USGS National Wildlife Health Center

National Wildlife Health Center

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Science Feature	Hot Topics
Coral Disease Outbreak in Hawaii	Bulletin: WNS Winter Submission Guidelines 2012 Q3 NWHC Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report Bulletin: Cyanobacterial Disease Killing Coral on Kauai, Hawaii White-Nose Syndrome Bat Recovery May Present Challenges Similar to Those in Some Recovering AIDS Patients Updates from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Science Working to Combat Deadly White Nose Syndrome in Bats Hemorrhagic Disease in Wild Ruminants NWHC Strategic Science Plan 2012 Bulletin: Update on Schmallenberg Virus in Europe

Spotlights
2011 report of selected wildlife diseases This report provides a sample of NWHC data available from our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). These data are presented in summary format with minimal statistical analysis and interpretation. The goal is to share these data with wildlife managers and other stakeholders, promote the use of NHWC data, and encourage the sharing of wildlife disease data to improve temporal and geographic surveillance coverage.	New Multi-Agency Partnership Expands Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Efforts A new agreement in the form of a memorandum of understanding between federal and state agencies has set the stage for an innovative effort to recover the black-footed ferret, one of the most endangered mammals in North America. The agreement seeks to engage more private landowners, including tribes, in recovery efforts for this species.
Bats Still Haunted by Deadly Fungus As bats prepare for winter hibernation, these iconic animals of the night sky face an uncertain future because of white-nose syndrome. USGS scientists and others continue to make progress in understanding this deadly bat disease.	USGS scientists have isolated ranaviruses associated with die-offs involving more than 20 species of amphibians and turtles. Massive die-offs of amphibians are often caused by ranaviruses. USGS scientists have isolated ranaviruses associated with die-offs in over 25 states involving more than 20 species of turtles and amphibians in mortality events ranging from one to thousands of individuals affected.
View Recent Mortality Events USGS and a network of partners across the country work on documenting wildlife mortality events, in order to provide timely and accurate information on locations, species and causes of death.	White-Nose Syndrome in Bats: USGS Updates The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), the USGS Fort Collins Science Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other partners continue to play a primary role in WNS research. Studies conducted at NWHC led to the discovery, characterization, and naming (Gargas and others, 2009) of the cold-loving fungus G. destructans and to the development of standardized criteria for diagnosing the disease (Blehert and others, 2009).

NWHC in the News
Erratic bat behavior at Great Smoky park may be linked to lethal syndrome - 1/23/2013 DNR asks public to clean bird feeders - 1/11/2013 White Nose Syndrome In Bats Could Yield Clues About AIDS - 12/18/2012 Bad News for Bats: Deadly Fungus Persists in Caves - 12/17/2012 Immune disease an added blow to fungus-ridden bat populations - 11/30/2012 In Hawaii, a coral reef infection has biologists alarmed - 11/27/2012 More NWHC news...