Nasal bots are the larvae of the bot fly (Cephenemyia sp.) and are common parasites that are found in the nasal passages of deer. TRANSMISSION Adult female flies deposit eggs in the nostrils of the deer. The eggs hatch into larvae and then…
Liver flukes (Fascioloides magna) are flatworm parasites that may be found in the liver of some deer. Adult flukes are purple-gray in color, flat and oval-shaped. The flukes vary in size from 1.5-3 cm wide to 3-10 cm long. They may look like leeches…
Fibromas are firm, nodular, fleshy masses attached to the skin. They are commonly described as warts. Fibromas vary in size from less than one inch to more than four inches in diameter, and they can be found anywhere on the deer's body, but are most…
Corn toxicity refers to two diseases, acidosis (grain overload) and enterotoxemia (overeating disease). Both diseases can cause death in any ruminant, including white-tailed deer and elk, even those in good body condition. While these diseases can…
Conjunctivitis is a medical term to describe inflammation of the membrane that covers the front of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelids. The disease in wild birds was first identified in 1994 when house finches in Washington D.C. were…
Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans or “Bsal”) was first identified in 2013 in Belgium and the Netherlands. Bsal impacts a variety of salamander species (as well as some frog species) and can result in mass mortality…
Chytridiomycosis or chytrid fungus is an emerging infectious disease of amphibians (both frogs and salamanders) and has been noted as the most devastating infectious wildlife disease recorded and a global threat to amphibian populations. Chytrid is…
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal nervous system disease affecting deer, elk, moose and caribou/reindeer. CWD belongs to a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) thought to be caused by prions. The prions…
Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that causes enteritis, which is inflammation of the intestines. The virus affects both wild canids, such as wolves and coyotes, and domestic dogs. Raccoons do not develop clinical diseases when…
Canine distemper is caused by a virus that affects and is easily transmitted between, raccoons, mammals in the canine family (fox, coyote, wolf, domestic dog) and the mustelid family (for example skunk, badger, otter, mink). It is common in…