Herbivores can profoundly influence plant species assembly, including plant invasion, and resulting community composition. Population increases of native herbivores, e.g. white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), combined with burgeoning plant invasions raise concerns for native plant diversity and forest regeneration. While individual researchers typically test for the impact of deer on plan...

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are commonly exposed to disease agents that affect livestock but environmental factors that predispose deer to exposure are unknown for many pathogens. We trapped deer during winter months on two study areas (Northern Forest and Eastern Farmland) in Wisconsin from 2010 to 2013. Deer were tested for exposure to six serovars of Leptospira interrogans (gr...

Johne's disease (paratuberculosis) was diagnosed in a 2-yr-old, male, free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Fauquier County, Virginia, USA, based on histopathology and culture for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. Clinical and pathologic findings included emaciation; loss of body fat; chronic diarrhea; severe, chronic, diffuse granulomatous colitis with int...

The last several decades have seen dramatic increases in ungulate populations worldwide, and whitetailed deer in the eastern United States currently exist at unprecedented densities in many areas. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effects of high densities of white-tailed deer on forest communities. However, few studies have simultaneously examined the effects of deer on multiple component...

White-tailed deer are susceptible to infection by numerous gastrointestinal parasites. Not all parasite infections cause clinical disease, but even subclinical parasitism may reduce the health and productivity of infected deer. An understanding epidemiology is critical improving captive through effective control strategies. This publication will serve as a guide common parasites farmed white-ta...

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting North American cervids. We assessed the feasibility of association mapping CWD genetic risk factors in wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) using a panel of bovine microsatellite markers from three homologous deer linkage groups predicted to contain candidate...

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cervids remains a significant problem affecting farmed herds and wild populations. Traditional skin testing has serious limitations in certain species, whereas emerging serological assays showed promising diagnostic performance. The recently developed immunochromatographic dual-path platform (DPP) VetTB assay has two antigen bands, T1 (MPB83 protein) and T2 (CFP10/ES...

Quantifying the relative influence of multiple mechanisms driving recent range expansion of non-native species is essential for predicting future changes and for informing adaptation and management plans to protect native species. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been expanding their range into the North American boreal forest over the last half of the 20th century. This has alre...

Silviculturists use a variety of techniques, including repellents, to reduce browse damage by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to valuable eastern hardwood seedlings. Systemic selenium, sodium selenite, was evaluated with captive whitetailed deer for its repellency in white ash (Fraxinus americana) and black cherry (Prunus serotina) seedlings. Selenium had no effect in reducing browsi...

Pathogen transmission across species drives disease emergence; however, mechanisms by which multi-host pathogens cross species boundaries are not well identified. This knowledge gap prevents integrated and targeted control in an epidemiologically continuous ecosystem. Our goal is to describe the impact of host species heterogeneity on the epidemiology of Neospora caninum circulating between liv...