Statement of the OIE Wildlife Working Group, April 2020 Wildlife Trade and Emerging Zoonotic Diseases

USDA statement on the confirmation of COVID-19 in a tiger in New York

SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in a Malayan Tiger at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo – summary from Dr. Paul Calle Chief veterinarian

COVID-19 - an update for WSAVA members – April 3, 2020

COVID-19: Experimental infection of fruit bats, ferrets, pigs and chicken with SARS-CoV-2 at Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut 

Student Chapter Grants

The student Activities committee (SAC) awards the Student Chapter Grants in order to facilitate student involvement in the activities of their local chapter and therefore the worldwide development of the Wildlife Disease Association. Student chapters are locally engaged in the organization of activities (lectures, workshops, field trips etc.) related to wildlife health. To help support these activities and the promotion of new chapters, the SAC annually offers TWO different grant amounts. For more information about the following grants click HERE.

2020 WDA Student Chapter Grants

SEED GRANTS
The purpose of this grant is to help smaller student chapters and stimulate smaller educational events.
Applications will be accepted from:
October 1st until October 31st: Result notification on November 15, 2020
There will be a maximum of 2 winners for each application period and each winner can receive $500/winner.

BLOSSOM GRANTS
This grant was created to help student chapters in the organization of larger events.
Applications deadline April 30th:  Result notification on May 15.
There will be a maximum of 2 winners and each winner can receive $1000/winner.

Dear WDA Members and Colleagues,

Southern and eastern Australia is currently experiencing an unprecedented and catastrophic bushfire season in which approximately 6 million hectares has burnt (this is equivalent in size to almost the entirety of Ireland, Sri Lanka or West Virginia). In addition to the homes and human lives lost, it is estimated that considerably in excess of 500 million wild animals (not including invertebrates) have perished. The existence of a number of species, such as the Kangaroo Island Dunnart, will likely be imperilled by these fires. Increased intensity and severity of bushfires in southeastern Australia as a direct consequence of climate change has been predicted by numerous scientific reports for more than a decade.  

WDA members have been heavily involved in this crisis, responding to the needs of government agencies and the public and carrying out triage and treatment of injured wildlife. Your donation will be directly and in its entirety used by WDA Australasia to provide funds to our members and partner organisations involved in the emergency response, and will be used to ensure the best outcomes for the welfare and conservation of wildlife in bushfire affected areas. We are enormously grateful for the support of our international friends and colleagues during this disaster. 

Donations may be made online via the WDA website HERE, or by calling the WDA Business Office at 785-865-9404. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact wda@allenpress.com.  

Sincerely, 

Carlos das Neves, WDA President
Andrew Peters, WDA Vice President

Update: 2020 Annual International Conference

Dear WDA colleagues,

We hope that you and your families are remaining safe and healthy during this pandemic.

Due to the evolution of the COVID-19 virus and the absence of a vaccine, the current predictions from the medical community is that the pandemic will continue into the summer and there will be continued restrictions on large gatherings and travel.

Under these circumstances, the organizing committee of the 69th WDA / 14th EWDA Joint Conference has reached the consensus of postponing the meeting until a future date when we are able to hold this important scientific event without restrictions.

Several alternative dates are currently under discussion and the WDA Council will issue a decision following their upcoming meeting in May.

If you have already registered, the Conference secretary will be in contact with you by email for reimbursement.

We look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful city of Cuenca in the coming years.

Best wishes,
The Organizing Committee

For more than 60 years Wildlife Disease Association has published what is now called One Health research, facilitated One Health solutions to wildlife conservation challenges, and promoted One Health education.

For over 30 years WDA's One Health mission has been to "acquire, disseminate, and apply knowledge of the health and diseases of wild animals in relation to their biology, conservation and ecology including interactions with humans and domestic animals”.

Most recently WDA's slogan says it all:
“WDA is all wildlife diseases, all conservation, all one health, all the time!"