Images

Photograph from a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) found dead in Wisconsin, USA. Numerous nematodes are present in the ventriculus (white arrowhead) and duodenum (black arrow). 

A USGS scientist prepares to analyze a skin swab from a salamander to investigate for potential pathogens.

A USGS scientist examines a skin sample from a salamander as part of a study to investigate for potential pathogens.

A USGS scientist examines microorganisms from salamander skin to investigate for potential pathogens.

A USGS scientist reaches for a microbiological plate with cultures from salamander skin to investigate for potential pathogens.

Thanksgiving Banner_ Holiday hours banner "The USGS National Wildlife Health Center will be closed Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 and have reduced staffing on Friday,  Nov 28, 2025 for the Thanksgiving holiday which may affect your shipments, submission processing and results reporting.  Please plan your specimen collections and shipments accordingly for r

A USGS scientist examines salamanders as part of a study to investigate for potential pathogens.

New World Screwworm is a fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) that lays eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Once hatched, the larvae (maggots) consume the living tissues at the edge of the wound, leading to severe illness and death if left untreated. 

New World Screwworm is a fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) that lays eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Once hatched, the larvae (maggots) consume the living tissues at the edge of the wound, leading to severe illness and death if left untreated. 

USGS is developing and testing a safe rabies vaccine for vampire bats and conducting field studies for a practical delivery of this vaccine to wild populations of bats in the future. 

Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in North America, updated July 23, 2025.

Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in North America, in Relation to Tribal Lands in the Conterminous United States. Updated on April 17, 2025.

Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in North America, updated April 11, 2025.

Animated GIF showing changes in distribution of chronic wasting disease in North America from 2000-2024 as documented at the end of each year. Individual files of yearly maps are available at https://doi.org/10.5066/P9HQKKFO.

Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5 and H5N1 in wild birds the United States, by county, 2021-2025. Updated February 10, 2025.

Dr. LeAnn White has been selected as the new Center Director of the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC)

The front elevation showcases a combination of glass and metal elements, reflecting a contemporary aesthetic. WHC will be a single, integrated, multistory, state-of-the-art building that will include offices, laboratories (BSL-2 and BSL-3), and vivarium
Picture provide by :Julia Lankton
Deputy Center Director

NWHC modernization overhead view, The image showcases an overhead view of the NWHC modernization project for the microsite homepage. Its highlighting the contemporary structures integrated into a vibrant landscape. Provided by: Lankton, Julia

USGS is developing and testing a safe rabies vaccine for vampire bats and conducting field studies for a practical delivery of this vaccine to wild populations of bats in the future. 

Photographs from a mountainous star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) losing tissue to disease in Florida, USA.  (A) Colony in situ showing bare white, recently denuded skeleton with no turf algae growth (arrowheads) with dark discoloration along the active tissue loss margins (arrows).

Photomicrographs from a mountainous star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) in Florida, USA. (A) A large cluster of filamentous bacteria are within the gastrovascular space and gastrodermis (asterisk) and extending through mesoglea (arrow) with necrosis and loss of the surface gastrodermis (arrowheads). H&E stain.  Scale bar 200 μm.