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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

Filter Total Items: 47

One Health best practice case study: Advancing national One Health coordination in the United States through the One Health zoonotic disease prioritization process

The U.S. government advances One Health coordination through the best practices of jointly developing shared priorities and utilizing formalized coordination platforms to connect partners from public health, agriculture, wildlife, environment, and other sectors at the national, subnational (e.g. state, tribal, local, and territorial), and non-governmental levels (e.g. academia, industry, non-gover
Authors
Casey Barton Behravesh, Tracey Dutcher, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Jane Rooney, M. Camille Hopkins, Grace Goryoka, Rochelle Medford, Dominic Cristiano, Natalie M. Wendling

Wildlife health capacity enhancement in Thailand through the World Organisation for Animal Health Twinning Program

There is an increasing need for robust wildlife health programs that provide surveillance and management for diseases in wildlife and wild aquatic populations to manage associated risks. This paper illustrates the value of a systematic method to enhancing wildlife health programs. The U.S. Geological Survey and Mahidol University, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Thailand National Wildlife Health Ce
Authors
Sarin Suwanpakdee, Nareerat Sangkachai, Anuwat Wiratsudakul, Witthawat Wiriyarat, Walasinee Sakcamduang, Peerawat Wongluechai, Choenkwan Pabutta, Ladawan Sariya, Waruja Korkijthamkul, David S. Blehert, C. LeAnn White, Daniel P. Walsh, Craig Stephen, Parntep Ratanakorn, Jonathan M. Sleeman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, National Wildlife Health Center

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 wil
Authors
Serena Elise George, Moniek Smink, Nareerat Sangkachai, Anuwat Wiratsudakul, Walasinee Sakcamduang, Sarin Suwanpakdee, Jonathan M. Sleeman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, International Programs

Wildlife 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 main
Authors
M. Delgado, N. Ferrari, A. Fanelli, S. Muset, L. Thompson, Jonathan M. Sleeman, C. LeAnn White, Daniel P. Walsh, C. Wannous, P. Tizzani
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Future 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. 201
Authors
Erik K. Hofmeister, Emily Cornelius Ruhs, Lucas Fortini, M. Camille Hopkins, Lee C. Jones, Kevin D. Lafferty, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Olivia E. LeDee
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, National Wildlife Health Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Management 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 pop
Authors
Mark L. Drew, Jonathan M. Sleeman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Leading 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 to
Authors
Catherine Machalaba, Jonathan M. Sleeman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Evaluating 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 de
Authors
Jonathan D. Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Michael C. Runge
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Highly 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 typicall
Authors
Andrew 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 Wan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Implications 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 a
Authors
Lucy 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 Walzer
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

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

Authors
Jonathan D Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Michael C. Runge
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

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 limited. Given the limited information, data from other coronaviru
Authors
Ria 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 Behravesh
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 47

One Health best practice case study: Advancing national One Health coordination in the United States through the One Health zoonotic disease prioritization process

The U.S. government advances One Health coordination through the best practices of jointly developing shared priorities and utilizing formalized coordination platforms to connect partners from public health, agriculture, wildlife, environment, and other sectors at the national, subnational (e.g. state, tribal, local, and territorial), and non-governmental levels (e.g. academia, industry, non-gover
Authors
Casey Barton Behravesh, Tracey Dutcher, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Jane Rooney, M. Camille Hopkins, Grace Goryoka, Rochelle Medford, Dominic Cristiano, Natalie M. Wendling

Wildlife health capacity enhancement in Thailand through the World Organisation for Animal Health Twinning Program

There is an increasing need for robust wildlife health programs that provide surveillance and management for diseases in wildlife and wild aquatic populations to manage associated risks. This paper illustrates the value of a systematic method to enhancing wildlife health programs. The U.S. Geological Survey and Mahidol University, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Thailand National Wildlife Health Ce
Authors
Sarin Suwanpakdee, Nareerat Sangkachai, Anuwat Wiratsudakul, Witthawat Wiriyarat, Walasinee Sakcamduang, Peerawat Wongluechai, Choenkwan Pabutta, Ladawan Sariya, Waruja Korkijthamkul, David S. Blehert, C. LeAnn White, Daniel P. Walsh, Craig Stephen, Parntep Ratanakorn, Jonathan M. Sleeman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, National Wildlife Health Center

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 wil
Authors
Serena Elise George, Moniek Smink, Nareerat Sangkachai, Anuwat Wiratsudakul, Walasinee Sakcamduang, Sarin Suwanpakdee, Jonathan M. Sleeman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, International Programs

Wildlife 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 main
Authors
M. Delgado, N. Ferrari, A. Fanelli, S. Muset, L. Thompson, Jonathan M. Sleeman, C. LeAnn White, Daniel P. Walsh, C. Wannous, P. Tizzani
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Future 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. 201
Authors
Erik K. Hofmeister, Emily Cornelius Ruhs, Lucas Fortini, M. Camille Hopkins, Lee C. Jones, Kevin D. Lafferty, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Olivia E. LeDee
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, National Wildlife Health Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Management 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 pop
Authors
Mark L. Drew, Jonathan M. Sleeman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Leading 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 to
Authors
Catherine Machalaba, Jonathan M. Sleeman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Evaluating 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 de
Authors
Jonathan D. Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Michael C. Runge
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Highly 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 typicall
Authors
Andrew 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 Wan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Implications 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 a
Authors
Lucy 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 Walzer
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

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

Authors
Jonathan D Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Michael C. Runge
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

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 limited. Given the limited information, data from other coronaviru
Authors
Ria 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 Behravesh
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center
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