Journal of wildlife diseases

01 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-25-00083

OCCURRENCE OF TRICHOMONAS GALLINAE IN THE EUROPEAN TURTLE DOVE (STREPTOPELIA TURTUR) ALONG ITS WESTERN MIGRATORY ROUTE

Open DOI

Carmen L. Garreta-Celemín, Oscar Cabezón, María Puig Ribas et al.

Trichomonas gallinae is a globally distributed parasite, commonly infecting columbiform species, with the potential to limit population growth. Concerns have arisen regarding its impact across Europe on the declining European Turtle Dove...

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02 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-26-00002

EFFECTS OF EDAPHIC FACTORS ON PLAGUE VECTOR FLEAS PARASITIZING BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS

Open DOI

David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins, Dustin H. Long et al.

Plague is a zoonotic disease of mammals caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Because plague is primarily transmitted by fleas (Siphonaptera), rates of plague transmission are expected to increase with flea abundance. Edaphic factors ...

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03 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-25-00150

Detection of Rickettsia hoogstraalii and Rickettsia lusitaniae in Argas (persicargas) ricei Ticks Infesting California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus)

Open DOI

Julia Gonzalez, Lisa Auckland, Sara A. Neumann et al.

The California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is the largest North American land bird and an endangered species. In September 2024, the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge reported a heavy soft tick infestation on three juvenile cond...

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04 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-25-00104

Pathogen Surveillance in Free-Ranging Giant Otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) in Three Ecoregions of Brazil

Open DOI

Mariana M. Furtado, Grazielle Soresini, Anah T. A. Jácomo et al.

The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is the largest river otter in the world and globally classified as endangered. Little information is available regarding pathogen exposure in this species due to low densities and the challenges a...

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05 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-25-00119

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF FECAL VOLUME ON DETECTION DOG RESPONSES TO CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE TRAINING AIDS

Open DOI

Amritha Mallikarjun, Clara Wilson, Ila Charendoff et al.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease in cervids. Because prions persist in the environment, early detection is essential for containment. Trained detection dogs have shown promise as a noninvasive surveillance method th...

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06 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-25-00059

VIRUSES AND PARASITES IN SWAMP RABBITS (SYLVILAGUS AQUATICUS): A BASELINE SURVEY TO AID CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Open DOI

Leah A. Owens, Leah K. Berkman, Brent S. Pease et al.

Technical advancements have enabled the discovery of potential pathogens in an ever-broadening range of wildlife taxa. To further the scope of this body of knowledge and to inform conservation efforts, we examined potential disease agent...

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07 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-25-00156

Surveillance of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola in Snakes, Primarily Eastern Wormsnakes (Carphophis amoenus), in Central Virginia, USA, Based on Swab and Tissue Sampling

Open DOI

Rachel M. Goodman, R. Paul Mahaffy, Henry R. Carman et al.

Ophidiomycosis, or snake fungal disease, caused by the pathogen Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, poses a growing threat to wild snake populations in North America. We surveyed snake populations in central Virginia, USA in 2021–22; no clinical s...

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08 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-26-00006

Fipronil Baits as Emerging Tools for Flea Control and Plague Mitigation: Experiments with Cricetid Mice on Prairie Dog Colonies

Open DOI

David A. Eads, Travis M. Livieri, Marc R. Matchett et al.

Plague is a zoonotic disease of mammalian hosts and flea vectors. Wildlife biologists most commonly mitigate plague by controlling flea populations. We evaluated the efficacy of edible baits for systemic flea control with two cricetid sp...

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09 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-25-00057

Ectopic Parasitism of Pegosomum bubulcum in an Eastern Great Egret (Ardea alba modesta)

Open DOI

Byungkwan Oh, Bae-Keun Park, Myeongsu Kim et al.

Multiple trematodes identified as Pegosomum bubulcum, a species that typically inhabits avian bile ducts, were found in ectopic locations, including the liver surface, coelomic cavity, and lungs of an Eastern Great Egret (Ardea alba mode...

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10 1 July 2026

DOI 10.7589/jwd-d-25-00093

Domestic Spillover of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae with Concurrent Bluetongue Virus Implicated in Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) Epizootic Pneumonia Outbreak in Badlands, South Dakota, USA

Open DOI

Treana C. Mayer, Terry Spraker, Paul Roghair et al.

Respiratory disease remains an important threat to bighorn sheep (BHS; Ovis canadensis), complicated by fragmented populations and environmental stressors. Significantly, BHS epizootic pneumonia can lead to all-age die-offs and is popula...

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