Julia Lankton is a wildlife pathologist at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.
She attended veterinary school at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, completed her pathology residency at the University of Tennessee, and worked as clinical instructor and pathology fellow at the University of Florida and Disneyworld, before joining USGS in 2013. Her interests include environmental toxicology and the relationship between contaminants and disease in wildlife health.
Professional Experience
2013-present: Wildlife Pathologist, USGS National Wildlife Health Center
2012-2013: Clinical Instructor, Anatomic Pathology, University of Florida and Disney's Animal Kingdom
Education and Certifications
Residency, Anatomic Pathology, University of Tennessee, 2009-2012
DVM, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, 2009
BA English, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 1996
Affiliations and Memberships*
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists
Science and Products
Review of Wildlife Health Outcomes and Potentially Toxic Algal Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay
Application of a Systems Approach for Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin
Necropsy & Pathology
The Necropsy and Pathology services are performed by board-certified veterinary pathologists and necropsy technical staff whose principal role is to determine the cause of death for animals submitted to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.
Wildlife mortality events in counties surrounding the Chesapeake Bay recorded in the Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership Event Reporting System (WHISPers) from 2000-2020
Viral loads, histology, and adverse events in transgenic mice after passive transfer of serum from black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) used to assess the anti-viral efficacy of a subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate
Histopathology of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) collected from a maternity roost in Leelanau County, Michigan, USA, in June 2014
Histopathology of tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) exposed to the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans under varying temperature and humidity conditions
Results of algal toxin testing from wildlife mortality submissions to the National Wildlife Health Center
Data from pathology of Lagovirus europaeus GI.2/RHDV2/b (rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2) in native North American lagomorphs
Confirmed cases of snake fungal disease in historical museum specimens
Immunological histopathology of American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed to the flame retardant isopropyl triphenyl phosphate
Immunological histopathology of American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed in ovo to two persistent organic pollutants -- SCCPs and TBBPA-BDBPE
Data Associated with Algal Toxin Testing of Seabirds from the Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2017
Histopathology of bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) exposed to Nannizziopsis guarroi
Chemical analyses and histopathology of organisms and plants collected from breccia pipe uranium mine sites in the Grand Canyon watershed, 2015-2020
Review of harmful algal blooms effects on birds with implications for avian wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay region
Immunogenicity, safety, and anti-viral efficacy of a subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate in captive black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and their susceptibility to viral challenge
Paralytic shellfish toxins associated with Arctic Tern mortalities in Alaska
Are little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) impacted by dietary exposure to microcystin?
Experimental inoculation trial to determine the effects of temperature and humidity on White-nose Syndrome in hibernating bats
A review of algal toxin exposures on reserved federal lands and among trust species in the United States
Koch’s postulates: Confirming Nannizziopsis guarroi as the cause of yellow fungal disease in Pogona vitticeps
Quarterly wildlife mortality report July 2021
Diplotriaena obtusa (Nematoda: Diplotriaenidae) from barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) and cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) collected during mortality events in the Upper Midwest, USA
Confirmed cases of Ophidiomycosis in museum specimens from the USA as early as 1945
Pathology of Lagovirus europaeus GI.2/RHDV2/b (rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2) in native North American lagomorphs
Investigation of algal toxins in a multispecies seabird die-off in the Bering and Chukchi seas
Science and Products
- Science
Review of Wildlife Health Outcomes and Potentially Toxic Algal Blooms in the Chesapeake Bay
Scientists provide resources that review algal toxin data, explore links between avian mortality and toxin exposure, and identify future research needs to predict algal toxin health hazards and risks for birds and other wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay.Application of a Systems Approach for Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurologic disease of cervids that causes population declines and is increasing in intensity and spatial extent, has proven extremely difficult to manage despite intensive control efforts that have spanned several decades.Necropsy & Pathology
The Necropsy and Pathology services are performed by board-certified veterinary pathologists and necropsy technical staff whose principal role is to determine the cause of death for animals submitted to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.
- Data
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Wildlife mortality events in counties surrounding the Chesapeake Bay recorded in the Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership Event Reporting System (WHISPers) from 2000-2020
This data set is composed of all events in the Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership Event Reporting System (WHISPers) between 1/1/2000 and 12/31/2020 from counties bordering the Chesapeake Bay. Relevant fields include WHSPers ID number, estimated number of animals affected, event start and end dates, states, counties, species involved, event diagnoses, etiological category of the primarViral loads, histology, and adverse events in transgenic mice after passive transfer of serum from black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) used to assess the anti-viral efficacy of a subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate
This data set provides biological information from of a captive study of transgenic mice that received either passive serum transfers from black-footed ferrets (BFFs) that were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 or BFFs that were unvaccinated, or a monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2 or lastly a placebo. After these treatments mice were challenged with SARS-CoV-2. The data included here have viral lHistopathology of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) collected from a maternity roost in Leelanau County, Michigan, USA, in June 2014
This work is part of a study investigating the movement of microcystin from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems via trophic transfer. Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), feeding opportunistically on aquatic insects including Hexagenia mayflies, were collected from a maternity roost near Little Traverse Lake (Leelanau County, Michigan, USA). Bats and fecal samples were collected for dietary analysiHistopathology of tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) exposed to the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans under varying temperature and humidity conditions
This work is part of an experimental trial investigating the effects of microclimate conditions of temperature and humidity on a fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS) disease in hibernating bats. As part of the trial, tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) were exposed to Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) and allowed to hibernate in chambers witResults of algal toxin testing from wildlife mortality submissions to the National Wildlife Health Center
This data set is composed of all animals received as a diagnostic submission to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center for which algal toxin testing was performed from November 1998 to January 2018. Birds with a histologic diagnosis of avian vacuolar myelinopathy, a disease caused by the algal toxin aetokthonotoxin, are also included. Algal toxins tested for include brevetoxin, cylindrospermopsiData from pathology of Lagovirus europaeus GI.2/RHDV2/b (rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2) in native North American lagomorphs
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease, a notifiable foreign animal disease in the USA, was reported for the first time in wild native North American rabbits and hares in April 2020 in the southwestern USA. Affected species included the Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), Mountain Cottontail (S. nutallii), Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), and Antelope Jackrabbit (L. alleni). Desert CottontaConfirmed cases of snake fungal disease in historical museum specimens
Snake fungal disease (SFD) represents a conservation threat to wild snake populations. The disease was reported in North America early in the 21st century, but the history of SFD has not been investigated. We examined museum specimens and confirmed cases of SFD based on clinical signs, histopathologic lesions, and detection of the causative agent Ophidiomyces ophidiicola. The first confirmed casesImmunological histopathology of American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed to the flame retardant isopropyl triphenyl phosphate
This work is part of a study of the immunological effects of exposure to alternative flame retardants in avian species. For the pathology portion of the study, hatchling American kestrels (Falco sparverius) were exposed to the flame retardant isopropyl triphenyl phosphate (ITP) and then challenged with a synthetic analogue of viral double-stranded RNA, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C). CImmunological histopathology of American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed in ovo to two persistent organic pollutants -- SCCPs and TBBPA-BDBPE
This work is part of a study of the immunological effects of exposure to alternative flame retardants in avian species. For the pathology portion of the study, spleens and bursas from American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed by egg injection to varying doses of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and the flame retardant TBBPA-BDBPE were examined microscopically for architectural and cellData Associated with Algal Toxin Testing of Seabirds from the Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2017
This data set is comprised of three tables with results of algal toxin screening for saxitoxin and domoic acid. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to screen seabirds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2017.Histopathology of bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) exposed to Nannizziopsis guarroi
This work is part of a study demonstrating that the fungus Nannizziopsis guarroi is the cause of the disease known as yellow fungus disease in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) by fulfilling Koch's postulates. In this study, bearded dragons were exposed to N. guarroi to assess gross and microscopic lesion development and the ability to re-culture the fungus from infected sites. At euthanasia, skiChemical analyses and histopathology of organisms and plants collected from breccia pipe uranium mine sites in the Grand Canyon watershed, 2015-2020
These data are comprised of measurements of aluminum, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, molybdenum, silver, cadmium, thallium, lead, bismuth, thorium, uranium, and mercury in invertebrates, vegetation, and small rodents. Gross alpha activity, gross beta activity, and radionuclide activities (isotopic U, isotopic Th) are also presented for vegetation; radioactivities for small - Publications
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Review of harmful algal blooms effects on birds with implications for avian wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay region
The Chesapeake Bay, along the mid-Atlantic coast of North America, is the largest estuary in the United States and provides critical habitat for wildlife. In contrast to point and non-point source release of pesticides, metals, and industrial, personal care and household use chemicals on biota in this watershed, there has only been scant attention to potential exposure and effects of algal toxinsImmunogenicity, safety, and anti-viral efficacy of a subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate in captive black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and their susceptibility to viral challenge
A preliminary vaccination trial against the emergent pathogen, SARS-CoV-2, was completed in captive black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes; BFF) to assess safety, immunogenicity, and anti-viral efficacy. Vaccination and boosting of 15 BFF with purified SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit protein produced a nearly 150-fold increase in mean antibody titers compared to pre-vaccination titers. Serum antibody responParalytic shellfish toxins associated with Arctic Tern mortalities in Alaska
Harmful algal blooms produce biotoxins that can injure or kill fish, wildlife, and humans. These blooms occur naturally but have intensified in many locations globally due to recent climatic changes, including ocean warming. Such changes are especially pronounced in northern regions, where the effects of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) on marine wildlife are of growing concern. In Alaska, seabirAre little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) impacted by dietary exposure to microcystin?
The cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa, can produce the hepatotoxin microcystin. When toxic M. aeruginosa overwinters in the sediments of lakes, it may be ingested by aquatic insects and bioaccumulate in nymphs of Hexagenia mayflies. When volant Hexagenia emerge from lakes to reproduce, they provide an abundant, albeit temporary, food source for many terrestrial organisms including bats. LittlExperimental inoculation trial to determine the effects of temperature and humidity on White-nose Syndrome in hibernating bats
Disease results from interactions among the host, pathogen, and environment. Inoculation trials can quantify interactions among these players and explain aspects of disease ecology to inform management in variable and dynamic natural environments. White-nose Syndrome, a disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), has caused severe population declines of several bat spA review of algal toxin exposures on reserved federal lands and among trust species in the United States
Associated health effects from algal toxin exposure are a growing concern for human and animal health. Algal toxin poisonings may occur from contact with or consumption of water supplies or from ingestion of contaminated animals. The U.S. Federal Government owns or holds in trust about 259 million hectares of land, in addition to the Trust species obligations. We completed the first comprehensiveKoch’s postulates: Confirming Nannizziopsis guarroi as the cause of yellow fungal disease in Pogona vitticeps
Nannizziopsis guarroi is an ascomycete fungus associated with a necrotizing dermatitis in captive green iguanas (Iguana iguana) and bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) across both Europe and North America. Clinical signs of the disease include swelling and lesion formation. Lesions develop from white raised bumps on the skin and progress into crusty, yellow, discolored scales, eventually becoming nQuarterly wildlife mortality report July 2021
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) Quarterly Mortality Report provides brief summaries of epizootic mortality and morbidity events by quarter. The write-ups, highlighting epizootic events and other wildlife disease topics of interest, are published in the Wildlife Disease Association quarterly newsletter. A link is provided in this WDA newsletter to the Wildlife Health Information ShaDiplotriaena obtusa (Nematoda: Diplotriaenidae) from barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) and cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) collected during mortality events in the Upper Midwest, USA
Several mortality events involving barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) and cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) were reported in the Upper Midwestern states in 2017 and 2018. Barn swallow mortality followed unseasonal cold snaps, with the primary cause of death being emaciation with concurrent air sac nematodiasis. Lesions in cliff swallows were consistent with blunt force trauma from suspected cConfirmed cases of Ophidiomycosis in museum specimens from the USA as early as 1945
Ophidiomycosis represents a conservation threat to wild snake populations. The disease was reported in North America early in the 21st century, but the history of ophidiomycosis has not been investigated. We examined museum specimens and confirmed cases of ophidiomycosis >50 years before the disease’s reported emergence.Pathology of Lagovirus europaeus GI.2/RHDV2/b (rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2) in native North American lagomorphs
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease, a notifiable foreign animal disease in the US, was reported for the first time in wild native North American lagomorphs in April 2020 in the southwestern US. Affected species included the desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), mountain cottontail (Sylvilagus nuttallii), black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), and antelope jackrabbit (Lepus alleni). Desert cottoInvestigation of algal toxins in a multispecies seabird die-off in the Bering and Chukchi seas
Between 2014 and 2017, widespread seabird mortality events were documented annually in the Bering and Chukchi seas, concurrent with dramatic reductions of sea ice, warmer than average ocean temperatures, and rapid shifts in marine ecosystems. Among other changes in the marine environment, harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce the neurotoxins saxitoxin (STX) and domoic acid (DA) have been identi - News
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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