Instructions for reporting wildlife morbidity/mortality and submitting specimens to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC).
Reporting a wildlife morbidity/mortality event
When responding to a wildlife morbidity/mortality event, natural resource management professionals may seek guidance from NWHC epidemiologists and/or other federal, state, or tribal natural resource agency wildlife health programs to discuss response options. These wildlife disease experts can provide guidance on evaluating the event, collecting, and recording pertinent information about the event (event history), appropriate measures to protect both human and wildlife health, collecting and preserving samples to maximize their diagnostic value, submitting those samples to a diagnostic laboratory, and potential management response options.
All diagnostic submissions to NWHC must be submitted in coordination with the NWHC epidemiology team and the appropriate federal, state, or tribal natural resource agency and are managed on a case-by-case basis. NWHC does not accept submissions from the public, rehabilitation facilities, universities, private or zoo veterinarians, diagnostic laboratories, or other entities. If you are a private individual or other entity and want to report a wildlife morbidity/mortality event, please contact the state, federal, or tribal natural resource management agency that has jurisdiction where the event occurred. A list of state and federal agencies can be found at fishwildlife.org.
Instructions
Method 1 (preferred): WHISPers
Report wildlife morbidity/mortality online by creating an event in WHISPers (Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership-event reporting system). If you are not a registered WHISPers user, register at https://whispers.usgs.gov/. Contact us at whispers@usgs.gov with any questions. Agencies can request diagnostic services in WHISPers by following the instructions below.
- Create an event in WHISPers. In the Service Request section, check "Request diagnostic and consultative services" and follow the prompts. WHISPers will notify the NWHC epidemiology team who will review and respond to your request.
- Review our standard Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines and check the expanded case submission guidelines for diseases and species of interest (below) to see if special guidance may apply.
- Following the Instructions for Collection and Shipment of Specimens, coordinate with the NWHC epidemiology team regarding specimen collection and wait for confirmation before shipping.
- For each shipment, add tracking information to the comment field of the Service Request section in WHISPers. Any additional documents, such as maps and diagnostic reports, can be emailed to nwhc-epi@usgs.gov.
Method 2: Email/Phone
Report a wildlife morbidity/mortality event to the NWHC Epidemiology Team by email or phone.
- For events in the 48 contiguous states and Alaska, contact the epidemiologist on duty at NWHC-epi@usgs.gov or (608) 270-2480 to discuss and evaluate potential submissions. For events in Hawaii or the Pacific Islands, contact the NWHC Honolulu Field Station at thierry_work@usgs.gov or (808) 792-9520.
- Review our standard Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines and check the expanded case submission guidelines for diseases and species of interest (below) to see if special guidance may apply.
- Download the Wildlife Mortality Reporting and Diagnostic Services Request Worksheet.
- Complete the worksheet, save, and email it to NWHC-epi@usgs.gov along with any additional photos, maps, diagnostic reports, etc.
- Following the Instructions for Collection and Shipment of Specimens, coordinate with the NWHC epidemiology team regarding specimen collection and wait for confirmation before shipping.
- For each shipment, email the courier tracking number to NWHC-epi@usgs.gov.
- The NWHC epidemiology team will assist you to become registered in WHISPers, where information about this event will be managed, and to streamline future event reporting.
Case submission guidelines
Standard case submission guidelines and information
- Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines
- Wildlife Law Enforcement Cases
- Wildlife Mortality Reporting and Diagnostic Services Request Worksheet
- NWHC Mortality Event Reporting and Diagnostic Evaluation Workflow
Expanded case submission guidelines for diseases and species of interest
- Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines for Avian Botulism
- Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease
- Bat white-nose syndrome/Pd surveillance submissions
- Collection, preservation, packaging, and shipping of Amphibians
- Inclusion Body Disease of Cranes (IBDC) Submissions
Beyond Diagnostic Submissions
NWHC is available to provide guidance on surveillance, risk assessments, and other research-based objectives, and more extensive diagnostic services for funded, partner-based research activities. Please communicate with NWHC via the Epidemiology Team early in your planning process.
WHISPers
Epidemiological Services
Diagnostic Services
- Overview
Instructions for reporting wildlife morbidity/mortality and submitting specimens to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC).
Reporting a wildlife morbidity/mortality event
When responding to a wildlife morbidity/mortality event, natural resource management professionals may seek guidance from NWHC epidemiologists and/or other federal, state, or tribal natural resource agency wildlife health programs to discuss response options. These wildlife disease experts can provide guidance on evaluating the event, collecting, and recording pertinent information about the event (event history), appropriate measures to protect both human and wildlife health, collecting and preserving samples to maximize their diagnostic value, submitting those samples to a diagnostic laboratory, and potential management response options.
All diagnostic submissions to NWHC must be submitted in coordination with the NWHC epidemiology team and the appropriate federal, state, or tribal natural resource agency and are managed on a case-by-case basis. NWHC does not accept submissions from the public, rehabilitation facilities, universities, private or zoo veterinarians, diagnostic laboratories, or other entities. If you are a private individual or other entity and want to report a wildlife morbidity/mortality event, please contact the state, federal, or tribal natural resource management agency that has jurisdiction where the event occurred. A list of state and federal agencies can be found at fishwildlife.org.
Instructions
Method 1 (preferred): WHISPers
Report wildlife morbidity/mortality online by creating an event in WHISPers (Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership-event reporting system). If you are not a registered WHISPers user, register at https://whispers.usgs.gov/. Contact us at whispers@usgs.gov with any questions. Agencies can request diagnostic services in WHISPers by following the instructions below.
- Create an event in WHISPers. In the Service Request section, check "Request diagnostic and consultative services" and follow the prompts. WHISPers will notify the NWHC epidemiology team who will review and respond to your request.
- Review our standard Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines and check the expanded case submission guidelines for diseases and species of interest (below) to see if special guidance may apply.
- Following the Instructions for Collection and Shipment of Specimens, coordinate with the NWHC epidemiology team regarding specimen collection and wait for confirmation before shipping.
- For each shipment, add tracking information to the comment field of the Service Request section in WHISPers. Any additional documents, such as maps and diagnostic reports, can be emailed to nwhc-epi@usgs.gov.
Method 2: Email/Phone
Report a wildlife morbidity/mortality event to the NWHC Epidemiology Team by email or phone.
- For events in the 48 contiguous states and Alaska, contact the epidemiologist on duty at NWHC-epi@usgs.gov or (608) 270-2480 to discuss and evaluate potential submissions. For events in Hawaii or the Pacific Islands, contact the NWHC Honolulu Field Station at thierry_work@usgs.gov or (808) 792-9520.
- Review our standard Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines and check the expanded case submission guidelines for diseases and species of interest (below) to see if special guidance may apply.
- Download the Wildlife Mortality Reporting and Diagnostic Services Request Worksheet.
- Complete the worksheet, save, and email it to NWHC-epi@usgs.gov along with any additional photos, maps, diagnostic reports, etc.
- Following the Instructions for Collection and Shipment of Specimens, coordinate with the NWHC epidemiology team regarding specimen collection and wait for confirmation before shipping.
- For each shipment, email the courier tracking number to NWHC-epi@usgs.gov.
- The NWHC epidemiology team will assist you to become registered in WHISPers, where information about this event will be managed, and to streamline future event reporting.
Case submission guidelines
Standard case submission guidelines and information
- Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines
- Wildlife Law Enforcement Cases
- Wildlife Mortality Reporting and Diagnostic Services Request Worksheet
- NWHC Mortality Event Reporting and Diagnostic Evaluation Workflow
Expanded case submission guidelines for diseases and species of interest
- Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines for Avian Botulism
- Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease
- Bat white-nose syndrome/Pd surveillance submissions
- Collection, preservation, packaging, and shipping of Amphibians
- Inclusion Body Disease of Cranes (IBDC) Submissions
Beyond Diagnostic Submissions
NWHC is available to provide guidance on surveillance, risk assessments, and other research-based objectives, and more extensive diagnostic services for funded, partner-based research activities. Please communicate with NWHC via the Epidemiology Team early in your planning process.
- Science
WHISPers
WHISPers, the Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership - event reporting system, is a web-based repository of basic information on current and historic wildlife mortality (death) and/or morbidity (illness) events reported by partners nationwide. It is also the portal to request diagnostic and epidemiologic services from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.Epidemiological Services
Professionals at the NWHC include wildlife biologists, veterinarians, statisticians, epidemiologists, and informatics specialists. This multidisciplinary group conducts investigations and disease ecology studies of emerging and recurring priority wildlife diseases, maintains and analyzes comprehensive information on wildlife disease events, and provides response and management consultation and...Diagnostic Services
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) conducts laboratory investigations to determine the causes of wildlife mortality events, especially large-scale die-offs or those that are otherwise unusual. - Publications