Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are a taxonomically varied group of viruses that affect the health of many avian species, including the ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), a popular upland game bird whose numbers are in decline in portions of its range. Hunter-harvested ruffed grouse tissue samples were tested for arboviruses during the 2018-2022 hunting seasons in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, USA. A low percentage of harvested ruffed grouse were infected with West Nile virus (8/1892; 0.4%), eastern equine encephalitis virus (18/1892; 1.0%), and Highlands J virus (4/1892; 0.2%), and approximately half (16/30) of those infected had histologic cardiac lesions consistent with arboviral infection. Some ruffed grouse may be adversely affected following infection with these viruses, highlighting the need for increased awareness and continued surveillance, particularly in the face of additional stressors such as climate change, which may alter virus-vector-host dynamics, host susceptibility to arbovirus infections, and geographical distributions.

There have been unpublished reports of a follicular dysplastic syndrome in adult white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; WTD), known colloquially as "toothpaste hair disease." The current report aims to describe the gross and histologic lesions in skin samples from 2 adult WTDs that presented to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory with reports of hair loss in 2018. Both cases were grossly alopecic with sparing of the distal extremities and variably the head and neck. Histologic features included hair follicles and adnexa present in relatively normal numbers, dilated and misshapen follicles, and dysplastic hair bulbs. Hair follicles were empty, contained fragmented and irregular hair shafts, or contained concretions of keratin. Hair bulbs were rarely infiltrated by small lymphocytes, suggestive of alopecia areata as a cause of the gross appearance. This condition does not appear to be directly responsible for WTD mortality but presumably would predispose affected animals to greater environmental exposure. Evaluation of additional affected individuals is warranted to further evaluate for features of alopecia areata.

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) infects many avian species but has rarely been described in Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus). Between September and December 2019, 40 Ruffed Grouse, most in poor physical condition, were submitted to the Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (US) Departments of Natural Resources; eight were positive for EEEV.

We documented mortality of green frog ( Rana clamitans) tadpoles in Wisconsin, US, attributed to severe Perkinsea infection. Final diagnosis was determined by histopathology. followed by molecular detection of pathogenic Perkinsea clade (PPC) of frogs in the liver. To our knowledge, this represents the first detection of PPC in the midwestern US.

ABSTRACTWe developed models and provide computer code to make carcass recovery data more useful to wildlife managers. With these tools, wildlife managers can understand the spatial, temporal (e.g., across time periods, seasons), and demographic patterns in mortality causes from carcass recovery datasets. From datasets of radio‐collared and non‐collared carcasses, managers can calculate the detection bias by mortality cause in a non‐collared carcass dataset compared to a collared carcass dataset. As a first step, we provide a standard procedure to assign mortality causes to carcasses. We provide an example of these methods for radio‐collared wolves (n = 208) and non‐collared wolves (n = 668) found dead in Wisconsin (1979–2012). We analyzed differences in mortality cause relative to season, age and sex classes, wolf harvest zones, and recovery phase (1979–1995: initial recovery, 1996–2002: early growth, 2003–2012: late growth). Seasonally, illegal kills and natural deaths were proportionally higher in winter (Oct–Mar) than summer (Apr–Sep) for collared wolves, whereas vehicle strikes and legal kills were higher in summer than winter. Spatially, more illegally killed collared wolves occurred in eastern wolf harvest zones where wolves reestablished more slowly and in the central forest region where optimal habitat is isolated by agriculture. Natural mortalities of collared wolves (e.g., disease, intraspecific strife, or starvation) were highest in western wolf harvest zones where wolves established earlier and existed at higher densities. Calculating detection bias in the non‐collared dataset revealed that more than half of the non‐collared carcasses on the landscape are not found. The lowest detection probabilities for non‐collared carcasses (0.113–0.176) occurred in winter for natural, illegal, and unknown mortality causes. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

ABSTRACT Two adult and 1 juvenile free-flying greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) were diagnosed with capture myopathy after α-chloralose baiting and physical capture during a banding and feeding ecologic study. Blood samples were collected for serum biochemical analysis at the time of capture for the 2 adults, and at 24 hours postcapture, at various intervals during treatment, and at the time of release for all 3 birds. Concentrations of creatine kinase, aspartate transaminase, and lactate dehydrogenase were high within 1 hour of capture and peaked approximately 3 days after capture. By days 10–17 after capture, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase concentrations both decreased to within the reference range measured for cranes at capture, but aspartate transaminase concentrations remained 2–5 times higher than the measured reference range. Treatment consisted of corticosteroids, selenium/vitamin E, parenteral fluids, and gavage feedings. Physical therapy consisted of assisting the cranes to stand and walk 2–8 times a day, massaging leg muscles, and moving limbs manually through the range of motion. The adults were released when they were able to stand up independently and were pacing in the pen. The juvenile was released 12 hours after it was able to stand independently but was returned to the pen when it fell and could not rise. It was treated supportively for an additional 3 days and then successfully released. Both adult cranes were observed on their territories with their original mates after release and returned to their territories for the subsequent 8 years, raising chicks most years. After release, the juvenile was observed in a flock of cranes near its natal territory for the next 2 days.