The Northeast Wildlife Disease Cooperative

The Northeast U.S. is particularly vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases that affect animals and humans because of its dense urban populations and the presence of major ports like Boston and New York, where human and... [ view full abstract ]

The Northeast U.S. is particularly vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases that affect animals and humans because of its dense urban populations and the presence of major ports like Boston and New York, where human and animal travelers pour into the region. Several diseases of significance to wildlife conservation and human health have emerged in the Northeast, including West Nile Virus, Lyme Disease, and White-Nose Syndrome. Until recently, the Northeast did not have a coordinated, regional wildlife health program. To address this gap, we established the Northeast Wildlife Disease Cooperative (NWDC), a consortium of wildlife health experts centered around 7 veterinary diagnostic laboratories located in the Northeast. The first two NWDC members joined in 2013 and, since then, our membership has grown to a total of 8 state wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region. The mission of the NWDC is to bring together regional stakeholders to promote a safe and sustainable environment for wildlife and humans. To this end, we: (1) detects health threats through diagnostics; (2) maintain an regional archive of wildlife disease reports in a centralized web-based database; (3) train and advise members on a variety of wildlife health topics; (4) support regional research projects; and, (5) promote situational awareness through timely reporting and communications. Through the cooperative structure of the NWDC, multiple institutions contribute their respective skills and knowledge, and agencies pool their resources to support a cost-effective and efficient means of addressing wildlife health issues in the region.