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Robert Dusek

Robert Dusek is a Wildlife Biologist at the National Wildlife Health Center.

Professional Experience

  • Aug. 2001 - Present, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin.

  • Feb. 1998 - Aug. 2001, Graduate Student/Biological Technician, Florida Game and Fish Commission and University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

  • Oct. 1995 - Jan. 1998, Biological Technician (Marine), Biscayne National Park, Homestead, Florida.

  • Nov. 1991 - Oct. 1995, Biological Technician (Wildlife), Pacific Islands Science Center (Wildlife Disease Lab), Volcano, Hawaii.

  • June 1991 - Nov. 1991, Wildlife Biologist, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Tulelake, California.

Education and Certifications

  • Master of Science, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 2002.

  • Bachelor of Science, Wildlife Management. Humboldt State University, Arcata, California. 1989

Science and Products

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Microcystin

Detecting Sublethal Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms in Mammalian and Avian Cells

USGS Researchers are collaborating to study avian and mammalian cells to detect sublethal toxin effects following exposure to harmful algal blooms.
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Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Kansas Water Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Detecting Sublethal Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms in Mammalian and Avian Cells

USGS Researchers are collaborating to study avian and mammalian cells to detect sublethal toxin effects following exposure to harmful algal blooms.
Learn More
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Common Murre on the water in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Algal Toxins and Wildlife Health

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have the potential to harm fish and wildlife, domestic animals, livestock, and humans through toxin production or ecological disturbances such as oxygen depletion and blockage of sunlight.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Environmental Health Program, National Wildlife Health Center
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Algal Toxins and Wildlife Health

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have the potential to harm fish and wildlife, domestic animals, livestock, and humans through toxin production or ecological disturbances such as oxygen depletion and blockage of sunlight.
Learn More
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Northern gannet flying with mountains in background.

Avian Influenza

Avian influenza is a viral disease caused by various strains of avian influenza viruses that can be classified as low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It remains a global disease with potential high consequence with the potential to threaten wildlife, agriculture, and human health.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center
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Avian Influenza

Avian influenza is a viral disease caused by various strains of avian influenza viruses that can be classified as low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It remains a global disease with potential high consequence with the potential to threaten wildlife, agriculture, and human health.
Learn More
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Mosquito, species not verified

Vector-Borne Diseases

Vector-borne diseases are transmitted from one animal to another by vectors, including insects, such as mosquitoes or fleas, and arachnids, such as ticks. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center investigates wildlife diseases, including vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus and sylvatic plague.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center
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Vector-Borne Diseases

Vector-borne diseases are transmitted from one animal to another by vectors, including insects, such as mosquitoes or fleas, and arachnids, such as ticks. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center investigates wildlife diseases, including vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus and sylvatic plague.
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USGS National Wildlife Health Center necropsy results to determine cause of illness/death for seabirds collected in Alaska from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2021

Summary of Bering and Chukchi Seas seabird necropsies, 2017-2021. More than 14,000 dead seabirds were reported and a total of 117 carcasses were examined. 92 cases had emaciation identified as the Cause Of Death (COD), seven cases where COD was undetermined, and 17 cases where COD was determined as "Other", which included predation, trauma, encephalitis, peritonitis, and bacterial infection. Low P
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National Wildlife Health Center

Results 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, cylindrospermopsi
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Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center

Dataset: Surveillance for Avian Influenza Virus in Iceland, 2010 - 2018

From 2010-2018 we investigated the occurrence of avian influenza virus in wild birds in Iceland. A total of 6635 swabs samples were collected from wild birds or fecal material directly associated with wild birds. We screened all samples by a real time - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test with 381 testing positive. Further testing of all RT-PCR positive samples and all negative samples collect
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Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center

Dataset: Acute oral toxicity and tissue residues of saxitoxin in the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

This data set is composed of data collected from an experimental study inoculating mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) with Saxitoxin and associated control ducks. Data includes the specific of inoculation, observational behavioral data, daily weights, dosing, results of inoculation, testing of samples collected throughout the study, and necropsy results.
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Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center

Data 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.
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Alaska Science Center

Occurrence of Chlamydia sp in apparently healthy birds associated with a mortality event caused by chlamydiosis: Data

hese data sets are is a compilation of bird and environmental samples obtained from 6 sites in Maricopa County, Arizona on the dates shown. Sites were only visited and sampled if they had Rosy-cheeked lovebirds coming to bird feeders at the location and with the permission of the property owner. Two swab samples were obtained from each captured bird and 3 swab samples were collected from the envir
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center
Image: Biting Mosquito
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Sanderling on sand.
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Northern gannet flying with mountains in background.
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Northern gannet flying with mountains in background.
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Three lesser black-backed gulls flying.
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Iceland gull flying over water.
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Image: Iceland Gull
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Image: Lesser Black-Backed Gull
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Testing for Avian Influenza
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Mallard duck being held by scientists with gloved hands while another scientist swabs duck's cloacal.
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USGS scientist takes a sample from a northern pintail duck
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Image: USGS Avian Flu Research
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Image: USGS Scientist Set Mistnets for West Nile Virus Monitoring
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Blue-winged Warbler
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Filter Total Items: 64

Partnering in search of answers: Seabird die-offs in the Bering and Chukchi Seas

Prior to 2015, seabird die-offs in Alaskan waters were rare; they typically occurred in mid-winter, linked to epizootic disease events or above-average ocean temperatures associated with strong El Nino-Southern Oscillation events (Bodenstein et al. 2015, Jones et al. 2019, Romano et al. 2020). Since 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has monitored mortality events that have become an
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Robb A. S. Kaler, Gay Sheffield, S Backensto, Jackie Lindsey, T. Jones, J. Parrish, B Ahmasuk, Barbara Bodenstein, Robert J. Dusek, Caroline R. Van Hemert, Matthew M. Smith, P Schwalenberg
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Global dissemination of Influenza A virus is driven by wild bird migration through arctic and subarctic zones

Influenza A viruses (IAV) circulate endemically among many wild aquatic bird populations that seasonally migrate between wintering grounds in southern latitudes to breeding ranges along the perimeter of the circumpolar arctic. Arctic and subarctic zones are hypothesized to serve as ecologic drivers of the intercontinental movement and reassortment of IAVs due to high densities of disparate populat
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Jonathan D. Jr. Gass, Robert J. Dusek, Jeffrey S. Hall, Gunnar Thor Hallgrimsson, Halldór Pálmar Halldórsson, Solvi Runar Vignisson, Sunna Bjork Ragnarsdottir, Jón Einar Jónsson, Scott Krauss, Wong. Sook-San, Xiu-Feng Wan, Sadia Akter, Srinand Sreevatsan, Nidia S. Trovão, Felicia B. Nutter, Jonathan A. Runstadler, Nichola J. Hill
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Paralytic 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, seabir
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Caroline R. Van Hemert, John Harley, Gwen Baluss, Matthew M. Smith, Robert J. Dusek, Julia S. Lankton, D. Ransom Hardison, Sarah K. Schoen, Robert Kaler
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Alaska Science Center

A 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 comprehensive
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Zachary Laughrey, Victoria Christensen, Robert J. Dusek, Sarena Senegal, Julia S. Lankton, Tracy Ziegler, Lee C. Jones, Daniel Jones, Brianna Williams, Stephanie Gordon, Gerald A. Clyde, Erich B Emery, Keith Loftin
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Kansas Water Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Acute oral toxicity and tissue residues of saxitoxin in the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Since 2014, widespread, annual mortality events involving multiple species of seabirds have occurred in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Chukchi Sea. Among these die-offs, emaciation was a common finding with starvation often identified as the cause of death. However, saxitoxin (STX) was detected in many carcasses, indicating exposure of these seabirds to STX in the marine environment. Few data
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Robert J. Dusek, Matthew M. Smith, Caroline R. Van Hemert, Valerie I. Shearn-Bochsler, Sherwood Hall, Clark D. Ridge, Ransome Hardison, Robert Kaler, Barbara Bodenstein, Erik K. Hofmeister, Jeffrey S. Hall
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, National Wildlife Health Center

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N2 (Clade 2.3.4.4) challenge of mallards age appropriate to the 2015 midwestern poultry outbreak

BackgroundThe 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N2 clade 2.3.4.4 outbreak in upper midwestern U.S. poultry operations was not detected in wild birds to any great degree during the outbreak, despite wild waterfowl being implicated in the introduction, reassortment, and movement of the virus into North America from Asia. This outbreak led to the demise of over 50 million domesti
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Jeffrey S. Hall, Daniel A. Grear, Scott Krauss, Patrick Seiler, Robert J. Dusek, Sean Nashold, Robert G. Webster
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Investigation 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
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Caroline R. Van Hemert, Robert J. Dusek, Matthew M. Smith, Robert Kaler, Gay Sheffield, Lauren M. Divine, Kathy J. Kuletz, Susan Knowles, Julia S. Lankton, D. Ransom Hardison, R. Wayne Litaker, Timothy Jones, Hillary K. Burgess, Julia K. Parrish
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Alaska Science Center

Quarterly wildlife mortality report July 2020

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 Sha
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Bryan J. Richards, Anne Ballmann, Barbara Bodenstein, Robert J. Dusek, Jonathan M. Sleeman
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Avian influenza virus prevalence in marine birds is dependent on ocean temperatures

Waterfowl and shorebirds are the primary hosts of influenza A virus (IAV), however, in most surveillance efforts, large populations of birds are not routinely examined; specifically marine ducks and other birds that reside predominately on or near the ocean. We conducted a long-term study sampling sea ducks and gulls in coastal Maine for IAV and found a virus prevalence (1.7%) much lower than is t
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Jeffrey S. Hall, Robert J. Dusek, Sean Nashold, Joshua L. TeSlaa, Bradford R. Allen, Daniel A. Grear
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Quarterly wildlife mortality report July 2019

No abstract available.
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Bryan J. Richards, Robert J. Dusek
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Aerosol transmission of gull-origin Iceland subtype H10N7 influenza A virus in ferrets

Subtype H10 influenza A viruses (IAVs) have been recovered from domestic poultry and various aquatic bird species, and sporadic transmission of these IAVs from avian species to mammals (i.e., human, seal, and mink) are well documented. In 2015, we isolated four H10N7 viruses from gulls in Iceland. Genomic analyses showed four gene segments in the viruses were genetically associated with H10 IAVs t
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Minhui Guan, Jeffrey S. Hall, Xiaojian Zhang, Robert J. Dusek, Alicia K. Olivier, Liyuan Liu, Lei Li, Scott Krauss, Angea Danner, Tao Li, Wiriya Rutvisuttinunt, Xiaoxu Lin, Gunnar T. Hallgrimsson, Sunna B. Ragnarsdottir, Solvi R. Vignisson, Josh TeSlaa, Sean Nashold, Richard Jarman, Xiu-Feng Wan
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Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

The expectations and challenges of wildlife disease research in the era of genomics: Forecasting with a horizon scan-like exercise

The outbreak and transmission of disease-causing pathogens are contributing to the unprecedented rate of biodiversity decline. Recent advances in genomics have coalesced into powerful tools to monitor, detect, and reconstruct the role of pathogens impacting wildlife populations. Wildlife researchers are thus uniquely positioned to merge ecological and evolutionary studies with genomic technologies
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Robert R. Fitak, Jennifer D. Antonides, Eric J. Baitchman, Elisa Bonaccorso, Josephine Braun, Steven Kubiski, Elliott Chiu, Anna C. Fagre, Roderick B. Gagne, Justin S. Lee, Jennifer L. Malmberg, Mark D. Stenglein, Robert J. Dusek, David Forgacs, Nicholas M. Fountain-Jones, Marie L. J. Gilbertson, Katherine E. L. Worsley-Tonks, W. Chris Funk, Daryl R. Trumbo, Bruno M. Ghersi, Wray Grimaldi, Sara E. Heisel, Claire M. Jardine, Pauline L. Kamath, Dibesh Karmacharya, Christopher P. Kozakiewicz, Simona Kraberger, Dagan A. Loisel, Cait McDonald, Steven Miller, Devon O’Rourke, Caitlin N. Ott-Conn, Mónica Páez-Vacas, Alison J. Peel, Wendy C. Turner, Meredith C. VanAcker, Sue VandeWoude, Jill Pecon-Slattery
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Dusek, R.J., M.G. Spalding, D.J. Forrester, N. Komar, and J.F. Day. 2005. Morbidity and mortality factors in pre-fledged Florida sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pratensis) chicks. Proceedings North American Crane Workshop 9: 7-13.
Dusek, R.J., M.G. Spalding, D.J. Forrester, and E.C. Greiner. 2004. Haemoproteus balearicae and other blood parasites of free-ranging sandhill crane chicks. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 40: 682-687.
https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-40.4.682
Dusek, R.J. and D.J. Forrester. 2002. Blood parasites of American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and fish crows (C. ossifragus) in Florida, U.S.A. Comparative Parasitology 69: 92-96.
https://doi.org/10.1654/1525-2647(2002)069[0092:BPOACC]2.0.CO;2
Frederick, P.C., M.G. Spalding, and R. Dusek. 2002. Wading birds as bioindicators of mercury contamination in Florida, USA: annual and geographic variation. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 21: 163-167.
https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620210123
Spalding, M.G., S.A. Nesbitt, S.T. Schwikert and R.J. Dusek. 2001. The use of radio transmitters to monitor survival of sandhill crane chicks. Proceedings of the Eighth North American Crane Workshop 8: 213-215.

**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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