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Publications

View citations of publications by National Wildlife Health Center scientists since our founding in 1975.  Access to full-text is provided where possible.

Filter Total Items: 1667

Aspergillosis (Avian) case definition for wildlife Aspergillosis (Avian) case definition for wildlife

Diagnostic laboratories receive carcasses and samples for diagnostic evaluation and pathogen/toxin detection. Case definitions bring clarity and consistency to the evaluation process. Their use within and between organizations allows more uniform reporting of diseases and etiologic agents. The intent of a case definition is to provide scientifically based criteria for determining: (a) if...
Authors
Valerie Shearn-Bochsler, Brian Stevens, E. Jane Parmley, Kimberli J.G. Miller

Digging into soil: Effects of soil texture on RT-QuIC performance for environmental prion surveillance. Digging into soil: Effects of soil texture on RT-QuIC performance for environmental prion surveillance.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by infectious prions affecting wild and captive cervids. Transmission occurs directly between hosts or indirectly through contact with prion-contaminated environments. Soils, particularly those rich in clay, are hypothesized to enhance prion stability, retention, and bioavailability. Accurate detection of prions is...
Authors
Stephanie J. Katircioglu, Heather N.  Inzalaco, Allen Jeffrey Herbst, Daniel J. Storm, Stuart S.  Lichtenberg, Rodrigo   Morales,  Reece McGinn, Daniel P. Walsh, Wendy Christine Turner

Non-destructive sampling of larval amphibians shows tail tissues reflect whole-body methylmercury concentrations and trophic-related differences in bioaccumulation Non-destructive sampling of larval amphibians shows tail tissues reflect whole-body methylmercury concentrations and trophic-related differences in bioaccumulation

Mercury (Hg), and specifically methylmercury (MeHg), is a contaminant of global concern to humans and wildlife, but there is still limited understanding of its effects on many taxa. Amphibians are closely associated with water, where Hg is converted to MeHg, and high concentrations of MeHg can reduce survival of amphibians in the wild. However, limited non-lethal proxies exist for...
Authors
Brian J. Tornabene, Blake Hossack, Daniel A. Grear, Thomas L. Anderson, Brad Glorioso, Hardin Waddle, Jon D Davenport, Collin Eagles-Smith, Caitlin T. Rumrill, Kelly L. Smalling

Debunking the myth of the quintessential resource manager: Precision in actionable science Debunking the myth of the quintessential resource manager: Precision in actionable science

“Actionable science” is a widely held standard for identifying the merits of natural resources research. Yet, science is often framed as actionable to a vaguely identified quintessential “manager” without defining either the intended manager or use. Generic descriptions lack precision for identifying end users or their needs, limiting methodological rigor in research design and leading...
Authors
Amanda E. Cravens, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Megan A. Moore, Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Nicholas W. Cole, Oronde Oliver Drakes, Diamond Victoria Ebanks, David C. Fulton, Megan Siobhan Jones, Dawn Marie Kotowicz, Michael C Mcinturff, James R. Meldrum, Kathryn Powlen, Aaron Daniel Russell, Stefan Gabriel Tangen, Emily J. Wilkins

Annotated bibliography of scientific research on new world screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) myiasis in wildlife Annotated bibliography of scientific research on new world screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) myiasis in wildlife

The New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax; NWS) is a parasitic blowfly that lays its eggs in open wounds of live, warm-blooded animals including livestock, wildlife, and potentially humans. The larvae consume living animal tissue, and if untreated, the infestation can lead to death. Although NWS was eradicated in the United States in 1966, it has been moving northward from its...
Authors
Sarah Timbie, Shelby Jo Weidenkopf, Daniel A. Grear

The WOAH global wildlife health collaborating centre network (WOAH-WildNet): A coordinated and transformative approach to global wildlife health challenges The WOAH global wildlife health collaborating centre network (WOAH-WildNet): A coordinated and transformative approach to global wildlife health challenges

Wildlife health is integral to functioning, complex ecosystems [1], directly and indirectly influencing the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment [2–4]. Healthy wildlife populations are essential for ecosystem services and are at the heart of the One Health approach [3,4], which aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems...
Authors
David T.S. Hayman, Steve Unwin, Kelly Bateman, Casey Barton Behravesh, Charlotte Berg, Jemma Bergfeld, Cristina Casalone, Claire Cayol, Erin Davis, Sunday Ekesi, Johan Esterhuizen, Merid Getahun, Federica Giorda, Keith Hamilton, Damien O. Joly, Christa Kuhn, Jean-Claude Manuguerra, Daniel Masig, Anita Michel, Paolo Mulatti, Misheck Mulumba, Annah Njui, Richard Paley, Antonio Fernandez, Sascha Knauf, David Poumo Tchouassi, Youming Wang, Nathalie Vachiery, Jandouwe Villinger, Frank Y.K. Wong, Gongxun Zhong, B. Dharmaveer Shetty

Small cumulative survival costs of enzootic disease could suppress long-term population size Small cumulative survival costs of enzootic disease could suppress long-term population size

Fungal pathogens can cause epizootics that result in widespread mortality and rapid population declines in some species. However, even in the absence of high disease-induced mortality, enzootic mycoses could have large-scale impacts on host population dynamics. Here, we examined the effects of ophidiomycosis, an enzootic fungal disease, on a Louisiana snake community over a 3-year period...
Authors
Brad M. Glorioso, Graziella V. DiRenzo, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Brittany A. Mosher, David A.W. Miller, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Hardin Waddle

Conducting feasibility assessments of potential conservation reintroductions: A case study with the imperiled foothill yellow-legged frog, Rana boylii Conducting feasibility assessments of potential conservation reintroductions: A case study with the imperiled foothill yellow-legged frog, Rana boylii

Conservation translocations are an increasingly common and often necessary component of recovering species that have become extirpated from portions of their range. Understanding and ameliorating potential threats that reduce the likelihood of successful population establishment at recipient sites is a key component of successful translocation planning. We examined multiple potential...
Authors
Daniel Macias, Patrick M. Kleeman, Michelle L. Hladik, Kelly L. Smalling, Paul G. Johnson, Daniel A. Grear, Jonathan P. Rose, Brian J. Halstead

Physiological impacts of sublethal Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema pseudoglobulus infections in captive Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) Physiological impacts of sublethal Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema pseudoglobulus infections in captive Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)

Thousands of Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) die annually in the Upper Mississippi River System, USA, from intestinal infections after birds consume exotic faucet snails, Bithynia tentaculata, infected with introduced parasites, Cyathocotyle bushiensis and Sphaeridiotrema pseudoglobulus. To date, the low frequency (biannual) and magnitude of mortality events from intestinal infections...
Authors
C.R Beach, Auriel Fournier, Joseph D. Lancaster, Douglas C. Osborne, Rebecca A. Cole, Heath M. Hagy, Christopher N. Jacques

A transdisciplinary approach to growing an applied science of cultural evolution for a sustainable future A transdisciplinary approach to growing an applied science of cultural evolution for a sustainable future

Addressing sustainability challenges requires an integrative approach that bridges scientific research with practical application. The field of cultural evolution (CE) offers a perspective that may guide transitions and cultural transformations for a sustainable future. However, there have been few efforts to apply this field to sustainability challenges. This study explores how CE can...
Authors
Jeremy S. Brooks, Rebecca Koomen, Peter Søgaard-Jørgensen, Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Wendy Chavez-Paez, Dustin Eirdosh, Moh Abdul Hakim, Susan Hanisch, Christine Lindell, James Liu, Minh Hiếu Nguyễn, Anne Pisor, Douglas Rogers, Rainer Romero-Canyas, Erik Thulin, Tim Waring

Foundational principles of an applied cultural evolutionary science for natural resource management and conservation Foundational principles of an applied cultural evolutionary science for natural resource management and conservation

Culture, as the filter through which people view the world and a key determinant of human behaviour, is central to the practice of natural resource management and conservation. Conservation is intended to moderate the impacts of human cultural modification of the environment, exists as an endeavour because it is culturally valued, and acts largely through policies to encourage or...
Authors
Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Jonathan J. Fisk, Lily M. van Eeden, Jonathan Salerno, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Kirsten Leong, Jonathan W. Long, G. Scott Boomer, Christopher K. Williams, Ugo Arbieu, Lisa Lehnen, Adam Landon, Erle C. Ellis, Bas Verschuuren, Lincoln R. Larson, Michael C. Gavin

Mortality event in rainbow snakes linked to snake fungal disease, United States Mortality event in rainbow snakes linked to snake fungal disease, United States

We report mortality in rainbow snakes in Virginia and North Carolina, USA, linked to snake fungal disease caused by Ophidiomyces ophidiicola. During 2013–2023, we observed 46 dead rainbow snakes with lesions indicative of snake fungal disease, noted elevated disease severity compared with other species, and recorded fewer live snakes over time.
Authors
Dane Conley, Gaelle Blanvillain, Jaimie L. Miller, Kate E. Langwig, John Kleopfer, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Joseph R. Hoyt
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