67th Annual International Wildlife Disease Association Conference August 5-10, 2018 St. Augustine, Florida, USA www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/wda2018 August 5 - 10, 2018 | St. Augustine, FL, USA Table of Contents Organizing Committee ..........................................................4 Welcome Letter .....................................................................5 Sponsor Recognition .............................................................6 List of Sponsors and Supporting Organizations ..................7 Abstract Compilation ............................................................9 Author Index ......................................................................257 Notes ..................................................................................265 3 67th Annual International Wildlife Disease Association Conference Organizing Committee Dr. Mark Cunningham, DVM, MS, DACVPM Veterinarian Manager Wildlife Research Laboratory Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Gainesville, Florida, USA Dr. Samantha E. J. Gibbs, DVM, PhD Wildlife Veterinarian Wildlife Health Office Natural Resource Program Center National Wildlife Refuge System U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chiefland, Florida, USA Dr. Lisa Shender, MS, DVM, PhD OPS Veterinarian II Wildlife Research Laboratory Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Gainesville, Florida, USA Dr. Thomas B. Waltzek, MS, DVM, PhD Associate Professor Infectious Diseases and Immunology UF College of Veterinary Medicine Gainesville, Florida, USA Dr. Samantha M. Wisely, PhD Associate Professor UF/IFAS Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Gainesville, Florida, USA 4 August 5 - 10, 2018 | St. Augustine, FL, USA Welcome Letter Dear Attendees, Welcome to St. Augustine, the First Coast of Florida, home of the oldest colonial city in the United States, and venue for the 67th International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association. We have a wonderful scientific program that includes workshops, special sessions and a symposium. In addition to the amazing science that you will see showcased, we have planned plenty of time for networking, reconnecting with old friends and making new friends. The Wednesday afternoon break offers you the opportunity to enjoy the sites of northern Florida on your own or on one of the scheduled field trips. The theme for this year’s conference is “Connecting Wildlife Health, Conservation, and Management in a Changing World.” The theme was inspired by the Florida Interagency Wildlife Disease Working Group, an informal assembly of wildlife veterinarians, ecologists, disease biologists, and epidemiologists from state and federal agencies and academia, which meets quarterly to discuss pressing issues in wildlife diseases in our state. The individuals that comprise this group have different goals and varied perspectives on wildlife populations and the diseases that they carry, yet the working group provides a professional milieu in which people can connect. They ultimately came up with the crazy idea that they could host a conference! This meeting would not have been possible without the time and contributions of many institutions and people. The organizing committee is grateful to our platinum sponsors, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Cervid Health Research Initiative and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as well as to our many other sponsors who helped keep conference registration costs down. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, UF Department of Wildlife Ecology, UF College of Veterinary Medicine, UF student chapter of the WDA, UF/IFAS Office of Conferences and Institutes and others have contributed time and effort to making this conference a reality. We thank all of the professionals and students who have volunteered their time before, during and after this conference to make the workshops, field trips, auction, photo contest, mentor event and symposium possible. We have over 350 registered attendees from 27 countries and 44 US states. We have 104 oral presentations and 124 posters including our student showcase on Tuesday. Our scientific program has special sessions on outbreak investigations and response, global wildlife health capacities, marine health and emerging diseases of herpetofauna, just to name a few. Our workshops include vampire bat management, diagnostic sample handling and processing, and crocodilian health. On our final day, we have a Cervidae Health Science Symposium focused on farmed deer health. Please take advantage of these innovative science opportunities, and be sure to get out and explore the gorgeous surroundings of St. Augustine, Florida, USA! Enjoy the conference and have a wonderful time in Florida! Your Organizing Committee: Mark Cunningham, Samantha Gibbs, Lisa Shender, Thomas Waltzek, and Samantha Wisely 5 67th Annual International Wildlife Disease Association Conference Sponsor Recognition Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsors Special Event Sponsors Contributing Sponsors www.UncalmLifestyle.com www.UncalmLifestyle.com 6 August 5 - 10, 2018 | St. Augustine, FL, USA List of Sponsors & Supporting Organizations Thank you to our sponsors! Without their generous support, this conference would not be possible. American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians (AAWV) American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) Cypress Creek Farms, LLC EcoHealth Alliance Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Georgia Aquarium Global Ranavirus Consortium, Inc. Government of Northwest Territories Michigan Department of Natural Resources Morris Animal Foundation Northwest ZooPath Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Safe-Capture International, Inc. San Diego Zoo Global South Florida Wildlife Center Turner Enterprises, Inc. University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI) University of Florida IFAS Extension Cervidae Health Research Initiative (CHeRI) Uncalm Lifestyle United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services (USDA) United States Geological Survey (USGS) Utah Department of Natural Resources White Oak Conservation Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Zoetis ZooTampa at Lowry Park 7 August 5 - 10, 2018 | St. Augustine, FL, USA Abstract Compilation Listed alphabetically by presenting author last name. Presenting author names appear in bold. 9 August 5 - 10, 2018 | St. Augustine, FL, USA MODELING APPROACHES FOR PROMOTING HEALTH IN FREE‐LIVING ORNATE BOX TURTLES (TERRAPENE ORNATA ORNATA) Matthew C. Allender1, Laura Adamovicz1, Sarah Baker2, Ethan Kessler2, Marta Kelly1, Samantha Johnson1, Michael Dreslik2, Christopher A. Phillips2 1Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA 2Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, Champaign, IL, USA Modeling is a powerful tool for extracting information from complex systems. It is frequently used to target mitigation efforts for wildlife diseases. However, controlling disease is challenging and strategies, which focus on supporting robust population health instead, may improve conservation outcomes. The objective of this study was to model predictors of health in free‐living ornate box turtles (Terrapene ornata ornata) and identify factors, which support positive health status. We hypothesized that physical examination (PE) abnormalities and protein electrophoresis (EPH) values would best predict poor health. Turtles (N=168) from an Illinois prairie restoration site were evaluated using PE, hematology, plasma biochemistry, EPH, and hemoglobin‐binding protein in May 2016 and 2017. DNA from oral/cloacal swabs and blood was assayed for four ranaviruses, three Mycoplasma spp., three herpesviruses, two Salmonella spp., Terrapene adenovirus, intranuclear coccidiosis, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum using qPCR. Health was modeled as a categorical outcome using structural equation modeling and Bayesian network modeling, followed by information‐theoretic model ranking. “Healthy” turtles had 1) no significant PE abnormalities, 2) no pathogens affecting clinical condition, and 3) fewer than three abnormal bloodwork values. Turtles violating these criteria were classified as “Unhealthy”. Many turtles examined (51‐59%) had shell damage from suspected predator trauma. Pathogen detection (adenovirus, Terrapene herpesvirus 1) was not related to health status. Predictors of “Unhealthy” classification from the most parsimonious model included the presence of shell abnormalities and deviations from population median values for total leukocyte count, eosinophils, basophils, and heterophil:lymphocyte ratios (p<0.05). Modeling demonstrated that PE and hematology sufficiently predict health within this population, and that commonly‐identified pathogens do not significantly impact individual health. Mesopredator control was recommended to support overall population wellness. This study reveals the feasibility of modeling health in wildlife and illustrates its use for identifying clinically useful diagnostic tests and informing practical conservation interventions. Presenter Bio: Laura received her DVM from the Virginia‐Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. She completed internships in companion and exotic animal medicine before starting a PhD in epidemiology in 2015.