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National Wildlife Health Center

Welcome to the National Wildlife Health Center! Our mission is to advance wildlife health science for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment.

Explore SCIENCE to learn more about wildlife diseases, ongoing projects, the Honolulu Field Station, and our services.

Explore WEB TOOLS to access WHISPers, wildlife health bulletins, our field manual, and more.

News

Pathology Case of the Month - Mountainous Star Coral

Pathology Case of the Month - Mountainous Star Coral

Pathology Case of the Month - Sea Otter

Pathology Case of the Month - Sea Otter

Pathology Case of the Month - Little Brown Bat

Pathology Case of the Month - Little Brown Bat

Publications

Anatidae brood records in Maine during studies of Anas rubripes (American black duck), 1977–94

This report describes a compilation of brood observations for Anatidae species breeding in Maine during an 18-year period (1977–94) that were made by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center while it was operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. During four focused studies, variables affecting the declining Anas rubripes (Brewster, 1902) (American black duck, hereafter
Authors
Jerry R. Longcore, Christine M. Bunck, Daniel G. McAuley, David A. Clugston

Pathology of lesions in corals from the US Virgin Islands after emergence of stony coral tissue loss disease

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was first documented in Florida in 2014 and has since spread through the Caribbean causing unprecedented mortality in more than 20 species of corals. The cause of SCTLD is unknown, but bacteria are suspected based on regression of gross lesions in some corals treated with antibiotics. Limited pathology studies on SCTLD exist, but it is likely that ‘SCTLD’ is
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Jeff Miller, Thomas Kelley, Aine C. Hawthorn, Tina Weatherby, Caroline Rogers

3Density estimation using spatial capture-recapture analyses: Application to vaccination of prairie dogs against sylvatic plague

Prairie dogs are notoriously difficult to enumerate, with previously methods including visual counts, mark-resight, burrow counts, and catch per unit effort. Unlike those methods, spatial capture-recapture (SCR) analyses allow for formal estimation of density along with associated estimates of uncertainty, detection probability, and the size of the average area over which an individual was detecte
Authors
Robin E. Russell, Dan W. Tripp, Katherine Richgels, Tonie E. Rocke

Science

Expanding Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in 35 US states and five Canadian provinces in free-ranging cervids and/or commercial captive cervid facilities. CWD has been detected in free-ranging cervids in 35 states and four provinces and in captive cervid facilities in 21 states and three provinces.
link

Expanding Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in 35 US states and five Canadian provinces in free-ranging cervids and/or commercial captive cervid facilities. CWD has been detected in free-ranging cervids in 35 states and four provinces and in captive cervid facilities in 21 states and three provinces.
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Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines

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...
link

Diagnostic Case Submission Guidelines

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...
Learn More

Interagency coordination on coral health

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) supports coral health through participation in two interagency coordination bodies, the Florida Disturbance Advisory Committee, which is focused on joint management of the Florida Coral Reef Tract, and the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, which is focused on joint management of reef resources within U.S. Territories in both the Caribbean and Pacific.
link

Interagency coordination on coral health

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) supports coral health through participation in two interagency coordination bodies, the Florida Disturbance Advisory Committee, which is focused on joint management of the Florida Coral Reef Tract, and the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, which is focused on joint management of reef resources within U.S. Territories in both the Caribbean and Pacific.
Learn More
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