An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States
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 diffic...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/1/48 |
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| author | 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 |
| author_facet | 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 |
| author_sort | Sabrina S. Greening |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-82ff9280248d472a90a580c600c27aff |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-82ff9280248d472a90a580c600c27aff2025-01-24T13:52:06ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812025-01-011214810.3390/vetsci12010048An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United StatesSabrina S. Greening0Julie C. Ellis1Nicole L. Lewis2David B. Needle3Cristina M. Tato4Susan Knowles5Valerie Shearn-Bochsler6Jaimie L. Miller7Daniel A Grear8Jeffrey M. Lorch9David S. Blehert10Caitlin Burrell11Lisa A. Murphy12Erica A. Miller13C. Brandon Ogbunugafor14Andrea J. Ayala15W. Kelley Thomas16Joseph L. Sevigny17Lawrence M. Gordon18Tessa Baillargeon19Lusajo Mwakibete20Megan Kirchgessner21Christine L. Casey22Ethan Barton23Michael J. Yabsley24Eman Anis25Roderick B. Gagne26Patrice Klein27Cindy Driscoll28Chelsea A. Sykes29Robert H. Poppenga30Nicole M. Nemeth31Department of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USADepartment of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USAOffice of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics, New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife, Hampton, NJ 08827, USANew Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USAChan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USAU.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USAU.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USAU.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USAU.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USAU.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USAU.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USASoutheastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USADepartment of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USADepartment of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USADepartment of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USAHubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USAHubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USAHubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USANew Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USAChan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USAVirginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USAKentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, KY 40601, USASoutheastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USASoutheastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USADepartment of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USADepartment of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USAU.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Research and Development, Landscape and Ecosystem Services Research, Washington, DC 20250, USAMaryland Department of Natural Resources, Oxford, MD 21654, USACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratories, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USACalifornia Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratories, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USASoutheastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USAThe 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/1/48songbirdpasserinesmass mortalitywildlife investigationconjunctivitisdiagnostic evaluation |
| spellingShingle | 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 An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States Veterinary Sciences songbird passerines mass mortality wildlife investigation conjunctivitis diagnostic evaluation |
| title | An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States |
| title_full | An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States |
| title_fullStr | An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States |
| title_short | An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States |
| title_sort | enigmatic wild passerine mortality event in the eastern united states |
| topic | songbird passerines mass mortality wildlife investigation conjunctivitis diagnostic evaluation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12/1/48 |
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