Fish and Wildlife Disease

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...

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in 33 US states and five Canadian provinces in free-ranging cervids and/or commercial captive cervid facilities. CWD has been detected in free-ranging cervids in 33 states and four provinces and in captive cervid facilities in 19 states and three provinces.

Corals reefs support marine biodiversity, protect coastlines from storm surges and strong waves, and provide income from tourism to coastal communities. Coral diseases were first recognized in the 1970s and are now considered a major threat to coral reef survival worldwide. Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) emerged in Florida in 2014, impacting coral reefs in Florida, Puerto Rico, US Virgin...

Elevated ocean temperatures are linked to the development of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Toxins from these blooms may pose health threats to marine organisms, including seabirds. Since 2015, the USGS has worked with a variety of stakeholders to develop testing methods and research projects to better understand the geographic extent, timing and impacts of algal toxins in Alaska marine ecosystems...

On this page, learn about USGS work on Beak Deformities and Boreal Partners in Flight.

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...

Diseases are challenging to manage in wild ungulate populations, particularly when there are many ways the disease can spread. Wildlife management agencies often need to take action to control disease spread, but it is unclear which actions are most effective in constraining disease because the importance of different spread mechanisms is not fully understood. This project will aid state wildlife...

The Aquatic Disease and Pathogen Repository (AquaDePTH) will be a public-facing national repository to support biosurveillance of aquatic animal diseases and pathogens. By collating historically published data, plus new aquatic pathogen and disease information, stakeholders will be able monitor fish kill and aquatic pathogen trends spatially and temporally in freshwater and marine environments...

The coronavirus pandemic, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer, and white-nose syndrome in bats have spawned great interest in diseases of native fish and wildlife. Many aspects of widely known diseases of wild (as opposed to domestic) animal populations are poorly understood, including their ecology, incidence, distribution, and methods for reducing effects of disease on culturally...

Environmental health is defined by connections between the physical environment, ecological health, and human health. Current research within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recognizes the importance of this integrated research philosophy, which includes study of disease and pollutants as they pertain to both wildlife and humans. Due to its key geographic location and significant wildlife...

WHISPers, the Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership - event reporting system, is a web-based repository of basic information on current and historic wildlife mortality (death) and/or morbidity (illness) events reported by partners nationwide. It is also the portal to request diagnostic and epidemiologic services from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.

Multiple studies have demonstrated that various alleles of the cervid prion protein (PRNP) gene affect chronic wasting disease (CWD) progression.