Veterinary Sciences (Jan 2025)
An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States
- Sabrina S. Greening,
- Julie C. Ellis,
- Nicole L. Lewis,
- David B. Needle,
- Cristina M. Tato,
- Susan Knowles,
- Valerie Shearn-Bochsler,
- Jaimie L. Miller,
- Daniel A Grear,
- Jeffrey M. Lorch,
- David S. Blehert,
- Caitlin Burrell,
- Lisa A. Murphy,
- Erica A. Miller,
- C. Brandon Ogbunugafor,
- Andrea J. Ayala,
- W. Kelley Thomas,
- Joseph L. Sevigny,
- Lawrence M. Gordon,
- Tessa Baillargeon,
- Lusajo Mwakibete,
- Megan Kirchgessner,
- Christine L. Casey,
- Ethan Barton,
- Michael J. Yabsley,
- Eman Anis,
- Roderick B. Gagne,
- Patrice Klein,
- Cindy Driscoll,
- Chelsea A. Sykes,
- Robert H. Poppenga,
- Nicole M. Nemeth
Affiliations
- Sabrina S. Greening
- Department of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA
- Julie C. Ellis
- Department of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA
- Nicole L. Lewis
- Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics, New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife, Hampton, NJ 08827, USA
- David B. Needle
- New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
- Cristina M. Tato
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Susan Knowles
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
- Valerie Shearn-Bochsler
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
- Jaimie L. Miller
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
- Daniel A Grear
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
- Jeffrey M. Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
- David S. Blehert
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
- Caitlin Burrell
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Lisa A. Murphy
- Department of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA
- Erica A. Miller
- Department of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA
- C. Brandon Ogbunugafor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Andrea J. Ayala
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
- W. Kelley Thomas
- Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
- Joseph L. Sevigny
- Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
- Lawrence M. Gordon
- Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
- Tessa Baillargeon
- New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
- Lusajo Mwakibete
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Megan Kirchgessner
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
- Christine L. Casey
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, KY 40601, USA
- Ethan Barton
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Michael J. Yabsley
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Eman Anis
- Department of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA
- Roderick B. Gagne
- Department of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA
- Patrice Klein
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Research and Development, Landscape and Ecosystem Services Research, Washington, DC 20250, USA
- Cindy Driscoll
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Oxford, MD 21654, USA
- Chelsea A. Sykes
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratories, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Robert H. Poppenga
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratories, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Nicole M. Nemeth
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12010048
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 12,
no. 1
p. 48
Abstract
The ability to rapidly respond to wildlife health events is essential. However, such events are often unpredictable, especially with anthropogenic disturbances and climate-related environmental changes driving unforeseen threats. Many events also are short-lived and go undocumented, making it difficult to draw on lessons learned from past investigations. We report on the response to a mortality event observed predominantly in wild passerines in the eastern United States. The event began in May 2021 when wildlife rehabilitators and private citizens reported large numbers of sick and dead juvenile birds, mostly presenting as single cases with neurologic signs and/or ocular and periocular lesions. Early efforts by rehabilitators, veterinarians, state and federal wildlife agencies, and universities helped gather public reports and fuel rapid responses by government agencies. Collective efforts included live bird and carcass collections; submission to diagnostic laboratories and evaluation; information sharing; and coordinated messaging to stakeholders and interested parties. Extensive diagnostic evaluations failed to identify a causative pathogen or other etiology, although congruent results across laboratories have helped drive further investigation into alternative causes, such as nutritional deficiencies. This report highlights the strengths of a multi-agency, interdisciplinary investigation while exposing the need for an operational framework with approaches and resources dedicated to wildlife health.
Keywords
