NWRC Research Areas: Wildlife Disease

Wildlife diseases not only impact wildlife, but also have the potential to spillover and affect livestock and human health. A One Health approach that simultaneously considers human health, animal health, and the environment is critical to understanding the risks associated with wildlife diseases and mitigating those risks. Of particular concern is the introduction and spread of novel pathogens/diseases that rapidly increase in incidence, either due to spillover into a new host or mutation resulting in a change in the epidemiology of the pathogen.

Some examples of emerging and re-emerging pathogens that are found in wildlife are avian influenza A virus, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans), and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus. When new variants or strains of these viruses emerge, National Wildlife Research Center scientists rapidly respond by studying which wildlife species are susceptible to these viruses and which species have the potential to transmit the viruses to each other, to other wildlife species, to livestock, or humans. Understanding which species are susceptible and capable of transmission of novel viruses is critical for prioritizing which species to sample in national wildlife disease surveillance efforts.

The primary goals of the Wildlife Disease Research Project are to conduct research to support surveillance activities of the National Wildlife Disease Program, to identify and characterize wildlife pathogens at the wildlife-agricultural interface, and to develop tools for the identification and mitigation of disease risks to agricultural, public, and wildlife health.