Andy Ramey, Ph.D.
Wildlife health and disease
Biography
Education
Ph.D. 2015 University of Georgia, Athens, GA Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
B.S. 2001 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO Fishery Biology and Wildlife Biology
Professional Experience
2012 - Present Research Wildlife Geneticist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Alaska
2006 - 2012 Geneticist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Alaska
2003 - 2006 Wildlife Biologist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Alaska
2001 - 2002 Biological Science Technician, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Professional Activities and/or Memberships
Associate Editor: Journal of Wildlife Diseases and Ornithology
Member: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Ornithological Society, Wildlife Disease Association
Reviewer: Archives of Virology; Avian Diseases; BMC Veterinary Research; Canadian Journal of Microbiology; Climatic Change; EcoHealth; Ecology and Evolution; Emerging Infectious Diseases; Emerging Microbes & Infections; European Journal of Wildlife Research; Infection, Genetics, and Evolution; Influenza and Other Respiratory Diseases; International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Journal of Avian Biology; Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B; Journal of Microbiological Methods; Journal of Parasitology; Journal of Virological Methods; Journal of Wildlife Diseases; Molecular Ecology; Parasites and Vectors; Parasitology Open; Parasitology Research; PLoS ONE; Proceedings of the Royal Society B; Science Bulletin; Science of the Total Environment; Transboundary and Emerging Diseases; Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports; Virology; Virology Journal; and Virus Genes
Honors and/or Awards
Star Award, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2002
Star Award, U.S. Geological Survey 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009
Performance awards, U.S. Geological Survey 2010-2020
Science and Products
Tracking Data for Three Large-bodied Gull Species and Hybrids (Larus spp.)
Available here are tracking data of large-bodied gull species and hybrids (Larus species). These data were collected to better understand the migratory movements of these birds and their role in the dispersal of antibiotic resistant bacteria among areas of Alaska and other regions.
Blue-winged Teal and Cross Continental Avian Influenza Transmission
This project aims to improve our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and how this may impact the ability of this species to transmit avian influenza or other pathogens across the wild bird – domestic poultry interface.This project aims to improve our understanding of the migratory ecology of Blue-winged Teal and how this may impact the ability of this species to transmit...
Swan Research
USGS research on swans in Alaska has focused on pathogens, contaminants, and demographic rates in each of the different breeding areas of Alaska. The vastly different migration patterns of swans in Alaska means that there are multiple factors on the wintering grounds and during migration that may influence population size and trends.
Tracking Data for Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)
Available here are tracking data of Blue-winged Teal, a duck species that breeds throughout much of North America and whose wintering range includes neotropical areas of the Caribbean and Central and South America, thus providing a migratory link between the continents of North and South America. These data were collected to better understand the timing and patterns of migratory movement of...
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Migratory Birds
Migratory birds, and particularly those using habitats close to human settlements, may be infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria. The USGS is working with public health professionals to understand the role of birds in the maintenance and dispersal of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Additionally, the USGS is investigating how antibiotic resistant bacteria in birds may relate to public and...
High Priority Species for Avian Influenza in Alaska
In early 2006, an Alaska Interagency Avian Influenza Working Group was formed to develop a ranking matrix for selecting priority species to be sampled within Alaska. Most wild bird species with populations that utilize areas of both Alaska and Asia were identified and considered in the ranking exercise. Based on scoring criteria, 28 target species were chosen for sampling. Alaska is a...
Bird Migration and Influenza
The movement and transmission of avian influenza viruses in wild birds may differ by the migratory nature of each host species.
Wildlife Disease and Environmental Health in Alaska
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...
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...
Genomic comparison of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from humans and gulls in Alaska
ObjectivesWildlife may harbor clinically important antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, but the role of wildlife in the epidemiology of AMR bacterial infections in humans is largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to assess dissemination of theblaKPC carbapenemase gene among humans and gulls in Alaska.MethodsWe performed whole genome...
Ahlstrom, Christina; Frick, Anna; Pongratz, Catherine; Spink, Kimberly; Xavier, Catherine; Bonnedahl, Jonas; Ramey, Andrew M. Coding-Complete Genome Sequence of Avian Orthoavulavirus 16, isolated from Emperor Goose (Anser canagica) feces, Alaska, USA
We sequenced the coding-complete genome of an avian orthoavulavirus serotype 16 (AOAV-16) isolate recovered from emperor goose (Anser canagicus) feces collected in Alaska. The detection of AOAV-16 in North America and genomic sequencing of the resultant isolate confirms that the geographic distribution of this virus extends beyond Asia.
Reeves, Andrew B.; Killian, Mary Lea; Tanner, Michael E; Lagasse, Benjamin Joel; Ramey, Andrew M.; Stallknecht, David E.; Poulson, Rebecca L. Evidence for continental-scale dispersal of antimicrobial resistant bacteria by landfill-foraging gulls
Anthropogenic inputs into the environment may serve as sources of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and alter the ecology and population dynamics of synanthropic wild animals by providing supplemental forage. In this study, we used a combination of phenotypic and genomic approaches to characterize antimicrobial resistant indicator bacteria, animal...
Ahlstrom, Christina; van Toor, Mariëlle L.; Woksepp, Hanna; Chandler, Jeffrey C; Reed, John; Reeves, Andrew B.; Waldenström, Jonas; Franklin, Alan B.; Douglas, David C.; Bonnedahl, Jonas; Ramey, Andrew M. Influenza A viruses remain infectious for more than seven months in northern wetlands of North America
In this investigation, we used a combination of field- and laboratory-based approaches to assess if influenza A viruses (IAVs) shed by ducks could remain viable for extended periods in surface water within three wetland complexes of North America. In a field experiment, replicate filtered surface water samples inoculated with duck swabs were...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Reeves, Andrew B.; Drexler, Judith Z.; Ackerman, Joshua T.; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Lang, Andrew S.; Leyson, Christina; Link, Paul T.; Prosser, Diann; Robertson, Gregory J.; Wight, Jordan; Youk, Sungsu; Spackman, Erica; Pantin-Jackwood, Mary; Poulson, Rebecca L.; Stallknecht, David E. Genesis and spread of multiple reassortants during the 2016/2017 H5 avian influenza epidemic in Eurasia
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of the H5 A/goose/Guangdong/1/96 lineage can cause severe disease in poultry and wild birds, and occasionally in humans. In recent years, H5 HPAI viruses of this lineage infecting poultry in Asia have spilled over into wild birds and spread via bird migration to countries in Europe, Africa, and...
Palese, Peter; Lycett, Samantha; Pohlmann, Anne; Staubach, Christoph; Caliendo, Valentina; Woolhouse, Mark; Beer, Martin; Kuiken, Thijs; van Borm, Steven; Breed, Andrew; Briand, Francois-Xavier; Brown, Ian; Dan, Adam; DeLiberto, Thomas J.; von Dobschuetz, Sophie; Fouchier, Ron A. M.; Gilbert, Marius; Hill, Sarah; Hjulsager, Charlotte Kristiane; Ip, Hon S.; Koopmans, Marion; Larsen, Lars Erik; Lee, Dong-Hun; Naguib, Mahmoud Mohamed; Monne, I.; Pybus, Oliver; Ramey, Andrew M.; Savic, Vladmir; Sharshov, Kirill; Shestopalov, Alexander; Song, Chang-Seon; Steensels, Mieke; Swayne, David; Swieton, Edyta; Wan, Xiu-Feng; Zohari, Siamak Ecology of influenza A viruses in wild birds and wetlands of Alaska
Alaska represents a globally important region for the ecology of avian-origin influenza A viruses (IAVs) given expansive wetlands in this region which serve as habitat for numerous hosts of IAVs that disperse among four continents during the annual cycle. Extensive sampling of wild birds for IAVs in Alaska since 1991 has greatly extended...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Reeves, Andrew B. Gulls as sources of environmental contamination by colistin-resistant bacteria
In 2015, the mcr-1 gene was discovered in Escherichia coli in domestic swine in China that conferred resistance to colistin, an antibiotic of last resort used in treating multi-drug resistant bacterial infections in humans. Since then, mcr-1 was found in other human and animal populations, including wild gulls. Because gulls could disseminate the...
Franklin, Alan B.; Ramey, Andrew M.; Bentler, Kevin T; Barret, Nicole L; McCurdy, Loredana M; Ahlstrom, Christina; Bonnedahl, Jonas; Shriner, Susan A.; Chandler, Jeffrey C Waterfowl occurrence and residence time as indicators of H5 and H7 avian influenza in North American Poultry
Avian influenza (AI) affects wild aquatic birds and poses hazards to human health, food security, and wildlife conservation globally. Accordingly, there is a recognized need for new methods and tools to help quantify the dynamic interaction between wild bird hosts and commercial poultry. Using satellite-marked waterfowl, we applied Bayesian joint...
Humphreys, John M.; Ramey, Andy; Douglas, David C.; Mullinax, Jennifer M.; Soos, Catherine; Link, Paul T.; Walther, Patrick; Prosser, Diann J. Field-based method for assessing duration of infectivity for influenza A viruses in the environment
Understanding influenza A virus (IAV) persistence in wetlands is limited by a paucity of field studies relating to the maintenance of infectivity over time. The duration of IAV infectivity in water has been assessed under variable laboratory conditions, but results are difficult to translate to more complex field conditions. We tested a field-...
Reeves, Andrew B.; Ramey, Andrew M.; Koch, Joshua C.; Poulson, Rebecca L.; Stallknecht, David E. Antibiotic resistant bacteria in wildlife: Perspectives on trends, acquisitions and dissemination, data gaps, and future directions
The proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment has potential negative economic and health consequences. Thus, previous investigations have targeted wild animals to understand the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in diverse environmental sources. In this critical review and synthesis, we summarize important concepts...
Ramey, Andrew M.; Ahlstrom, Christina Limited detection of antibodies to clade 2.3.4.4 A/Goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus in North American waterfowl
During 2014, highly pathogenic (HP) influenza A viruses (IAVs) of the A/Goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage (GsGD-HP-H5), originating from Asia, were detected in domestic poultry and wild birds in Canada and the US. These clade 2.3.4.4 GsGD-HP-H5 viruses included reassortants possessing North American lineage gene segments; were detected in wild birds...
Stallknecht, David E.; Kienzle-Dean, Clara; Davis-Fields, Nick; Jennelle, Christopher S.; Bowman, Andrew S.; Nolting, Jacqueline M.; Boyce, Walter; Crum, James; Santos, Jefferson; Brown, Justin D.; Prosser, Diann; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Casazza, Michael L.; Krauss, Scott; Perez, Daniel; Ramey, Andrew M.; Poulson, Rebecca L. Confronting models with data: The challenges of estimating disease spillover
For pathogens known to transmit across host species, strategic investment in disease control requires knowledge about where and when spillover transmission is likely. One approach to estimating spillover is to directly correlate observed spillover events with covariates. An alternative is to mechanistically combine information on host density,...
Cross, Paul C.; Prosser, Diann; Ramey, Andrew M.; Hanks, Ephraim M.; Pepin, Kim M.
Avian Flu Testing of Wild Ducks Informs Biosecurity and Can Reduce Economic Loss
Ducks in North America can be carriers of avian influenza viruses similar to those found in a 2016 outbreak in Indiana that led to the losses of hundreds of thousands of chickens and turkeys, according to a recent study.
Wild Birds an Unlikely Source of Costly Poultry Disease
Wild ducks and shorebirds do not appear to carry Newcastle disease viruses that sicken or kill poultry, according to a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Gulls in Alaska Found to Carry Antibiotic Resistant E. coli
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Some gulls in southcentral Alaska are carriers of antibiotic resistant strains of E. coli, according to a new study co-authored by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Alaska Still a Likely Portal for Avian Influenza
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The U.S. Geological Survey released additional evidence that western Alaska remains a hot spot for avian influenza to enter North America.
New Technology Helps Identify Dispersal of Avian Flu Virus between Asia and Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — In a new study published today, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service harnessed a new type of DNA technology to investigate avian influenza viruses in Alaska.