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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

Bacteriological analysis of unionid hemolymph collected from freshwater mussel populations in the Pacific northwestern United States

Native freshwater mussel (Unionidae) mortality events have been occurring with increased frequency in recent decades, with few investigations into potential etiological agents. In the western United States, no surveys have been published regarding the bacteria associated with unionid mussels. Herein, we examine locations of known mussel mortality events in the Chehalis River (Washington), in the C
Authors
Eric Leis, Sara Dziki, Emilie Blevins, Diane L. Waller, Jordan Richard, Susan Knowles, Tony Goldberg

Brodifacoum isomer formulations with potentially lower risk to non-target wildlife

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) have a long history of successful use in controlling vertebrate pest and invasive species. Despite regulatory efforts to mitigate risk, non-target wildlife may be unintentionally exposed to ARs through various trophic pathways, and depending on dose, exposure can result in adverse effects and mortality. Second-generation ARs (SGARs) are mixtures of cis- and trans-d
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, Richard A. Erickson, Julia S. Lankton, Etienne Benoit, Virginie Lattard

Pathology of tissue loss in three key gorgonian species in the Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean is known for its marine biodiversity, especially gorgonian forests. Unfortunately, these are experiencing rapid declines due to climate change, manifested by repeated marine heat waves resulting in mass mortality events since the early 1990 s. To better understand why gorgonians are declining, more systematic approaches to investigate the exact causes are needed, and pathology ma
Authors
Jacopo Gobbato, Thierry M. Work, Martina P. Facchinelli, Federica M. Siena, Enrico Montalbetti, Davide Seveso, Yohan D. Luisa, Paolo Galli, Simone Montano

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 19 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 19 states and three provinces.
Learn More

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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