USGS Wildlife Health Awareness Day: Implications of highly pathogenic avian influenza to ecosystem health
USGS Friday's Findings Webinar - April 24, 2026
We are proud to celebrate the 2nd Annual USGS Wildlife Health Awareness Day on Friday, April 24, 2026. As the lead federal agency for wildlife disease research and surveillance, USGS connects the dots between animal health, human health, and the outdoor traditions that communities across the country hold dear. Join us on Friday, April 24th for a wildlife health-focused Friday's Findings webinar!
A wildlife population's health rests on three interconnected factors: animal fitness, quality habitat, and low levels of parasites and pathogens. When these fall out of balance, whether from emerging diseases, habitat loss, or environmental stress, the consequences can be swift and far-reaching, affecting not just wildlife, but the ecosystems, economies, and cultural practices that depend on them.
In recognition of that connection, the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area invites you to join us for a Friday's Findings in celebration of the 2nd Annual USGS Wildlife Health Awareness Day.
Title: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: An Emergent Wildlife Disease with Implications to Ecosystem Health
Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Time: 2:00–2:30 PM Eastern / 11:00–11:30 AM Pacific
Presenters:
Andrew Ramey, Wildlife Geneticist, USGS Alaska Science Center
Camille Hopkins, Fish & Wildlife Disease Research Coordinator, USGS Ecosystems Mission Area
Summary:
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was historically a poultry disease but has more recently evolved into a geographically widespread and ecologically relevant wildlife disease. The broad geographic distribution, diverse host breadth, and widespread occurrence of disease and mortality associated with HPAI in wildlife has far-reaching ecological implications including the potential for declines in species abundance, disruptions of ecosystem services, and erosion of opportunities for wildlife viewing, harvest, and participation in culturally important activities. The USGS, through the Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, is working with diverse partners to address concerns regarding HPAI in wildlife by filling data gaps that inform stakeholder management and mitigation decisions.
USGS scientists study how diseases move through ecosystems, identify opportunities for management intervention, and develop cutting-edge tools for early detection and rapid response. Our work complements and coordinates with federal partners at USDA-APHIS, NOAA, and the Department of Health and Human Services. This ensures that wildlife disease science informs decisions across the full spectrum of animal, human, and ecosystem health.
State, tribal, and federal wildlife managers rely on USGS science to guide surveillance efforts and respond to disease outbreaks before they become crises. From big game to migratory waterfowl to freshwater fish, our research helps keep the populations that Americans hunt, fish, and cherish healthy and resilient.
