Standard submission criteria for federal, state, and tribal natural resource agency partners
The National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) conducts laboratory diagnostics to determine causes of wildlife morbidity and mortality events. The following guidelines are used to determine which cases we accept for diagnostic evaluation. NWHC only accepts submissions from, or in coordination with, federal, state, or tribal natural resource agencies. All submissions must be approved by NWHC prior to shipment.
NWHC accepts submissions from federal, state, and tribal natural resource management agencies originating from wildlife morbidity/mortality events that meet the following criteria:
- Mortality events involving five or more individuals of free-living wildlife species.
- Mortality involving fewer than five individuals of free-living wildlife if the event includes:
- Federal or state endangered or threatened species, candidate species, or species of special management concern.
- Bald or golden eagles with no evidence of trauma that are in good postmortem condition.
- Potential concern for zoonotic or domestic animal diseases.
- Events deemed as high priority by the submitter and the NWHC epidemiologist on duty (e.g., high-profile, large-scale mortality, media attention).
- Carcasses must be in good postmortem condition (i.e., intact carcass, no foul odor, no skin/hair/feathers sloughing, no scavenging or insect damage).
- The submission was approved by the NWHC epidemiologist on duty prior to shipping.
- Carcasses should be shipped immediately after approval.
NWHC does not accept submissions directly from the general public, rehabilitation facilities, universities, or other laboratories, unless routed through an appropriate federal, state, or tribal natural resource agency.
Types of submissions not generally accepted by NWHC include:
- Individual animals when the cause of death or disease is evident.
- Carcasses that have been scavenged or their body cavities have been opened.
- Animals that die in rehabilitation. Exceptions may include:
- Federally protected species.
- Animals that died within 72 hours of admission and no drug therapies were administered (supportive care only).
- An unusual increase in morbidity/mortality in the source wild population has been reported.
- Captive animals (e.g., captive propagation programs, zoos, private collections). Exceptions may include:
- Federal or state endangered or threatened species.
- Animals from state, federal, or tribal species reintroduction efforts or captive propagation programs.
- Instances where there is potential for pathogen spill-over into free-ranging wildlife.
- Routine diagnostic services for live animal health screens, unless NWHC is a project collaborator.
NWHC is not currently accepting carcasses solely for highly pathogenic avian influenza testing unless they meet the above submission criteria.
If specimens arrive unannounced and were not previously approved, NWHC options include re-routing at submitter’s expense, destroying specimens at NWHC, or shipping back at submitter’s expense.
For further information or to discuss the need for an in-depth investigation, please contact the epidemiologist on duty at nwhc-epi@usgs.gov or 608-270-2480.
Report mortality events and submit specimens instructions
Expanded case submission guidelines for diseases and species of interest
NWHC Diagnostic Laboratories
Standard submission criteria for federal, state, and tribal natural resource agency partners
The National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) conducts laboratory diagnostics to determine causes of wildlife morbidity and mortality events. The following guidelines are used to determine which cases we accept for diagnostic evaluation. NWHC only accepts submissions from, or in coordination with, federal, state, or tribal natural resource agencies. All submissions must be approved by NWHC prior to shipment.
NWHC accepts submissions from federal, state, and tribal natural resource management agencies originating from wildlife morbidity/mortality events that meet the following criteria:
- Mortality events involving five or more individuals of free-living wildlife species.
- Mortality involving fewer than five individuals of free-living wildlife if the event includes:
- Federal or state endangered or threatened species, candidate species, or species of special management concern.
- Bald or golden eagles with no evidence of trauma that are in good postmortem condition.
- Potential concern for zoonotic or domestic animal diseases.
- Events deemed as high priority by the submitter and the NWHC epidemiologist on duty (e.g., high-profile, large-scale mortality, media attention).
- Carcasses must be in good postmortem condition (i.e., intact carcass, no foul odor, no skin/hair/feathers sloughing, no scavenging or insect damage).
- The submission was approved by the NWHC epidemiologist on duty prior to shipping.
- Carcasses should be shipped immediately after approval.
NWHC does not accept submissions directly from the general public, rehabilitation facilities, universities, or other laboratories, unless routed through an appropriate federal, state, or tribal natural resource agency.
Types of submissions not generally accepted by NWHC include:
- Individual animals when the cause of death or disease is evident.
- Carcasses that have been scavenged or their body cavities have been opened.
- Animals that die in rehabilitation. Exceptions may include:
- Federally protected species.
- Animals that died within 72 hours of admission and no drug therapies were administered (supportive care only).
- An unusual increase in morbidity/mortality in the source wild population has been reported.
- Captive animals (e.g., captive propagation programs, zoos, private collections). Exceptions may include:
- Federal or state endangered or threatened species.
- Animals from state, federal, or tribal species reintroduction efforts or captive propagation programs.
- Instances where there is potential for pathogen spill-over into free-ranging wildlife.
- Routine diagnostic services for live animal health screens, unless NWHC is a project collaborator.
NWHC is not currently accepting carcasses solely for highly pathogenic avian influenza testing unless they meet the above submission criteria.
If specimens arrive unannounced and were not previously approved, NWHC options include re-routing at submitter’s expense, destroying specimens at NWHC, or shipping back at submitter’s expense.
For further information or to discuss the need for an in-depth investigation, please contact the epidemiologist on duty at nwhc-epi@usgs.gov or 608-270-2480.