Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre
The CCWHC is a cooperative effort at all 5 Canadian Veterinary Colleges. Our purpose is to apply the veterinary medical sciences to wildlife conservation and management in Canada through the acquisition of knowledge of wildlife health and disease, via continuous disease surveillance in free-ranging populations. CCWHC coordinates Canada’s National Wildlife Health Surveillance Program and provides educational programs, information, and consultation to government agencies and the public.
The CCWHC, Atlantic Region, serves the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s based within the Atlantic Veterinary College, in PEI and headed by Dr Pierre-Yves Daoust.
Residency Training and MVSc in Wildlife Pathology
CCWHC Atlantic is offering a training program in pathology, with a specific wildlife emphasis, at the Atlantic Veterinay College. For more information or to apply, click here…
CCWHC member contributes to Charlottetown’s Sustainability Plan
Fiep deBie, wildlife technician with the CCWHC and member of the Island Nature Trust board, attended the stakeholders’ meetings dealing with the City’s Sustainability Plan. Read more…
Ranavirus outbreak in New Brunswick during the summer 2009
Outbreaks of ranavirus infection were recorded near Oromocto, New Brunswick, beginning in early June 2009. Read more…
ASFWB, 46th meeting, New Brunswick, 2009.
Dr Scott McBurney and Dr María Forzán, wildlife pathologists from the CCWHC, attended the latest annual meeting of the Atlantic Society of Fish and Wildlife Biologists (ASFWB).
Dr McBurney reported on antler deformities and their potential implications for the recovery of the endangered mainland moose population of Nova Scotia. Dr McBurney has been documenting the causes of death and health status of the mainland moose for the last 10 years; he is part of the team of scientists participating in the Endangered Mainland Moose Recovery Team, established by the Nova Scotia government in 2003.
Dr Forzán reported on the results of the survey of frogs on PEI conducted this past summer. The survey found that frogs on PEI carry the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a fungus that has been responsible for amphibian declines and extinctions throughout the world. Dr Forzán is part of the Amphibian Health Research Network (AHRN), recently established as a joint effort between CCWHC and the UPEI Biology Department.
Pilot Whales Stranding, Magdalen Islands, QC, Oct 12 2009
Members of the CCWHC headed out to the Magdalen Islands to examine a group of 8 pilot whales, Globicephala melas, that had stranded on Oct 12, 2009. The CCWHC team consisted of a collaborative effort between the Québec and Atlantic Regions. Dr Guylaine Séguin and Dr Sylvain Larrat (Québec), along with Dr María Forzán (Atlantic), conducted the necropsy of 3 of the whales, 2 were males and 1 was a pregnant female. The other 5 whales were inaccessible. No significant pathologic findings were present. This is common in cases of multiple whale strandings, which are more associated with strong winds and stormy conditions than with poor health of the individuals involved. The location and individual information of all 8 whales will be added to the Marine Mammal database of the CCWHC, which contains information from the Atlantic region dating back to 1992.
Endangered Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle found in Nova Scotia
A Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle was found alive in Morden, NS (at the shore of the Bay of Fundy) on September 30, 2009. The turtle received veterinary care, but unfortunately died October 2nd and was submitted to the CCWHC. Read more….
Bird enthusiasts with bird feeders in their property can help us assess the health status of “garden birds” in the Atlantic provinces by filling out this online questionnaire (just 10 min. to complete).
Amphibian Health Research - 2009 SURVEY RESULTS
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