Fish and Wildlife Disease
Fish and Wildlife Disease
What is Avian Influenza (AI)?
Distribution of CWD Expanding
Chronic Wasting Disease continues to spread across North America
Chronic Wasting Disease continues to spread across North America
White-nose syndrome detections in two Pacific Northwest National Parks
3 Cool Ways USGS is Studying Bats in National Parks
USGS and international team identify the pathogen responsible for 2022 die-off of long-spined sea urchins across the Caribbean
USGS is the lead Federal agency for free-ranging wildlife disease research and surveillance. Our capabilities enhance the understanding of wildlife disease ecology and epidemiology as well as inform the development of decision-support and control tools. USGS wildlife disease experts provide technical assistance as needed to manage wildlife disease and conduct cause-of-death investigations.
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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...
EESC Makes an Impact: Empowering State-led Wildlife Management
Management of state natural resources is a collaborative effort between state governments, federal agencies, tribal governments, and local stakeholders. USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) supports state-led wildlife management with research that clarifies complex issues, enhances scientific quality and communication, broadens solution options, and enables cost-sharing and mutual...
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...
EESC Makes an Impact: Enhancing Recreational & Commercial Fishing
The USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) provides world-class science to inform natural resource decisions on aquatic ecosystems, species populations and management, disease, and invasive species. Our scientific products represent critical contributions that enhance the ecological and economic sustainability of recreational and commercial fishing. In the United States, anglers contribute...
Assessing the Ability of Incineration to Inactivate CWD Prions from Carcasses
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurologic disease of cervids, presents a monumental management challenge, in part because the etiologic agent, an infectious prion, can be transmitted directly or indirectly and is extremely difficult to inactivate. As CWD expands geographically and increases in prevalence, additional disposal options are desired to safely dispose of CWD-contaminated tissues...
Application of a systems approach for management of chronic wasting disease
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Ventana Systems, Inc., and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WIDNR) are applying a systems approach to map and model the complex relationships among ecological, epidemiological, social, and political processes affecting CWD. Through a participatory modeling process, we gathered subject matter...
Dynamics of Rabies Transmission in Vampire Bats (Desmodus rotundus) and Potential for Control Through Vaccination
Vampire bats ( Desmodus rotundus) are the primary spreader of rabies, a lethal disease that harms livestock and people across Latin America. Growth of the livestock industry and environmental changes in this region are leading to the expansion of vampire bats’ habitat range, and it is considered likely this species will move into the southern United States.
Research in Response to Florida’s Emerging Stony Coral (scleractinia) Diseases
Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a rapidly progressive disease threat to corals that results in a bleached appearance due to loss of living tissue.
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.
Advancing Risk Modeling for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Ongoing global outbreaks demonstrate the capacity of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) to impact poultry, wild birds, and even human health. USGS research is advancing the understanding of the spatial and temporal interface between wild and domestic bird populations from which these viruses emerge to aid biosecurity planning and outbreak response.
Understanding Circulating Avian Influenza Viruses and How They Spread
USGS research is quantifying the strains and prevalence of avian influenza viruses circulating in wild waterfowl and improving our understanding of how viruses move between and within migratory flyways.
Key Values of a Century of EESC Science
The USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) is rooted in a proud tradition of service to the nation—advancing science that informs the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, and habitats across the eastern United States and beyond. Our mission is clear: deliver reliable, partner-driven science that supports natural resource decisions today, while ensuring these resources remain...