National Wildlife Health Center Bulletin: SARS-CoV-2 and North American Wildlife
Read and download the latest Wildlife Health Bulletin from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, published December 7, 2021.
News
PCBs Still a Threat to Loons and Other Wildlife
These heat-resistant chemicals once used widely in electrical equipment and other industrial applications continue to pose a threat to wildlife more than four decades after being banned in the United States.
Neurotoxins in the environment are damaging human brain health; frequent fires and floods may make problem worse
Many scientists have identified links between air pollution in various forms, including from forest fire smoke, and an increased risk and prevalence of adverse health effects, including brain disorders.
New anaplasma study finds winter ticks unlikely significant in moose transmission
Authors concluded that winter ticks are unlikely to play a significant role in Anaplasma transmission to moose; however, high infection prevalence warrants further investigation into the impacts of Anaplasma spp. infection on moose health.
National Wildlife Health Center – Fall 2021 Newsletter
In their fall newsletter, the USGS NWHC covers a wide range of great topics and updates!
Minnesota Zoo tests vaccine against spread of emerging deer virus
Zoo veterinarians tested a new vaccine this summer on roughly 30 of their animals, including reindeer, bison, moose and pronghorn, all of which can be killed by EHD.
Nearly 1,000 Florida manatees have died this year as a result of toxic algae blooms
Most mortalities were associated with starvation due to the lack of seagrasses near warm-water refuge sites
Manitoba reports first chronic wasting disease case; bans hunting where animal found
Officials in Manitoba are reporting what they say is the province’s first case of chronic wasting disease, a nervous system disorder that affects large game animals.
Ranavirus detected in illegally trafficked eastern box turtles
Wildlife officials found that the turtles were all severely dehydrated intentionally and had ear and eye infections. Within the next few weeks, the turtles began showing symptoms of the ranavirus, which is a deadly disease that “causes animals to hemorrhage, gasp for air, and accumulate fluid under the skin.”
Previous outbreak of Cryptococcus Gattii in marine mammals linked to terrestrial origins
The marine mammals that died from C. gattii were found near terrestrial hot spots, suggesting that the spores settled on the surface of the sea, where the porpoises and dolphins inhaled them when they surfaced to breathe.
Latest News
WildAlert: A Real-Time, AI-Driven Early Warning System for Wildlife Health and Ecological Threat Detection
May 22, 2026
Tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) previously not found in the Pacific Northwest has been detected in Washington state’s coyotes
May 22, 2026
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Continues to Affect Wild Birds Across All Four U.S. Flyways
May 22, 2026
