Publications
Find out more about Biological Threat and Invasive Species Research through our publications.
Filter Total Items: 308
Environmental DNA assays for invasive populations of the Black Carp, Mylopharyngodon piceus, in North America
The Black Carp, Mylopharyngodon piceus, is an increasingly widespread invasive species in North America that threatens freshwater mussel populations. We developed four qPCR assays for detecting environmental DNA (eDNA) from these Black Carp populations. Assays were designed to target four mitochondrial DNA loci and were based on 34 complete mitochondrial genome sequences, including 29 generated in
Authors
Xin Guan, E.M. Monroe, K.D. Bockrath, Erica L. Mize, C.B. Rees, Denise L. Lindsay, Kelly L. Baerwaldt, Leo Nico, Richard F. Lance
First examination of diet items consumed by wild-caught black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) in the U.S.
Black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) were imported to the U.S. in the 1970s to control snails in aquaculture ponds and have since escaped from captivity. The increase in captures of wild fish has raised concerns of risk to native and imperiled unionid mussels given previous literature classified this species a molluscivore. We acquired black carp from commercial fishers and biologists, and examined
Authors
Barry C. Poulton, Patrick Kroboth, George Aiken, Duane Chapman, J. Bailey, Stephen E. McMurray, John S. Faiman
Screening and biosecurity for White-nose Fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Ascomycota: Pseudeurotiaceae) in Hawai‘i
Introduced pathogens causing emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are serious contemporary threats to animal, plant, and ecosystem health. The invasive fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has established populations of European origin in North America, resulting in mass mortality of several hibernating bat species. Extensive monitoring for this pathogen exists in Europe and North America, but lim
Authors
Violeta Zhelyazkova, Nia Toshkova, Serena E Dool, Frank Bonaccorso, Corinna A. Pinzari, Kristina Montoya-Aiona, Sebastien J Puechmaille
Nonlinearities in transmission dynamics and efficient management of vector-borne pathogens
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an approach to minimizing economic and environmental harm caused by pests, and Integrated Vector Management (IVM) uses similar methods to minimize pathogen transmission by vectors. The risk of acquiring a vector-borne infection is often quantified using the density of infected vectors. The relationship between vector numbers and risk of human infection is more
Authors
Howard S. Ginsberg, Jannelle Couret
Identifying common decision problem elements for the management of emerging fungal diseases of wildlife
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) of wildlife have characteristics that make them difficult to manage, leading to reactive and often ineffective management strategies. Currently, two fungal pathogens, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), are causing declines in novel host species. To improve the application of management strategies addressing the risk o
Authors
R. F. Bernard, Evan H. Campbell Grant
Efficacy of eDNA as an early detection indicator for Burmese pythons in the ARM Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem
Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection of invasive species can be used to delimited occupied ranges and estimate probabilities to inform management decisions. Environmental DNA is shed into the environment through skin cells and bodily fluids and can be detected in water samples collected from lakes, rivers, and swamps. In south Florida, invasive Burmese pythons occupy much of the Greater Everglades i
Authors
Margaret Hunter, Gaia Meigs-Friend, Jason Ferrante, Brian Smith, Kristen Hart
Environmental DNA sampling reveals high occupancy rates of invasive Burmese pythons at wading bird breeding aggregations in the central Everglades
The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is now established as a breeding population throughout south Florida, USA. However, the extent of the invasion, and the ecological impacts of this novel apex predator on animal communities are incompletely known, in large part because Burmese pythons (hereafter “pythons”) are extremely cryptic and there has been no efficient way to detect them. Pythons are re
Authors
Sophia C. M. Orzechowski, Peter C. Frederick, Robert M. Dorazio, Margaret Hunter
Skin and fin diseases
Fish are critically important to the welfare of this planet and its occupants, the health of both wild and captive fish populations paramount to our survival. This book presents the gross pathology of the most commonly encountered diseases and syndromes of fish in an organ system-based approach. It provides an overview of the diseases and disorders of tropical, ornamental, bait and food fish from
Authors
Pedro Smith, Diane Elliott, David W Bruno, Stephen A Smith
Mortality due to Tyzzer's disease of muskrats in northern Ohio, USA
In 2017, we investigated a mortality event of muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in Northwest Ohio, USA, and determined the causes of death to be from Tyzzer's disease due to Clostridium piliforme and Klebsiella pneumoniae septicemia. The gross presentation resembled tularemia, which highlighted the importance of a complete diagnostic investigation.
Authors
Daniel A. Grear, Julia S. Lankton, Sara Zaleski, Mark Witt, Jeffrey M. Lorch
Development of a quantitative PCR method for screening ichthyoplankton samples for bigheaded carps
Monitoring ichthyoplankton is useful for identifying reproductive fronts and spawning locations of bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys spp.). Unfortunately, sorting and identifying ichthyoplankton to monitor for bigheaded carp reproduction is time consuming and expensive. Traditional methods require frequent egg-larvae sampling, sorting of all samples to obtain presumptively identified bigheaded c
Authors
Andrea K. Fritts, Brent C. Knights, James H. Larson, Jon Amberg, Christopher M. Merkes, Tariq Tajjioui, Steven E. Butler, Matthew J. Diana, David H. Wahl, Michael J. Weber, John D. Waters
Complete genome sequences of the index isolates of two genotypes of Pacific salmon paramyxovirus
We report here the genome sequences of two index strains of Pacific salmon paramyxovirus isolated in 1982 and 1983 from adult salmon in Oregon. The isolates are most closely related to Atlantic salmon paramyxovirus, the type species of the genus Aquaparamyxovirus, but are sufficiently distinct to be considered two genotypes of a novel species.
Authors
James Winton, William N. Batts, Rachel L. Powers, Maureen K. Purcell
The glycoprotein, non-virion protein, and polymerase of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus are not determinants of host-specific virulence in rainbow trout
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), a fish rhabdovirus belonging to the Novirhabdovirus genus, causes severe disease and mortality in many marine and freshwater fish species worldwide. VHSV isolates are classified into four genotypes and each group is endemic to specific geographic regions in the north Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Most viruses in the European VHSV genotype Ia are highly vir
Authors
Shamila Yusuff, Gael Kurath, Min Sun Kim, Tarin M Tesfaye, Jie Liu, Douglas Mckenney, Vikram N Vakharia