David S Blehert
David Blehert is Chief of the National Wildlife Health Center's Laboratory Sciences Branch
David Blehert received a Ph.D. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1999, and he joined the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) as a Diagnostic and Research Microbiologist in 2003. His research focuses on investigation of the ecology and pathobiology of bat white-nose syndrome. Today, Dr. Blehert is Chief of the NWHC's Laboratory Sciences Branch, which specializes in the investigation of unusual mortality events impacting our nation's wildlife. His laboratories also conduct surveillance for animal diseases of high consequence, such as white-nose syndrome in bats and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in wild waterfowl.
Professional Experience
2014 to present, Chief, Laboratory Sciences Branch, U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin
2003-2014, Diagnostic and Research Microbiologist, U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin
1999 to 2003, Intramural Research Training Associate Fellow, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1999
B.S. Biology, University of Minnesota-Minneapolis St. Paul, 1993
Affiliations and Memberships*
Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology. Elected in February, 2020.
Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. CIFAR Program Fungal Kingdom: Threats and Opportunities. Elected in June, 2019.
Honorary Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiological Sciences. 2003-2018.
Member, Wildlife Disease Association. 2006-present.
Member, American Society for Microbiology. 1995-present.
Science and Products
Possibility for reverse zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to free-ranging wildlife: A case study of bats
Assessing the risks posed by SARS-CoV-2 in and via North American bats — Decision framing and rapid risk assessment
Validation of laboratory tests for infectious diseases in wild mammals: Review and recommendations
Threats posed by the Fungal Kingdom to humans, wildlife, and agriculture
Long-term survival of Pseudogymnoascus destructans at elevated temperatures
Response to “Prepublication communication of research results”: The need for a coordinated wildlife disease surveillance laboratory network
Experimental infection of Tadarida brasiliensis with Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome
Malassezia vespertilionis sp. nov.: A new cold-tolerant species of yeast isolated from bats
Determinants of Pseudogymnoascus destructans within bat hibernacula: Implications for surveillance and management of white-nose syndrome
Phylogenetics of a fungal invasion: Origins and widespread dispersal of white-nose syndrome
Dispersal hazards of Pseudogymnoascus destructans by bats and human activity at hibernacula in summer
Datasheet: Pseudogymnoascus destructans (white-nose syndrome fungus)
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 71
Possibility for reverse zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to free-ranging wildlife: A case study of bats
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the substantial public health, economic, and societal consequences of virus spillover from a wildlife reservoir. Widespread human transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also presents a new set of challenges when considering viral spillover from people to naïve wildlife and other animal populations. The establishment of new wildAuthorsKevin J. Olival, Paul M. Cryan, Brian R. Amman, Ralph S. Baric, David S. Blehert, Cara E. Brook, Charles H. Calisher, Kevin T. Castle, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Peter Daszak, Jonathan H. Epstein, Hume Field, Winifred F. Frick, Amy T. Gilbert, David T. S. Hayman, Hon S. Ip, William B Karesh, Christine K. Johnson, Rebekah C. Kading, Tigga Kingston, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Ian H. Mendenhall, Alison J. Peel, Kendra L. Phelps, Raina K. Plowright, DeeAnn M. Reeder, Jonathan D. Reichard, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Daniel G. Streicker, Jonathan S. Towner, Lin-Fa WangAssessing the risks posed by SARS-CoV-2 in and via North American bats — Decision framing and rapid risk assessment
The novel β-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, may pose a threat to North American bat populations if bats are exposed to the virus through interaction with humans, if the virus can subsequently infect bats and be transmitted among them, and if the virus causes morbidity or mortality in bats. Further, if SARS-CoV-2 became established in bat populations, it could possibly serve as a source for new infectionAuthorsMichael C. Runge, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Jonathan D. Reichard, Samantha E. J. Gibbs, Paul M. Cryan, Kevin J. Olival, Daniel P. Walsh, David S. Blehert, M. Camille Hopkins, Jonathan M. SleemanValidation of laboratory tests for infectious diseases in wild mammals: Review and recommendations
Evaluation of the diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) of tests for infectious diseases in wild animals is challenging, and some of the limitations may affect compliance with the OIE-recommended test validation pathway. We conducted a methodologic review of test validation studies for OIE-listed diseases in wild mammals published between 2008 and 2017 and focused on study design, staAuthorsJia Beibei, David Colling, David E. Stallknecht, David S. Blehert, John Bingham, Beate Crossley, Debbie Eagles, Ian A GardnerThreats posed by the Fungal Kingdom to humans, wildlife, and agriculture
The Fungal Kingdom includes at least six million eukaryotic species and is remarkable with respect to its profound impact on global health, biodiversity, ecology, agriculture, manufacturing, and biomedical research. Approximately 625 fungal species have been reported to infect vertebrates, 200 of which can be human-associated, either as commensals and members of our microbiome or as pathogens thatAuthorsMatthew C. Fisher, Sarah J. Gurr, Christina A. Cuomo, David S. Blehert, Hailing Jin, Eva H. Stukenbrock, Jason E. Stajich, Regine Kahmann, Charles Boone, David W. Denning, Neil A. R. Gow, Bruce S. Klein, James W. Kronstad, Donald C. Sheppard, John W. Taylor, Gerard D. Wright, Joseph Heitman, Arturo Casadevall, Leah E. CowenLong-term survival of Pseudogymnoascus destructans at elevated temperatures
White-nose syndrome is an emerging fungal disease that has devastated hibernating bat populations across eastern North America. The causal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (PD), is a psychrophilic fungus with a known maximal growth temperature of 20 C. Although it is widely speculated that PD is primarily spread between hibernacula by the movement of bats, experimental evidence is lacking toAuthorsLewis Campbell, Daniel P. Walsh, David S. Blehert, Jeffrey M. LorchResponse to “Prepublication communication of research results”: The need for a coordinated wildlife disease surveillance laboratory network
In “Prepublication Communication of Research Results”, Adams et al. (2018) outline the importance of timeliness in providing scientific results with consequential implications for wildlife management to responsible government agencies. The authors discuss various impediments to sharing of scientific results and provide well-reasoned arguments why scientists should not fear that sharing these resulAuthorsJonathan M. Sleeman, David S. Blehert, Katherine L. D. Richgels, C. LeAnn WhiteExperimental infection of Tadarida brasiliensis with Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is causing significant declines in populations of North American hibernating bats, and recent western and southern expansions of the disease have placed additional species at risk. Understanding differences in species susceptibility and identifying management actions to reduce mortality of bats from WNS are top research priorities. However, the use of wild-caught susceptiAuthorsMichelle Verant, Carol U. Meteyer, Benjamin Stading, David S. BlehertMalassezia vespertilionis sp. nov.: A new cold-tolerant species of yeast isolated from bats
Malassezia is a genus of medically-important, lipid-dependent yeasts that live on the skin of warm-blooded animals. The 17 described species have been documented primarily on humans and domestic animals, but few studies have examined Malassezia species associated with more diverse host groups such as wildlife. While investigating the skin mycobiota of healthy bats, we isolated a Malassezia sp. thaAuthorsJeffrey M. Lorch, Jonathan M. Palmer, Karen J. Vanderwolf, Katie Z. Schmidt, Michelle L. Verant, Theodore J. Weller, David S. BlehertDeterminants of Pseudogymnoascus destructans within bat hibernacula: Implications for surveillance and management of white-nose syndrome
Fungal diseases are an emerging global problem affecting human health, food security and biodiversity. Ability of many fungal pathogens to persist within environmental reservoirs can increase extinction risks for host species and presents challenges for disease control. Understanding factors that regulate pathogen spread and persistence in these reservoirs is critical for effective disease managemAuthorsMichelle L. Verant, Elizabeth A. Bohuski, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Kevin J. Olival, Jonathan H. Epstein, David S. BlehertPhylogenetics of a fungal invasion: Origins and widespread dispersal of white-nose syndrome
Globalization has facilitated the worldwide movement and introduction of pathogens, but epizoological reconstructions of these invasions are often hindered by limited sampling and insufficient genetic resolution among isolates. Pseudogymnoascus destructans, a fungal pathogen causing the epizootic of white-nose syndrome in North American bats, has exhibited few genetic polymorphisms in previous stuAuthorsKevin P. Drees, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Sebastein J. Puechmaille, Katy L. Parise, Gudrun Wibbelt, Joseph R. Hoyt, Keping Sun, Ariunbold Jargalsaikhan, Munkhnast Dalannast, Jonathan M. Palmer, Daniel L. Linder, Marm Kilpatrick, Talima Pearson, Paul S. Keim, David S. Blehert, Jeffrey T. FosterDispersal hazards of Pseudogymnoascus destructans by bats and human activity at hibernacula in summer
Bats occupying hibernacula during summer are exposed to Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), and may contribute to its dispersal. Furthermore, equipment and clothing exposed to cave environments are a potential source for human-assisted spread of Pd. To explore dispersal hazards for Pd during the nonhibernal season, we tested samples that were collecAuthorsAnne Ballmann, Miranda R. Torkelson, Elizabeth A. Bohuski, Robin E. Russell, David S. BlehertDatasheet: Pseudogymnoascus destructans (white-nose syndrome fungus)
Pseudogymnoascus destructans is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging disease of North American bats that has caused unprecedented population declines. The fungus is believed to have been introduced to North America from Europe or Asia (where it is present but does not cause significant mortality), but the full extent of its native range is unknownAuthorsDavid S. Blehert, Emily W. LankauNon-USGS Publications**
Rickard, A.H., R.J. Palmer, Jr., D.S. Blehert, S.R. Campagna, M.F. Semmelhack, P.G. Egland, B.L. Bassler, and P.E. Kolenbrander. 2006. Autoinducer 2: a concentration-dependent signal for mutualistic bacterial biofilm growth. Molecular Microbiology 60: 1446-1456.Orville, A. M., L. Manning, D.S. Blehert, J.M. Studts, B.W. Matthews, B.G. Fox, and G.H. Chambliss. 2004. Crystallization and preliminary analysis of xenobiotic reductase A and ligand complexes from Pseudomonas putida II-B. Acta Crystallographica 60: 957-961.Orville, A. M., L. Manning, D.S. Blehert, B.G. Fox, and G.H. Chambliss. 2004. Crystallization and preliminary analysis of xenobiotic reductase B from Pseudomonas fluorescens I-C. Acta Crystallographica 60: 1289-1291.Blehert, D.S., R.J. Palmer, Jr., J.B. Xavier, J.S. Almeida, and P.E. Kolenbrander. 2003. Autoinducer-2 production by Streptococcus gordonii DL1 and the biofilm phenotype of a luxS mutant are influenced by nutritional conditions. Journal of Bacteriology 185: 4851-4860.Kolenbrander, P.E., R.F. Lerud, D.S. Blehert, P.G. Egland, J.S. Foster, and R.J. Palmer, Jr. 2003. The role of coaggregation in oral biofilm formation. In V. O’Flaherty, A. Moran, P. Lens and P. Stoodley (eds.), Biofilms in Medicine, Industry and Environmental Biotechnology, IWA Publishing, London, UK. p. 32-46.Kolenbrander, P.E., R.N. Andersen, D.S. Blehert, P.G. Egland, J.S. Foster, and R.J. Palmer, Jr. 2002. Communication among oral bacteria. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews 66: 486-505.Blehert, D.S., B.G. Fox, and G.H. Chambliss. 1999. Cloning and sequence analysis of two Pseudomonas flavoprotein xenobiotic reductases. Journal of Bacteriology 181: 6254-6263.Blehert, D.S., K.L. Knoke, B.G. Fox, and G.H. Chambliss. 1997. Regioselectivity of nitroglycerin denitration by flavoprotein nitroester reductases purified from two Pseudomonas species. Journal of Bacteriology 179: 6912-6920.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government