The USGS National Wildlife Health Center: 

Advancing Wildlife and Ecosystem Health Advancing Wildlife and Ecosystem Health

Understanding Why Wildlife Health Matters

The effects of emerging wildlife diseases are global and profound, often resulting in the loss of human lives, economic and 

agricultural impacts, declines in wildlife populations, and ecological disturbance. For example, at least 70 percent of emerging 

human diseases, including West Nile virus, plague, Ebola virus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), severe acute 

respiratory syndrome (SARS), and influenza originated in wild or domestic animals (Jones and others, 2008). Understanding 

diseases of wildlife is important for the health and conservation of wildlife, for the health of humans and domestic animals, 

and for the health of ecosystems.

Creating a “CDC for Wildlife”

In 1975, the Federal government responded to the 

need for establishing national expertise in wildlife health 

by creating the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), 

a facility within the Department of the Interior (DOI); the 

NWHC is the only national center dedicated to wildlife 

disease detection, control, and prevention. Its mission is to 

provide national leadership to safeguard wildlife and ecosystem health through active partnerships and exceptional 

science. Comparisons are often made between the NWHC, 

which strives to protect the health of our Nation’s wildlife, 

and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 

which strive to protect public health. The NWHC, a science 

center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with specialized laboratories, works to safeguard our Nation’s wildlife 

from diseases by studying the causes and drivers of these 

threats and by developing strategies to prevent and manage 

them. In addition to the main campus, located in Madison, 

Wisconsin, the NWHC also operates the Honolulu Field 

Station (HFS), which addresses wildlife health issues in 

Hawaii and the Pacific Region (fig. 1). The NWHC is 

designated by the DOI as a USGS “mission essential” 

facility, provides support in animal health emergencies, 

and is registered with the CDC’s Select Agent Program. 

Through a comprehensive program involving biomedical and ecological expertise and capabilities, the NWHC 

is a world leader in developing research solutions to the 

most deadly wildlife diseases, such as avian influenza, 

white-nose syndrome in bats, and other emerging diseases 

that have devastated wildlife populations around the world 

and pose significant public health and economic risks. This 

includes playing a key role in detecting novel pathogens, 

developing rapid diagnostic tests, conducting surveillance, 

and designing methods to control these diseases, not only 

in the United States, but globally. 

Figure 1. The U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center is a biosafety 

level 3 facility in Madison, Wisconsin, that investigates outbreaks of wildlife disease 

nationwide. (Biosafety level refers to a specific combination of work practices, 

safety equipment, and facilities that are designed to minimize the exposure of 

workers and the environment to infectious agents.) The Honolulu Field Station of the 

National Wildlife Health Center, located in Honolulu, Hawaii, [top right], investigates 

terrestrial and marine diseases throughout the Pacific region.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2016–3102

January 2017
NWHC Capabilities

Scientists at the NWHC possess a wide array of expertise and capabilities, including wildlife biology, ecology, statistics, quantitative 

modeling, epidemiology, veterinary medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, toxicology, and immunology. The Center is organized 

into three science branches—Applied Wildlife Health Research, Wildlife Epidemiology and Emerging Diseases, and Wildlife Disease 

Diagnostic Laboratories—that operate on a national scale (figs. 2 and 3).

•

 

• 

 

 

• 

Wildlife 

Epidemiology 

and Emerging Diseases

Applied 

Wildlife Health 

Research

Wildlife Disease 

Diagnostic Laboratories

• Outbreak investigation

• Designed surveillance

• Data and information management 

 • Hypothesis driven research

• Development of models and 

management tools

 

Cause-of-death determination

Pathogen discovery and characterization

Diagnostic test methodology and 

development

• Risk assessment and decision 

support

• Disease ecology and prediction

• Toxicology

•

 

• 

 

 

• 

Wildlife 

Epidemiology 

and Emerging Diseases

Applied 

Wildlife Health 

Research

Wildlife Disease 

Diagnostic Laboratories

• Outbreak investigation

• Designed surveillance

• Data and information management 

 • Hypothesis driven research

• Development of models and 

management tools

 

Cause-of-death determination

Pathogen discovery and characterization

Diagnostic test methodology and 

development

• Risk assessment and decision 

support

• Disease ecology and prediction

• Toxicology

Figure 2. The three science branches of the National Wildlife Health Center 

showing primary scientific activities. 

Figure 3 (right). National Wildlife Health Center scientists at work.

Applied Wildlife Health Research Branch

The Research Branch has core capabilities in infectious disease research, disease ecology and epidemiological 

modeling, and development of disease management tools. 

Partnerships with State, Tribal, and other Federal agencies 

and academic institutions are routinely created to facilitate 

holistic studies from the molecular to the landscape level. 

Through scientific investigations conducted in specialized 

laboratories and field settings, NWHC scientists work to 

understand the drivers and ecology of wildlife diseases and 

mitigate their effects to promote ecosystem health. 

Examples of research at the NWHC include multidisciplinary studies of avian influenza (AI), understanding pathogenicity (the ability of a microorganism to cause disease) 

in wildlife and species susceptibility, characterizing genetic 

exchange between viruses of North American and Eurasian 

origin, mathematical modeling of viral transmission, and 

analysis of ecological factors that influence viral persistence 

and transmission. Other research accomplishments include: 

development of a sylvatic plague vaccine to support recovery of the endangered black-footed ferret; discovery of an 

enzyme produced by lichen that destroys prion proteins and 

that may be useful for managing chronic wasting disease 

(CWD) in deer and elk; and predictive modeling of emerging 

diseases, such as CWD, to support population management. 

Wildlife Epidemiology and Emerging Diseases 

Branch

The Epidemiology Branch conducts field investigations 

and disease ecology studies of emerging and recurring 

wildlife diseases suspected of having wildlife population 

impacts or with the potential to affect humans or agricultural 

animals. Scientists in this branch routinely provide support 

to resource managers through disease management consultation and training workshops. They also provide assistance to 

partners during mortality events through the development and 

coordination of enhanced disease surveillance programs (for 

examples, please see Wildlife Disease Surveillance section) 

and through quantitative and descriptive analyses to understand the causes and effects of diseases on wildlife populations. This branch is also responsible for the development 

and maintenance of one of the Nation’s largest long-term 

data-management systems containing information on wildlife 

morbidity and mortality events, and it facilitates continual 

data sharing among partners through the Wildlife Health 

Information Sharing Partnership event reporting system

(WHISPers; see text box). 

Wildlife Disease Diagnostic Laboratories Branch

The Diagnostic Branch conducts laboratory investigations to determine the causes of wildlife mortality events, 

especially large-scale die-offs or those that are otherwise 

unusual. Laboratories in this branch specialize in pathology, 

microbiology, virology, parasitology, and chemistry, and 

use microbiological, molecular-biological, and descriptive 

techniques to identify and characterize agents of infectious 

disease. Scientists in this branch also provide disease 

consultation services to external partners and conduct 

research to further elucidate emerging diseases and other 

pathogens of wildlife. Furthermore, the branch develops 

novel diagnostic tests to improve identification of unique 

pathogens of wildlife. For example, scientists in this branch 

discovered the fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that 

causes white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats and have since 

developed and disseminated standardized molecular tests to 

rapidly identify this fungal pathogen. 
Wildlife Disease Surveillance

In this age of rapidly emerging diseases and potential 

pandemics, the importance of disease surveillance is paramount. As mentioned previously, the majority of all novel, 

emerging, or reemerging diseases affecting humans have 

originated in wildlife. To provide early detection and warning 

of these biological threats, NWHC scientists conduct disease surveillance in collaboration with multiple partners. An 

important example of this type of collaboration is the role the 

NWHC plays in grappling with AI. The NWHC is a member 

of the Interagency Steering Committee for Surveillance for 

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds and is a 

leading partner in conducting morbidity and mortality investigations in support of the Interagency Strategic Plan for Early 

Detection and Monitoring for Avian Influenzas of Significance 

in Wild Birds. In December 2014, during the investigation of 

a seemingly routine waterfowl mortality event in Washington 

State in collaboration with the Washington Department of Fish 

and Wildlife, NWHC scientists were the first to detect highly 

pathogenic AI (HPAI) in wild birds (specifically three duck 

species: northern pintail, mallard, and American wigeon) in 

the United States. Thus, ongoing surveillance for diseases of 

wildlife serves to maximize early detection, situational awareness, and management of emerging diseases. 

Additional diseases of wildlife in which the NWHC plays 

a major role in interagency surveillance efforts include WNS 

in bats, snake fungal disease, and an emerging fungal disease 

in salamanders caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (also known as Bsal). The NWHC will continue 

to play a key role in monitoring these and other diseases and 

providing the information necessary to respond appropriately. 

In addition to surveillance efforts, the NWHC also informs 

and updates natural resource managers nationwide about 

wildlife disease issues through timely distribution of Wildlife 

Health Bulletins.
Drawing upon the expertise of NWHC scientists and support staff in diagnostics, epidemiology, and research, the Center is uniquely 

poised to coordinate, strengthen, and support a more proactive and collaborative approach to the investigation of emerging wildlife 

diseases. Collectively, the advent of new analytical models, diagnostic tests, and managements techniques will improve understanding 

of the distribution, dynamics, and impacts of emerging diseases, and ultimately provide better information and tools for managers to 

proactively respond to and manage disease threats to wildlife and our environment. 

A Vision for Wildlife Health

The NWHC Honolulu Field Station

The NWHC HFS, established in 1992, provides support to the natural resource communities 

of Hawaii and the Pacific Basin in the investigation of wildlife health-related issues. Efforts 

focus on forming partnerships and pooling expertise to quickly identify and mitigate wildlife 

health problems. Examples of wildlife diseases collaboratively investigated by staff at the 

HFS include fibropapilloma tumors in sea turtles and diseases of coral and urchins. Additionally, the HFS has worked collaboratively with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

to conduct surveillance for the early detection of West Nile virus in the Pacific Basin and 

has assisted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife in the reintroduction of endangered Laysan ducks to 

Midway Atoll by ensuring that the translocated birds are free of detrimental parasites.

A National Wildlife Health Center Wildlife Disease Specialist takes a sample from 

diseased coral on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii.

WHISPers 

The Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership event reporting system (WHISPers), 

developed at the NWHC, is an online tool that provides wildlife managers with situational 

awareness regarding wildlife disease events throughout the United States. WHISPers is a 

partner-driven, Web-based repository for wildlife disease information. The system provides 

natural resource management partners with timely and accurate information on where 

reported wildlife disease events are occurring and includes a searchable archive of verified 

(laboratory diagnosed) wildlife disease events. Records in WHISPers can be searched by 

species, disease, location (at county level), and event start and end dates. The system 

comprises one of the largest wildlife disease databases available in the United States.

The WHISPers Web site contains current and historic information on wildlife morbidity or 

mortality events in North America. Events typically involve five or more sick and dead wild 

animals observed in the same general location and time period.

Bacteria Fungus Other Trauma Virus

Mortality

Morbidity

Surveillance

Shape color determined by the primary diagnosis of its most recent event

Shapes located at center of county

Nut/Met/Dev = Nutrition/Metabolism/Development 

Nut/Met/Dev Parasite Toxin
A Vision for Wildlife Health

White-Nose Syndrome in Bats

Since it was first discovered in New York in 2007, WNS has continued to spread westward across 

North America and has caused the deaths of millions of hibernating bats. The NWHC has made 

considerable advances in understanding WNS, including characterizing the fungus, Pseudogymnoascus 

destructans, that causes the disease; defining the pathology of WNS; devising molecular techniques 

to detect the fungal pathogen on bats and in the environment; conducting national surveillance for 

P. destructans; and investigating mechanisms by which the fungus infects and kills bats. The Center is 

also working to develop various disease management tools, including the development of a vaccine. 

As more is learned about the ecology of WNS through a greater understanding of the interactions 

among bats, fungi, and the environment, new opportunities may arise to interrupt the disease cycle. 

State and Federal land management agencies have relied on USGS science to support on-the-ground 

management actions and development of an interagency WNS National Plan (available at the 

interagency Web site: www.whitenosesyndrome.org).

Scientists collect samples from the cave environment, as well as from bats, to 

test for the presence of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats.

Protecting Wildlife against Plague 

The black-footed ferret is one of the most endangered mammals in North America. Sylvatic plague, a 

fleaborne, bacterial, zoonotic disease (that is, a disease of animals that can also infect humans), is a major 

obstacle to the ferret’s recovery. In a joint effort to combat plague, NWHC scientists have developed an oral 

vaccine to protect prairie dogs. Ferrets are heavily dependent on prairie dogs as a food source, and they 

use prairie dog burrows for shelter. Extensive laboratory experiments and field trials have been conducted 

to determine the vaccine’s efficacy in preventing plague in prairie dogs. The vaccine, which is mixed with a 

peanut butter-flavored bait and placed in selected prairie dog colonies, has been designed to provide better 

protection against plague with less labor, lower costs, and reduced risk for ecological impacts on nontarget 

species than current control methods involving broad application of insecticides. Ultimately, the vaccine 

has great potential to improve recovery efforts for the black-footed ferret, sustain prairie dog populations, 

reduce human exposure to this zoonotic disease, and protect grassland ecosystems of the American West.

The oral vaccine against plague is mixed with a peanut butter-flavored bait, placed in selected 

prairie dog colonies, and readily eaten by prairie dogs.
A Vision for Wildlife Health

“One Health” refers to the concept that the 

health of humans, animals, and ecosystems 

are inextricably linked and emphasizes the 

necessity for collaboration to address global 

health challenges.

One Health and Collaborative Partnerships

“One Health” refers to the concept that the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems is 

inextricably linked and emphasizes the necessity for collaboration to address global health 

challenges to optimize outcomes for human, domestic animal, and wildlife health. For example, 

declines of insect-eating bat populations due to WNS can directly and indirectly impact humans 

from the loss of “ecosystem services,” such as allowing less pesticide use on crops and in forests, 

that these species provide. 

Collaborative partnerships are imperative to the One Health approach for tackling these challenges, 

and the NWHC focuses on creating partnerships that use shared expertise. For example, the 

NWHC partnered with the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative to become a Collaborating Centre 

for Research, Diagnosis and Surveillance of Wildlife Pathogens within the World Organization for 

Animal Health (OIE). OIE Collaborating Centres provide their expertise to the international animal 

health community. Another example is the NWHC’s membership in the USDA’s National Animal 

Health Laboratory Network, a network of State and Federal laboratories established to provide 

consistent, timely, and accurate testing for disease agents, such as highly pathogenic AI, of critical 

importance to national security and the economy.

Reference Cited 

Jones, K.E., Patel, N.G., Levy, M.A., Storeygard, Adam, 

Balk, Deborah, Gittleman, J.L., and Daszak, Peter, 2008, 

Global trends in emerging infectious diseases: Nature, 

v. 451, no. 7181, p. 990–993, accessed May 2, 2016, at 

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7181/full/

nature06536.html.

By Gail Moede Rogall and Jonathan M. Sleeman

USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC)

6006 Schroeder Road

Madison, WI 53711-6223

Phone: (608) 270-2400

Fax: (608) 270-2415

https://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/

NWHC Honolulu Field Station 

PO Box 50187

300 Ala Moana Blvd

Honolulu, HI 96850

Phone: (808) 792-9520

Fax: (808) 792-9596

https://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/hfs/

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20163102