Jonathan Sleeman
Jonathan Sleeman is a Science Advisor for the Midcontinent Region.
Dr. Sleeman leads a team to advance wildlife health science for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment through multidisciplinary research and technical assistance to federal, state, and tribal agencies as well as internationally as a World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Collaborating Centre. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin, School of Veterinary Medicine. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters all on the topics of wildlife and ecosystem health. He is active in various scientific organizations, including the Wildlife Disease Association and Ecohealth International, and serves on the OIE’s Working Group on Wildlife. He is board certified by the American College of Zoological Medicine and received his veterinary degree and master’s degree in zoology from the University of Cambridge, England. Previous positions include Director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Center in Rwanda and Wildlife Veterinarian for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Professional Experience
May 2009 - June 2023 Center Director, USGS, National Wildlife Health Center
Aug. 2015 - Present Adjunct Professor, Seoul National University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Sept. 2009 - Present Adjunct Professor, Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin
March 2005 - May 2009 Wildlife Veterinarian, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Sept. 2003 - Present Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee
Aug. 2001 - Oct. 2009 Adjunct Professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic and State University
Feb. 2001 - March 2005 Director of Veterinary Services, Wildlife Center of Virginia
Nov. 1997 - June 2000 Postdoctoral Fellow/Clinical Instructor, Zoological and Wildlife Medicine, Colorado State University
June 1997 - Feb. 1998 Interim Project Director, Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, Morris Animal Foundation
May 1997 - Oct. 1997 Clinical Instructor/Senior Veterinarian for Knoxville Zoo, Zoological Medicine, The University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine
July 1995 - April 1997 Field Director, Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Center, Kigali, Rwanda
Education and Certifications
2004 Master of Arts, Zoology, Churchill College, University of Cambridge
1997-2000 Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates Certification (DVM equivalency), American Veterinary Medical Association
1989-1992 Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (Distinction in Pathology, Microbiology and Avian Medicine), University of Cambridge, Department of Veterinary Medicine
1986-1989 Bachelor of Arts, Zoology (Awarded first class honours), Churchill College, University of Cambridge
Special Zoological Medicine Training
1993-1995 Resident, Avian and Zoological Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee
1992-1993 Intern, Exotic/Zoological Medicine, Coll
Science and Products
Stakeholder attitudes and perspectives on wildlife disease surveillance as a component of a One Health approach in Thailand
Wildlife health surveillance: Gaps, needs and opportunities
Management of diseases in free-ranging wildlife populations
Future directions to manage wildlife health in a changing climate
Leading change with diverse stakeholders
Evaluating the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to bats in the context of wildlife research, rehabilitation, and control
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is an emerging disease threat to wild birds in North America
Implications of zoonoses from hunting and use of wildlife in North American arctic and boreal biomes: Pandemic potential, monitoring, and mitigation
Risks posed by SARS‐CoV‐2 to North American bats during winter fieldwork
The virus that causes COVID‐19 likely evolved in a mammalian host, possibly Old‐World bats, before adapting to humans, raising the question of whether reverse zoonotic transmission to bats is possible. Wildlife management agencies in North America are concerned that the activities they authorize could lead to transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 to bats from humans. A rapid risk assessment conducted in Apri
Animal reservoirs and hosts for emerging alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses
An ecological and conservation perspective
Possibility for reverse zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to free-ranging wildlife: A case study of bats
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 46
Stakeholder attitudes and perspectives on wildlife disease surveillance as a component of a One Health approach in Thailand
Coordinated wildlife disease surveillance (WDS) can help professionals across disciplines effectively safeguard human, animal, and environmental health. The aims of this study were to understand how WDS in Thailand is utilized, valued, and can be improved within a One Health framework. An online questionnaire was distributed to 183 professionals (55.7% response rate) across Thailand working in wilAuthorsSerena Elise George, Moniek Smink, Nareerat Sangkachai, Anuwat Wiratsudakul, Walasinee Sakcamduang, Sarin Suwanpakdee, Jonathan M. SleemanWildlife health surveillance: Gaps, needs and opportunities
Disease emergence represent a global threat for public health, economy, and biological conservation and most of the emerging diseases have zoonotic origin from wildlife. To prevent their spread and to support the implementation of control measures, disease surveillance and reporting systems are needed, and due to globalisation, these activities should be carried at world level. To define the mainAuthorsM. Delgado, N. Ferrari, A. Fanelli, S. Muset, L. Thompson, Jonathan M. Sleeman, C. LeAnn White, Daniel P. Walsh, C. Wannous, P. TizzaniManagement of diseases in free-ranging wildlife populations
Diseases are increasingly threatening the conservation of wildlife species. Spillover of pathogens into humans and domestic animals may negatively impact public health and the economy, requiring increased proactive management actions. The North American Wildlife Management Model provides the philosophical basis for managing wildlife and underpins all management options. Diseases in wildlife popAuthorsMark L. Drew, Jonathan M. SleemanFuture directions to manage wildlife health in a changing climate
In September 2019 The Economist wrote an obituary to Okjökull, a glacier in western Iceland that was declared “dead” in 2014, a victim of climate change. Although a few wildlife species have already incurred such a fate (e.g., the Bramble Cay melomys [Melomys rubicola]) (Fulton 2017), many more are on the path to climate-driven extinction (Andermann et al. 2020; Ceballos et al. 2015; He et al. 201AuthorsErik K. Hofmeister, Emily Cornelius Ruhs, Lucas Fortini, M. Camille Hopkins, Lee C. Jones, Kevin D. Lafferty, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Olivia E. LeDeeLeading change with diverse stakeholders
The shift to holistic approaches to managing wildlife health, and the complex landscape of partners and stakeholders, has led to a focus on the development of leadership skills in addition to technical expertise. This chapter introduces key elements and core skills for successful cross-sectoral and transdisciplinary leadership that will help wildlife health practitioners effectively lead change toAuthorsCatherine Machalaba, Jonathan M. SleemanEvaluating the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to bats in the context of wildlife research, rehabilitation, and control
Preventing wildlife disease outbreaks is a priority for natural resource agencies, and management decisions can be urgent, especially in epidemic circumstances. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, wildlife agencies were concerned whether the activities they authorize might increase the risk of viral transmission from humans to North American bats, but had a limited amount of time in which to make deAuthorsJonathan D. Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Michael C. RungeHighly pathogenic avian influenza is an emerging disease threat to wild birds in North America
Prior to the emergence of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 (Gs/GD) H5N1 influenza A virus, the long-held and well-supported paradigm was that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks were restricted to poultry, the result of cross-species transmission of precursor viruses from wild aquatic birds that subsequently gained pathogenicity in domestic birds. Therefore, management agencies typicallAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Nichola J. Hill, Thomas J. DeLiberto, Samantha E. J. Gibbs, M. Camille Hopkins, Andrew S. Lang, Rebecca L. Poulson, Diann Prosser, Jonathan M. Sleeman, David E. Stallknecht, Xiu-Feng WanImplications of zoonoses from hunting and use of wildlife in North American arctic and boreal biomes: Pandemic potential, monitoring, and mitigation
The COVID-19 pandemic has re-focused attention on mechanisms that lead to zoonotic disease spillover and spread. Commercial wildlife trade, and associated markets, are recognized mechanisms for zoonotic disease emergence, resulting in a growing global conversation around reducing human disease risks from spillover associated with hunting, trade, and consumption of wild animals. These discussions aAuthorsLucy Keatts, Martin D. Robards, Sarah H. Olson, Karsten Hueffer, Stephen Insley, Damien O. Joly, Susan Kutz, David S. Lee, Cheryl-Lesley B. Chetkiewicz, Stephane Lair, Nicholas D. Preston, Martin Pruvot, Justina C. Ray, Donald Reid, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Craig Stephen, Chris WalzerRisks posed by SARS‐CoV‐2 to North American bats during winter fieldwork
The virus that causes COVID‐19 likely evolved in a mammalian host, possibly Old‐World bats, before adapting to humans, raising the question of whether reverse zoonotic transmission to bats is possible. Wildlife management agencies in North America are concerned that the activities they authorize could lead to transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 to bats from humans. A rapid risk assessment conducted in Apri
AuthorsJonathan D Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Michael C. RungeAnimal reservoirs and hosts for emerging alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses
The ongoing global pandemic caused by coronavirus disease has once again demonstrated the role of the family Coronaviridae in causing human disease outbreaks. Because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was first detected in December 2019, information on its tropism, host range, and clinical manifestations in animals is limited. Given the limited information, data from other coronaviruAuthorsRia R. Ghai, Ann Carpenter, Amanda Y. Liew, Krystalyn B. Martin, Meghan K. Herring, Susan I. Gerber, Aron J. Hall, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Sophie VonDobschuetz, Casey Barton BehraveshAn ecological and conservation perspective
Natural ecosystems are facing unprecedented threats which directly threaten human well-being through decreases in critical ecosystem services (IPBES 2019). The top five drivers causing the largest global impacts to biodiversity and ecosystem services include: 1) changes in land and sea use; 2) direct exploitation of organisms; 3) climate change; 4) pollution, and 5) invasive alien species (IPBES 2AuthorsC. LeAnn White, Julia S. Lankton, Daniel P. Walsh, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Craig StephenPossibility 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 Wang