Jonathan Sleeman
Biography
Jonathan Sleeman is the Center Director for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center where he 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.
Education
- 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, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee
Science and Products
International Reporting of Wildlife Diseases of Interest
Reporting of wildlife diseases is important to build situational awareness regarding wildlife health, build national and global knowledge capacity, increase coordination among agencies, and integrate wildlife health data into other surveillance frameworks.
NWHC Historical Timeline
Here is a historical timeline of the work performed by the USGS National Wildlife Health Center from 1973 to 2004:
Animal 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...
Ghai, Ria R.; Carpenter, Ann; Liew, Amanda Y.; Martin, Krystalyn B.; Herring, Meghan K.; Gerber, Susan I.; Hall, Aron J.; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; VonDobschuetz, Sophie; Barton Behravesh, CaseyAn 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...
White, C. LeAnn; Lankton, Julia S.; Walsh, Daniel P.; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Stephen, CraigPossibility 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...
Olival, Kevin J.; Cryan, Paul M.; Amman, Brian R.; Baric, Ralph S.; Blehert, David S.; Brook, Cara E.; Calisher, Charles H.; Castle, Kevin T.; Coleman, Jeremy TH; Daszak, Peter; Epstein, Jonathan H.; Field, Hume; Frick, Winifred F.; Gilbert, Amy T.; Hayman, David T.S.; Ip, Hon S.; Karesh, William B; Johnson, Christine K.; Kading, Rebekah C; Kingston, Tigga; Lorch, Jeffrey M.; Mendenhall, Ian H; Peel, Alison J.; Phelps, Kendra L; Plowright, Raina K.; Reeder, DeeAnn M; Reichard, Jonathan D.; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Streicker, Daniel G.; Towner, Jonathan S.; Wang, Lin-FaAssessing 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...
Runge, Michael C.; Campbell Grant, Evan H.; Coleman, Jeremy T. H.; Reichard, Jonathan D.; Gibbs, Samantha E. J.; Cryan, Paul M.; Olival, Kevin J.; Walsh, Daniel P.; Blehert, David S.; Hopkins, M. Camille; Sleeman, Jonathan M.Eradication of peste des petits ruminants and the wildlife-livestock interface
Growing evidence suggests that multiple wildlife species can be infected with peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), with important consequences for the potential maintenance of PPRV in communities of susceptible hosts, and the threat that PPRV may pose to the conservation of wildlife populations and resilience of ecosystems. Significant...
Fine, Amanda E.; Pruvot, Mathieu; Benfield, Camila; Caron, Alexandre; Cattoli, Giovanni; Chardonnet, Philippe; Dioli, Maurizio; Dulu, Thomas; Gilbert, Martin; Kock, Richard; Lubroth, Juan; Mariner, Jeffery; Ostrowski, Stephane; Parida, Satya; Fereidouni, Sasan; Shiilegdamba, Enkhtuvshin; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Schultz, Claudia; Soula, Jean-Jacques; van der Stede, Yves; Tekola, Berhe G.; Walzer, Chris; Zuther, Steffen; Njeumi, FelizOne Health: A perspective from wildlife and environmental health sectors
Loss of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation and pollution, and subsequent degradation of natural environments threaten the range of ecosystem services that support all life on this planet. These changes, among others, are also driving the emergence of infectious diseases, with negative health outcomes for humans, animals, and...
Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Richgels, Katherine L. D.; White, C. LeAnn; Stephen, C.Response 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...
Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Blehert, David S.; Richgels, Katherine L. D.; White, C. LeAnnProposed attributes of national wildlife health programmes
Wildlife health is important for conservation, healthy ecosystems, sustainable development, and biosecurity. It presents unique challenges for national programme governance and delivery because wildlife health crosses not only jurisdictional responsibilities and authorities but also inherently spans multiple sectors of expertise. The World...
Stephen, Craig; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Nguyen, Natalie T.; Zimmer, P.; Duff, J. P.; Gavier-Widen, D.; Grillo, T.; Lee, H.; Rijks, J.; Ryser-Degiorgis, Marie-Pierre; Tana, T.; Uhart, M.Semi-quantitative assessment of disease risks at the human, livestock, wildlife interface for the Republic of Korea using a nationwide survey of experts: A model for other countries
Wildlife-associated diseases and pathogens have increased in importance; however, management of a large number of diseases and diversity of hosts is prohibitively expensive. Thus, the determination of priority wildlife pathogens and risk factors for disease emergence is warranted. We used an online questionnaire survey to assess release and...
Hwang, Jusun; Lee, Kyunglee; Walsh, Daniel P.; Kim, SangWha; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Lee, HangOptimization of human, animal, and environmental health by using the One Health approach
Emerging diseases are increasing burdens on public health, negatively affecting the world economy, causing extinction of species, and disrupting ecological integrity. One Health recognizes that human, domestic animal, and wildlife health are interconnected within ecosystem health and provides a framework for the development of multidisciplinary...
Sleeman, Jonathan M.; DeLiberto, Thomas J.; Nguyen, Natalie T.Report of the workshop on evidence-based design of national wildlife health programs
SummaryThis report summarizes a Wildlife Disease Association sponsored workshop held in 2016. The overall objective of the workshop was to use available evidence and selected subject matter expertise to define the essential functions of a National Wildlife Health Program and the resources needed to deliver a robust and reliable program, including...
Nguyen, Natalie T.; Duff, J. Paul; Gavier-Widén, Dolores; Grillo, Tiggy ; He, Hongxuan; Lee, Hang; Ratanakorn, Parntep; Rijks, Jolianne M.; Ryser-Degiorgis, Marie-Pierre; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Stephen, Craig; Tana, Toni ; Uhart, Marcela; Zimmer , PatrickIdentification of two novel reassortant avian influenza a (H5N6) viruses in whooper swans in Korea, 2016
BackgroundOn November 20, 2016 two novel strains of H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIVs) were isolated from three whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) at Gangjin Bay in South Jeolla province, South Korea. Identification of HPAIVs in wild birds is significant as there is a potential risk of transmission of these viruses to poultry and...
Jeong, Jipseol; Woo, Chanjin; Ip, Hon S.; An, Injung; Kim, Youngsik; Lee, Kwanghee; Jo, Seong-Deok ; Son, Kidong ; Lee, Saemi; Oem, Jae-Ku; Wang, Seung-Jun ; Kim, Yongkwan; Shin, Jeonghwa; Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Jheong, WeonhwaPre-USGS Publications
New study finds SARS-CoV-2 infection in escaped mink in Utah
Evidence of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been found in escaped farmed mink in Utah, according to a new study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
National Wildlife Health Center co-sponsors Climate Change and Wildlife Health Workshop
On January 7-9, 2020, the USGS Northeast Climate Adaption Science Center and the USGS National Wildlife Health Center sponsored a Climate Change and Wildlife Health workshop in Madison, Wisconsin for Federal, State, and Tribal wildlife managers and policy makers, university and wildlife...
Project Examines Emerging Challenges Related to Climate Change, Disease, and Wildlife Health
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center, in partnership with the USGS Climate Adaptation Science Center Network, is leading a one-year project to understand and prepare for emerging challenges related to fish and wildlife health, disease, and climate change across North America.
USGS Statement Regarding Avian Flu Found in Washington State Green-Winged Teal
Some media are reporting that the Asian H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza has now entered the United States. This is incorrect.