Below are the USGS 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) research projects related to COVID-19 pathways and wildlife dynamics. Select tabs above for related items.
Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC)
The emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a complex multi-host disease system that threatens human health, captive animal health, and wildlife conservation. Decision makers need support to evaluate the risk of zoonotic transmission and potential mitigation measures. We will characterize cross-species SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk and human disease risk, evaluate potential interventions that may be effective at reducing this risk, and develop decision support tools to guide the selection of interventions.
To help address the growing need of partners to receive decision making support from USGS, we developed a team, known as Disease Decision Analysis and Research (DDAR), that will integrate disease ecology, decision analysis, and quantitative methods to allow it to deliver decision-relevant science and support to federal, tribal, and state management agencies on topics of zoonotic diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic provided insight into how to study and respond to an emerging disease in this framework and given the threat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) poses to wildlife and agriculture in the United States, the lessons learned from COVID-19 could be leveraged to address management of HPAI.
Recent evidence suggests that incidence of human infections with pathogens transmitted by blacklegged ticks are increasing but the level of risk and optimal approaches to managing these zoonoses have not been well studied. This project will assess the distributions and risk levels associated with these pathogens and use modeling and current decision science to develop management approaches and priorities to deal with these potentially emerging tick-borne zoonoses.
More on this work here: Decision Science Support for SARS-CoV-2 Risk to North American Bats
Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
Since the initial outbreak, SARS-CoV-2 has spread world-wide infecting over 500M people that has resulted in over 6M deaths. To slow and track the pandemic, it is critical to develop effective detection systems to contain infected individuals as quickly as they emerge. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 can infect and cause disease in not only humans but wildlife as well. Diagnostic tools utilize antibodies for the detection of the protein(s) of the pathogen that is being identified. Previous studies at WFRC have identified that humoral antibodies produced by lampreys and hagfishes can be utilized for this purpose. CARES funds are being applied to develop SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies from (lampribodies) as diagnostic tools for assessing the presence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 within humans and wildlife. At the same time WFRC utilizes a high throughput genomics approach for predicting host species susceptibility based upon the presence and/or absence of specific immune genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms involved in virus recognition. Importantly, the two approaches have wide applications for wildlife managers (e.g., USFWS) for assessing the spread and risk of SARS-CoV-2.
Previous work in preparation for the CARES Act:
Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK)
The recent rapid growth of visitation at national parks has raised renewed concerns about the continued ability of the National Park Service (NPS) to meet its dual mandate of conservation and public engagement. Recent work is showing negative impacts of human recreation on an array of species. COVID restrictions on public and employee access to national parks provided a natural experiment to better understand the impacts of humans on wildlife in national parks (Isle Royale, Zion, Mojave, Yellowstone, Glacier, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Glenn Canyon, Grand Teton, Sequoia Kings Canyon, Santa Monica Mtns., Yukon-Charley, Voyagers, Organ Pipe Cactus, and Lassen). NOROCK scientists are working across all 14 national parks to track the movement of nine mammal species (wolves, pronghorn, elk, red fox, cougars, grizzly bears, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, moose, and mule deer) before and after pandemic-related lockdowns to help develop a human footprint index across these parks.
The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area provides support for the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) at EMA science centers across the nation. For ore visit our Animal Welfare Assurance website.
Disease Decision Analysis and Research
Decision Science Support for SARS-CoV-2 Risk to North American Bats
Below are the USGS 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) research projects related to COVID-19 pathways and wildlife dynamics. Select tabs above for related items.
Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC)
The emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a complex multi-host disease system that threatens human health, captive animal health, and wildlife conservation. Decision makers need support to evaluate the risk of zoonotic transmission and potential mitigation measures. We will characterize cross-species SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk and human disease risk, evaluate potential interventions that may be effective at reducing this risk, and develop decision support tools to guide the selection of interventions.
To help address the growing need of partners to receive decision making support from USGS, we developed a team, known as Disease Decision Analysis and Research (DDAR), that will integrate disease ecology, decision analysis, and quantitative methods to allow it to deliver decision-relevant science and support to federal, tribal, and state management agencies on topics of zoonotic diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic provided insight into how to study and respond to an emerging disease in this framework and given the threat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) poses to wildlife and agriculture in the United States, the lessons learned from COVID-19 could be leveraged to address management of HPAI.
Recent evidence suggests that incidence of human infections with pathogens transmitted by blacklegged ticks are increasing but the level of risk and optimal approaches to managing these zoonoses have not been well studied. This project will assess the distributions and risk levels associated with these pathogens and use modeling and current decision science to develop management approaches and priorities to deal with these potentially emerging tick-borne zoonoses.
More on this work here: Decision Science Support for SARS-CoV-2 Risk to North American Bats
Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC)
Since the initial outbreak, SARS-CoV-2 has spread world-wide infecting over 500M people that has resulted in over 6M deaths. To slow and track the pandemic, it is critical to develop effective detection systems to contain infected individuals as quickly as they emerge. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 can infect and cause disease in not only humans but wildlife as well. Diagnostic tools utilize antibodies for the detection of the protein(s) of the pathogen that is being identified. Previous studies at WFRC have identified that humoral antibodies produced by lampreys and hagfishes can be utilized for this purpose. CARES funds are being applied to develop SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies from (lampribodies) as diagnostic tools for assessing the presence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 within humans and wildlife. At the same time WFRC utilizes a high throughput genomics approach for predicting host species susceptibility based upon the presence and/or absence of specific immune genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms involved in virus recognition. Importantly, the two approaches have wide applications for wildlife managers (e.g., USFWS) for assessing the spread and risk of SARS-CoV-2.
Previous work in preparation for the CARES Act:
Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK)
The recent rapid growth of visitation at national parks has raised renewed concerns about the continued ability of the National Park Service (NPS) to meet its dual mandate of conservation and public engagement. Recent work is showing negative impacts of human recreation on an array of species. COVID restrictions on public and employee access to national parks provided a natural experiment to better understand the impacts of humans on wildlife in national parks (Isle Royale, Zion, Mojave, Yellowstone, Glacier, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Glenn Canyon, Grand Teton, Sequoia Kings Canyon, Santa Monica Mtns., Yukon-Charley, Voyagers, Organ Pipe Cactus, and Lassen). NOROCK scientists are working across all 14 national parks to track the movement of nine mammal species (wolves, pronghorn, elk, red fox, cougars, grizzly bears, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, moose, and mule deer) before and after pandemic-related lockdowns to help develop a human footprint index across these parks.
The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area provides support for the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) at EMA science centers across the nation. For ore visit our Animal Welfare Assurance website.