Wildlife Diseases
Common Name
Type
Pathogen
Principal Targets
(Hosts)
Avian Cholera
Bacterial
Pasteurella multocida
Most birds, especially
waterfowl
Tularemia
Bacterial
Francisella tularensis
Brucellosis
Bacterial
Brucella spp.
Mammals, especially
rodents and
lagomorphs
Mammals, especially
large ungulates such
as bison and elk
Sylvatic Plague
Bacterial
Yersinia pestis
Mammals, especially
rodents
Duck Virus Enteritis
(Duck Plague)
Viral
Herpesvirus
Waterfowl
Aspergillosis
Fungal
Aspergillus fumigatus
Botulism
Bacterial
Clostridium botulinum
Mammals and many
birds, including quail,
grouse, pheasants,
and waterfowl
Birds, particularly
waterfowl
Leptospirosis
Bacterial
Leptospira interrogans
Anthrax
Bacterial
Baccillus anthracis
West Nile Virus
Viral
Flavivirus
Mammals, including
skunks, raccoons,
foxes, opposums, and
white-tailed deer
Herbivorous animals,
particularly ruminants
such as white taileddeer, mule deer, and
moose
Birds, horses, some
primates and small
mammals such as
chipmunks and
squirrels
Characteristics
Poor coordination; hemorrhages on pericardium
(membrane surrounding heart); necrotic foci (areas of
dead cells/tissue) on liver
Lethargic or spasmodic behavior; swollen lymph nodes;
necrotic foci on liver and spleen; occasional death; can
be life threatening to people
Lameness from infected joints; scrotal enlargement in
males; uterine thickening and edema in pregnant
females; aborted fetuses; stunted or weakened calves;
little adult mortality
Locally chronic; enlarged spleen; hemorrhagic nodules
in lymph system; necrotic foci on liver, spleen, or lungs;
death with 3-5 days when virulent
Bloody feces, cloaca, and nares; slow movements and
reduced wariness; internal hemorrhaging and lesions,
especially on intestines; characteristic scab-covered
ulceration in mouth under tongue; convulsions followed
by rapid mortality
Respiratory distress and gasping; emaciation; plaques
resembling bread mold in bronchi, lungs, and air sacs;
variable mortality
Muscle paralysis and inability to fly or walk; “limberneck”
due to paralysis of neck muscles; paralysis of inner
eyelid
Asymptomatic; chronically infected individuals may have
kidney damage detectable microscopically
Fever; weakness; difficulty breathing; blood loss from
body openings; septicemic disease causing
hemorrhaging and edema in many parts of the body;
bloody engorgement of spleen; lymph nodes swollen
and bloody; rapid mortality
Depression; weight loss; neurological signs such as
abnormal posture of the head or neck, incoordination,
inability to stand, tremors, circling, disorientation,
impaired vision, and weakness (on one or both sides of
the body); lack of awareness
Common Name
Type
Pathogen
Principal Targets
(Hosts)
Lyme Disease
Bacterial
Borrelia burgdorferi
White-tailed deer,
reptiles, rodents
Rabies
Viral
Rhabdovirus
Mammals, particularly
carnivores and
omnivores such as
skunks, raccoons,
foxes, and bats
Distemper
Viral
Paramyxovirus
Carnivores and
omnivores such as
wolves, coyotes, foxes,
bobcats, raccoons,
and skunks
Avian Pox
Viral
Pox
Birds
Salmonella
Bacterial
Salmonella spp.
Birds
Tuberculosis
Bacterial
Mycobacterium bovis
Ungulates such as
white-tailed deer and
elk
Hemorrhagic
Disease
Viral
Epizootic
heamorrhagic or bluetongue viruses
Ruminants such as
white-tailed deer, mule
deer, black-tailed deer,
bighorn sheep, and
pronghorn antelope.
Chronic Wasting
Disease
Transmissible
spongiform
encephalopathy
Thought to be
associated with a prion
(self-replicating
protein)
Deer, elk, and moose
Characteristics
Few signs or effects in wildlife; Painful joints and
lameness; fever; behavioral changes; neurological
problems, and possible death if not treated in humans.
Two forms, “dumb” rabies and “furious” rabies; “dumb”
rabies characterized by aimless wandering, lethargy,
incoordination, weakness in hind legs, and loss of
awareness; “furious” rabies characterized by vicious
attacks and self-mutilations; both forms result in
convulsions, coma, and death
Respiratory and intestinal problems such as coughing,
diarrhea, vomiting, nasal and ocular discharge,
anorexia; abnormal behavior and apparent lack of fear;
neurological disturbances such as aggressiveness,
disorientation, lack of alertness, convulsive movements
of the head and feet, and aimless wandering;
dehydration and excessive thirst; enlarged spleen
Vision problems; respiratory distress; emaciation or
weakness; lesions on unfeathered areas of the head
and legs, oral cavity, and upper respiratory tract
Ruffled feathers; droopiness; diarrhea; severe lethargy;
emaciation; seizures and convulsions; swollen liver,
plaques on liver and in body cavity; swollen nodules
sometimes present in esophagus
Emaciation: depression: Intolerance of movement and
debilitation; coughing, nasal discharges, and difficulty
breathing; development of large abscesses in the lymph
nodes of the neck; necrotic foci and/or pus-filled nodules
associated with the lymph nodes of the head and neck
or the lungs
Depression; fever; respiratory distress; lameness;
emaciation; edema and swelling of head, neck, tongue,
conjunctiva, and lungs; hemorrhages or congestion in
heart, rumen, and intestines; necrosis or ulceration on
dental pad, tongue, palate, rumen, omasum; growth
interruptions and sloughing of hoof walls; death.
Progressive weight loss; changes in temperament
including loss of fear of humans, nervousness, and
hyperactivity; changes in behavior such as teeth
grinding and walking in repetitive patterns;
incoordination; excessive thirst and urination;
dehydration; drooping of the head and ears; excessive
salivation; brain lesions and death.