Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines Active
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 prioritizes submissions from natural resource agencies that lack alternative diagnostic capabilities (e.g., state/university veterinary diagnostic laboratories) and from wildlife morbidity/mortality events that meet the following criteria:
- Events that include any number of free ranging federally endangered/threatened species.
- Events that include any other wildlife species that meet the threshold numbers below and where mortality is ongoing.
- Twenty adult birds of species typically found in aggregate (e.g., waterfowl, seabirds, gulls, etc.)
- Events involving multiple young of the year will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Smaller events should still be reported in WHISPers.
- Five mammals, snakes, turtles, or birds that are unlikely to be found in large numbers (e.g., raptors, gallinaceous birds, wading birds), without evidence of trauma and found within a short period of time (one-two weeks).
- Five adult or 20 larval amphibians. Amphibian submissions must follow the amphibian collection and shipping guidance, including freezing half and preserving half.
- Carcasses must be in good postmortem condition (i.e., intact carcass, no foul odor, no skin/hair/feathers sloughing, no scavenging or insect damage).
- Carcasses should be shipped immediately after approval, but no greater than two weeks after collection.
- The submission was approved by the NWHC epidemiologist on duty prior to shipping.
Exceptions to the above criteria include:
- Events deemed as high priority by the submitter and the NWHC epidemiologist on duty (e.g., high-profile, large-scale mortality, media attention).
- Mortality affecting a species and location included in an ongoing, funded research or surveillance project (e.g., national surveillance for WNS in bats).
- Mortality events involving less than five bald or golden eagles with no evidence of trauma that are in good postmortem condition
- Submitted by a Native American Tribe, or
- High priority submissions from other partner agencies and determined on a case-by-case basis. States are encouraged to use alternative veterinary diagnostic labs.
NWHC is not currently accepting submissions from mortality events if:
- Mortality has ended (e.g., seven days past last collection of carcasses) and/or carcasses available have been frozen for longer than one month.
- Carcass postmortem condition is fair/poor and no others available.
- History suggests weather event and/or trauma were likely causative (unless high profile).
- Event is deemed low priority, based on submitter discussion with NWHC epidemiologist.
- Specimens cannot be shipped within two weeks after field collection.
NWHC is not currently accepting carcasses solely for highly pathogenic avian influenza testing unless they meet the standard submission criteria (above).
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
- Overview
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 prioritizes submissions from natural resource agencies that lack alternative diagnostic capabilities (e.g., state/university veterinary diagnostic laboratories) and from wildlife morbidity/mortality events that meet the following criteria:
- Events that include any number of free ranging federally endangered/threatened species.
- Events that include any other wildlife species that meet the threshold numbers below and where mortality is ongoing.
- Twenty adult birds of species typically found in aggregate (e.g., waterfowl, seabirds, gulls, etc.)
- Events involving multiple young of the year will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Smaller events should still be reported in WHISPers.
- Five mammals, snakes, turtles, or birds that are unlikely to be found in large numbers (e.g., raptors, gallinaceous birds, wading birds), without evidence of trauma and found within a short period of time (one-two weeks).
- Five adult or 20 larval amphibians. Amphibian submissions must follow the amphibian collection and shipping guidance, including freezing half and preserving half.
- Carcasses must be in good postmortem condition (i.e., intact carcass, no foul odor, no skin/hair/feathers sloughing, no scavenging or insect damage).
- Carcasses should be shipped immediately after approval, but no greater than two weeks after collection.
- The submission was approved by the NWHC epidemiologist on duty prior to shipping.
Exceptions to the above criteria include:
- Events deemed as high priority by the submitter and the NWHC epidemiologist on duty (e.g., high-profile, large-scale mortality, media attention).
- Mortality affecting a species and location included in an ongoing, funded research or surveillance project (e.g., national surveillance for WNS in bats).
- Mortality events involving less than five bald or golden eagles with no evidence of trauma that are in good postmortem condition
- Submitted by a Native American Tribe, or
- High priority submissions from other partner agencies and determined on a case-by-case basis. States are encouraged to use alternative veterinary diagnostic labs.
NWHC is not currently accepting submissions from mortality events if:
- Mortality has ended (e.g., seven days past last collection of carcasses) and/or carcasses available have been frozen for longer than one month.
- Carcass postmortem condition is fair/poor and no others available.
- History suggests weather event and/or trauma were likely causative (unless high profile).
- Event is deemed low priority, based on submitter discussion with NWHC epidemiologist.
- Specimens cannot be shipped within two weeks after field collection.
NWHC is not currently accepting carcasses solely for highly pathogenic avian influenza testing unless they meet the standard submission criteria (above).
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 instructionsReport mortality events and submit specimens instructionsExpanded case submission guidelines for diseases and species of interestExpanded case submission guidelines for diseases and species of interestNWHC Diagnostic LaboratoriesNWHC Diagnostic Laboratories