assess the evidence for: (1) dispersal of highly pathogenic...
Authors
Andrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Joshua L. Teslaa, Sean W. Nashold, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Justin Bahl, Jeffrey S. Hall
Recording and submitting specimen history data Recording and submitting specimen history data
Summary In wildlife disease investigations, determining the history or background of a problem is the first significant step toward establishing a diagnosis and aiding agencies with management considerations. The diagnostic process and overall investigation is often greatly expedited by a chronological record accompanying specimens submitted for laboratory evaluation. Knowing where and...
Authors
Barbara L. Bodenstein