Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

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

Presumptive Candida Stomatitis in a Broad-Tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)

Presumptive Candida Stomatitis in a Broad-Tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)

A Tale of Two Islands and the Future of an Ocean Sentinel Seabird

A Tale of Two Islands and the Future of an Ocean Sentinel Seabird

EcoNews - Vol. 7 | Issue 2

EcoNews - Vol. 7 | Issue 2

Publications

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

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

Science

Advancing the Use of RT-QuIC for Applications in CWD Management

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging infectious disease that is fatal to free-ranging and captive animals in Cervidae, the deer family. The development of the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay has the potential to transform laboratory research of prions and provide new opportunities for improved surveillance and management.
Advancing the Use of RT-QuIC for Applications in CWD Management

Advancing the Use of RT-QuIC for Applications in CWD Management

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging infectious disease that is fatal to free-ranging and captive animals in Cervidae, the deer family. The development of the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay has the potential to transform laboratory research of prions and provide new opportunities for improved surveillance and management.
Learn More

White-nose Syndrome Vaccine Updates

Since its emergence in 2006, white-nose syndrome (WNS) continues to spread in North America and has substantially impacted hibernating bat populations, contributing to declines of over 90% in northern long-eared ( Myotis septentrionalis), little brown ( Myotis lucifugus), and tri-colored bat ( Perimyotis subflavus) populations. We are developing tools and management strategies to protect bat...
White-nose Syndrome Vaccine Updates

White-nose Syndrome Vaccine Updates

Since its emergence in 2006, white-nose syndrome (WNS) continues to spread in North America and has substantially impacted hibernating bat populations, contributing to declines of over 90% in northern long-eared ( Myotis septentrionalis), little brown ( Myotis lucifugus), and tri-colored bat ( Perimyotis subflavus) populations. We are developing tools and management strategies to protect bat...
Learn More

Expanding Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in 37 US states and five Canadian provinces in free-ranging cervids and/or captive cervid facilities.
Expanding Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease

Expanding Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in 37 US states and five Canadian provinces in free-ranging cervids and/or captive cervid facilities.
Learn More
Was this page helpful?