February 17, 2012

In the Spotlight: Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS)

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS)
Serving the health of United States’ wildlife resources, domestic livestock, and people


Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) is state-federal cooperative that provides high quality wildlife disease expertise to US State and Federal Agencies responsible for the nation’s wildlife and domestic livestock resources.

As a cooperative, SCWDS shares resources enabling each sponsoring agency access to wildlife capabilities far more sophisticated and responsive than could be afforded individually. In addition, due to the networked connection between members, SCWDS can serve as common ground where wildlife experts work hand-in-hand with private, state, and federal authorities toward a common goal.


Members

  • State wildlife agencies (located in the states highlighted in green on the map to the right)
  • SCWDS
  • UGA College of Veterinary Medicine
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
  • USGS National Wildlife Health Center

Located at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, SCWDS offers a number of services including:

Diagnostic Investigation
Investigates thousands of cases of sick and dying wild animals. Available through association with The University of Georgia, SCWDS can offer a full spectrum of diagnostic laboratory facilities.

Field Operations
Maintains a "strike force" of personnel able to move rapidly to any troubled area and quickly assess wildlife disease events of concern.

Research
Implements research projects as wildlife, livestock or human health disease concerns warrant.

Academic Instruction
Offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in various disciplines such as population health, infectious diseases, veterinary pathology, or wildlife ecology and management.

Training and Information Services
Conducts training workshops for wildlife biologists and veterinary medical officers to prepare them to respond to the possible introduction of foreign and emerging animal disease problems.

Helpful Resources

Visit the SCWDS website at http://www.scwds.org to learn more about this unique cooperative, and how since its inception in 1957, it became the multipurpose wildlife disease research and service organization it is today.


Do You Know of a Wildlife Health Related Organization?

The Digest staff invites you to submit the name of an organization that you think readers from the wildlife health community would be interested in learning about.

Just send a link to the organization to us at digest@wdin.org. If it fits within the scope of the Digest, we will share it with your colleagues in an upcoming issue.




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