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Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in North America, 2021/2022

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Avian flu poses a growing risk for wild birds

USGS scientists discusses new study “Highly pathogenic avian influenza is an emerging disease threat to wild birds in North America”

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Destructive Snake Disease Discovered in Museum Specimens

Research into Origins of Fungal Disease Could Aid Conservation Efforts

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Potential Transfer of Avian Influenza to Domestic Poultry

New Insight on the Potential for Blue-Winged Teal to Transfer Avian Influenza to Domestic Poultry

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Chronic Wasting Disease

USGS Science Across the Nation

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Can we save the bats?

Scientists are trying new approaches including a possible vaccine

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Emerging Disease Jeopardizes North American Frogs

Find out which disease is the third most infectious

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Fish & Wildlife Disease

USGS is the lead Federal agency for wildlife disease research and surveillance. Our wildlife health capabilities provide research, information, and technical assistance needed to manage wildlife through disease events. Congress and our partners rely on our science to make informed decisions about fish and wildlife disease policy, planning and management.

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Bsal a Threat to Vulnerable Amphibian Hosts

Salamander poses for the camera

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) in Appalachia: Using Scenario Building to Proactively Prepare for a Wildlife Disease Outbreak Caused by an Invasive Amphibian Chytrid Fungus

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USGS Response to White-Nose Syndrome in Bats

Hibernating little brown bat

USGS science has been a critical part of understanding, and responding to, white-nose syndrome. Learn more about the USGS response in this new fact sheet.

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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

A bull elk in Wind Cave National Park with late-stage CWD.

The USGS is focused on the development of early detection and effective response tools that promote an adaptive management approach to CWD.

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News

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Avian influenza research sheds light on possible routes of introduction to North America

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The USGS One Health Approach to Wildlife Disease and Environmental Change

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Destructive Snake Disease Discovered in Museum Specimens

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Publications

Herring Disease Program - Annual Project Report 2012011-E, February 1, 2010-January 31, 2021

We will investigate fish health factors that may be contributing to the failed recovery of Pacific herring populations in Prince William Sound. Field samples will provide infection and disease prevalence data from Prince William Sound and Sitka Sound to inform the age structured assessment (ASA) model, serological data will indicate the prior exposure history and future susceptibility of herring t
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Fish Health Program (FHP), Marrowstone Marine Field Station (MMFS)

Temperature variation and host immunity regulate viral persistence in a salmonid host

Environmental variation has important effects on host–pathogen interactions, affecting large-scale ecological processes such as the severity and frequency of epidemics. However, less is known about how the environment interacts with host immunity to modulate virus fitness within hosts. Here, we studied the interaction between host immune responses and water temperature on the long-term persistence
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Fish Health Program (FHP)

Long-term shedding from fully convalesced individuals indicates that Pacific herring are a reservoir for viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus

Processes that allow viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) virus to persist in the marine environment remain enigmatic, owing largely to the presence of covert and cryptic infections in marine fishes during typical sub-epizootic periods. As such, marine host reservoirs for VHS virus have not been fully demonstrated, nor have the mechanism(s) by which infected hosts contribute to virus perpetuation an
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Fisheries Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Fish Health Program (FHP), Marrowstone Marine Field Station (MMFS)
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Science

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male mallard in flight

Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in North America, 2021/2022

The first 2021/2022 detection of Eurasian strain (EA) highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in North America occurred in December 2021 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Subsequently, HPAI EA H5 and EA H5N1 viruses have been confirmed in wild birds, backyard flocks, commercial poultry facilities, and wild mammals in both Canada and the United States. This HPAI distribution map will be...
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, National Wildlife Health Center
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Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in North America, 2021/2022

The first 2021/2022 detection of Eurasian strain (EA) highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in North America occurred in December 2021 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Subsequently, HPAI EA H5 and EA H5N1 viruses have been confirmed in wild birds, backyard flocks, commercial poultry facilities, and wild mammals in both Canada and the United States. This HPAI distribution map will be...
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Testing for Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza Surveillance

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) conducts surveillance in wild birds to facilitate early detection and situational awareness for high consequence pathogens, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses.
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, National Wildlife Health Center
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Avian Influenza Surveillance

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) conducts surveillance in wild birds to facilitate early detection and situational awareness for high consequence pathogens, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses.
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Map of North America showing locations where chronic wasting disease has been detected.

Expanding Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in 30 US states and four Canadian provinces in free-ranging cervids and/or commercial captive cervid facilities. CWD has been detected in free-ranging cervids in 29 states and three provinces and in captive cervid facilities in 18 states and three provinces.
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Ecosystems, Fish & Wildlife Disease, National Wildlife Health Center
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Expanding Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in 30 US states and four Canadian provinces in free-ranging cervids and/or commercial captive cervid facilities. CWD has been detected in free-ranging cervids in 29 states and three provinces and in captive cervid facilities in 18 states and three provinces.
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