Fish and Wildlife Disease
Fish and Wildlife Disease
White-Nose Syndrome and Bat Health: 2025 Year in Review
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) Surveillance
Tackling avian influenza with automated detection for an early warning system
Distribution of CWD Expanding
Chronic Wasting Disease continues to spread across North America
Chronic Wasting Disease continues to spread across North America
What is Avian Influenza (AI)?
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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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...
Helping Secure Our Nation’s Food Supply: The Intersection of Agriculture, Health, and Environment
Agriculture is vital to the U.S. economy, supplying food, fibers, fuels, and jobs. Ensuring the quality of our natural resources is essential for keeping our food safe and plentiful. The USGS studies environmental factors affecting food security and offers valuable insights to reduce health risks, ensuring a safer food supply and a healthier environment.
Avian Influenza Research at EESC
Emergence of avian influenza viruses with the potential to be highly pathogenic to poultry, wild birds, and humans cause serious concern for the global economic and public health sectors. Researchers at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center study multiple aspects of avian influenza viruses in wild birds as well as their implications for commercial agriculture with a special emphasis on...
EESC Makes an Impact: Protecting Ecosystems to Safeguard Food and Water
Research at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) supports understanding of the connection between ecosystem health and the quality and availability of America's food and water. USGS studies help monitor and assess the health of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, species populations, water quality, and contaminants affecting health and habitats. Information gained through this...
EESC Makes an Impact: Preserving our Hunting Resources
Hunting is an economic engine for the U.S. and responsible management of these resources directly supports 45.2 billion dollars spent by hunters annually. Conservation and management of hunting resources also contributes substantially to the 394.8 billion dollars spent on all wildlife-related recreation. Hunting traditions are an integral component of our American heritage, with 14.4 million...
USGS Wild Bird Avian Influenza Program – Studies from Endemic Regions of Eurasia
This project focuses on tracking wild birds throughout Eurasia via satellite telemetry to better understand their spatiotemporal movement patterns, relationship to domestic birds, and potential role in the spread, persistence, and amplification of avian influenza viruses.