National Wildlife Health Center Newsletter – Spring 2024
In this spring edition of the National Wildlife Health Center newsletter, we highlight new beginnings: an introduction to our new Center Director, how NWHC is challenging our own paradigm, and plans for a new facility. We also feature research on environmental transmission of prions, modeling RHDV2 vaccination, and an emerging fungal pathogen affecting snakes.
LeAnn White appointed NWHC Center Director
Dr. LeAnn White has been selected as the new Center Director of the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC).
Case definitions for wildlife
A team of pathologists, veterinarians, and biologists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) recently published the first set of collaboratively developed case definitions for wildlife diagnosticians.
Update on plans to modernize NWHC facility
Planning is underway for a new National Wildlife Health Center facility.
Plants as vectors for environmental prion transmission
A new publication, Carlson, et al. (2023), demonstrated the ability of several crop species, including alfalfa and barley, commonly consumed by cervids and livestock, to uptake prions via their roots and translocate them to above-ground tissue.
Modeling the response of an endangered rabbit population to RHDV2 and vaccination
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus type 2 (RHDV2), a Lagovirus in the family Caliciviridae, has caused substantial mortality in wild lagomorph (rabbit and hare) populations in North America. Researchers have been studying how management actions can help wild rabbit and hare populations respond to the virus.
Paranannizziopsis spp. infections in wild snakes
A new publication (Lorch et al. 2023) has found that fungi in the genera Paranannizziopsis are found on wild snakes in the United States and Canada. The NWHC has developed a rapid PCR-based detection method for Paranannizziopsis to assist in pathogen screening and accurate diagnosis of the disease.
Interagency coordination on coral health
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) supports coral health through participation in two interagency coordination bodies, the Florida Disturbance Advisory Committee, which is focused on joint management of the Florida Coral Reef Tract, and the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, which is focused on joint management of reef resources within U.S. Territories in both the Caribbean and Pacific.
Pathology Case of the Month - Raccoon
Case History: An adult female 3.39 kg Common Raccoon was found dead at a private residence in Wisconsin, USA. The raccoon was collected for evaluation following observations by the landowner of 2 dead and 3 sick raccoons over the previous week. Symptoms observed in sick animals included walking slowly, back legs giving out, and lethargy. Affected animals were approachable and/or unresponsive.
Publications
View citations of publications by National Wildlife Health Center scientists since our founding in 1975. Access to full-text is provided where possible.