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Diseases of Terrestrial Wildlife

USGS is the lead Federal agency for wildlife disease research and surveillance. Congress and our partners rely on our science to make informed decisions about fish and wildlife disease policy, planning and management. 

USGS scientists are developing advanced tools for disease diagnosis, surveillance, risk assessment and control. Cause-of-death investigations and next generation sequencing have led to the discovery of new pathogens. USGS research on diseases at the interface of wildlife, domestic animals and humans support public health (e.g., sylvatic plague) and domestic animal health (e.g., avian influenza). Our disease ecologists are also examining how climate change, invasive species and landscape changes are impacting disease dynamics.

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