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Management of Wildlife Disease

It's a small world and getting smaller for humans, domestic animals, wildlife and the diseases that sicken and kill them. Increased mobility of goods, services, products and capital is occurring throughout the world. Though globalization is not new, modern technologies have accelerated its pace. International travel can move disease organisms and their carriers thousands of miles in a single day. A recent example is the monkeypox virus, introduced into the United States when an African rodent came into contact with a native American rodent, sickening the animals and their handlers. The potential invasiveness of new diseases presents a threat to human, domestic animal, and wildlife health.

Wildlife damage management biologists play an important role in investigating, understanding, preventing and controlling some of these diseases. Various agencies and centers are involved in wildlife disease work but their missions vary. ent biosafety levels. Biosafety Level 1 labs are appropriate for working with microorganisms that are not known to cause disease in healthy human humans. In Biosafety Level 2 labs, containment devices, practices and procedures are designed to maximize safety for those working with moderate-risk agents. Biosafety Level 3 labs are suitable for work with infectious agents (e.g. WNV) which may cause serious or potentially lethal diseases as a result of exposure by inhalation.

NWRC laboratories support research and are not diagnostic in nature. That will distinguishes it from the National Animal Disease Laboratory (USDA-ARS) in Ames, Iowa, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, and the National Animal Health Center." Research includes field work and experimental studies for the development of surveillance and monitoring techniques for, and serological tests of, various agents with which the Center is involved.

Federal research on wildlife disease has been ongoing in many areas.

For example, work with Canada geese, has established that the birds do indeed carry some pathogenic bacteria that may have risk for people. Work on bovine tuberculosis in Michigan,has established that disease transmission from deer and elk to livestock was through direct and indirect contact (at shared food sources). Additionally, many groups are actively involved in trying to control raccoon rabies. Federal scientists have been responsible for developing effective baits and for studying the zoogeography of the disease - how the distribution of the animals affects the vaccination program.

Rabies work will continue to be a top priority for many wildlife disease personnel but work on other diseases like West Nile virus (WNV), chronic wasting disease (CWD), and pseudorabies has become evermore important. For example, researchers are looking at the susceptibility of various species to WNV, trying to determine a good sentinel species for early warning of presence of the disease. Studies on CWD l include research on deer and elk biology and how it relates to disease transmission.

Laboratory facilities used in researching wildlife diseases operate at different biosafety levels. Biosafety Level 1 labs are appropriate for working with microorganisms that are not known to cause disease in healthy human humans. In Biosafety Level 2 labs, containment devices, practices and procedures are designed to maximize safety for those working with moderate-risk agents. Biosafety Level 3 labs are suitable for work with infectious agents (e.g. WNV) which may cause serious or potentially lethal diseases as a result of exposure by inhalation.

As habitat loss continues, contact between wildlife and domestic animals and wildlife and humans will only increase, creating more favorable environments for disease transmission. Wildlife management specialists fill an important role, now and in the future, in understanding and making recommendations on how to prevent and control a multitude of diseases that threaten human health.

Links

Avian Influenza
Bovine Tuberculosis
Chronic Wasting Disease
Rabies Resources
West Nile Virus
Pseudorabies