Biosurveillance
Our early detection & rapid response are improving biological threat detection
Our early detection & rapid response are improving biological threat detection
Fish and Wildlife Disease
We are the lead Federal agency for wildlife disease research and surveillance
We are the lead Federal agency for wildlife disease research and surveillance
Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program
The Biological Threats Research Program delivers science to protect public safety, property, and ecosystems from invasive plants and animals and infectious fish and wildlife diseases that pose significant ecologic and economic threats to the resources of the United States.
Links to Cool USGS Web Tools
Links to Cool USGS Web Tools
Explore powerful tools that provide immediate access to data and information on aquatic invasive species, wildlife diseases, and invasive plants.
News
EcoNews - Vol. 7 | Issue 3
EcoNews - Vol. 7 | Issue 3
FORT Updates: From Plains to Peaks - Vol. 4 | Issue 4
FORT Updates: From Plains to Peaks - Vol. 4 | Issue 4
Branching out: New study reveals when invasive pythons take to the trees
Branching out: New study reveals when invasive pythons take to the trees
Publications
Case report: Observations on expulsions from 20 years of radiotransmitter implantation in adult Burmese pythons Case report: Observations on expulsions from 20 years of radiotransmitter implantation in adult Burmese pythons
Background Radiotelemetry as a research tool has advanced our understanding of snake behavior and ecology. However, surgical transmitter implantation can lead to health complications for study animals, including expulsion, which may also interfere with research objectives. Two implantation methods include intramuscular and coelomic placements, and we evaluate expulsion rates of...
Efficacy of increased visual and olfactory cues for luring and trapping invasive tegu lizards Efficacy of increased visual and olfactory cues for luring and trapping invasive tegu lizards
Controlling invasive wildlife species relies on the ability to efficiently remove individuals from the invaded environment. Thus, maximizing capture potential is of high interest, particularly for species that are difficult to capture. For invasive species such as the Argentine black and white tegu lizard (Salvator merianae), increasing attraction to traps could increase the probability...
Science
Avian Influenza Research
Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
Understanding and Containing Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious and fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting cervids (deer, elk, caribou, and moose) that is threatening the health and sustainability of cervid populations across North America. CWD is caused by misfolded proteins known as prions, which can be transmitted by direct contact or environmental exposure. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center conducts...
Tracking Chronic Wasting Disease Strains to Understand Transmission and Detect Emerging Threats
At least ten distinct chronic wasting disease (CWD) prion strains with unique biochemical properties affect disease transmission and host range, prompting development and validation of biochemical assays to surveil and track these strains in endemic regions like Wisconsin, with ongoing efforts to standardize these methods for epidemiological tracking and management of CWD variants .