Funk’s Wildlife Disease Lab

07/22/2025

We're moving forward with the next step of the raccoon parvovirus investigation: DNA extraction, replication, and sequencing from various tissues to evaluate the extent of the infection in vaccinated patients!

06/26/2025

Bats are a common vector for the spillover of zoonotic diseases, and their ectoparasites may play a key role in the transmission!

Bats and ectoparasites: exploring a hidden link in zoonotic disease transmission.
Bats are increasingly in the focus of disease surveillance studies as they harbor pathogens that can cause severe human disease. In other host groups, ectoparasitic arthropods play an important role in transmitting pathogens to humans. Nevertheless, we currently know little about the role of bat-associated ectoparasites in pathogen transmission, not only between bats but also to humans and other species, even though some of these parasites occasionally feed on humans and harbor potentially zoonotic organisms. In this work, we summarize current knowledge on the zoonotic risks linked to bat-associated ectoparasites and provide novel risk assessment guidelines to improve targeted surveillance efforts. Additionally, we suggest research directions to help adjust surveillance strategies and to better understand the eco-epidemiological role of these parasiteshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S147149222400299X

06/16/2025

It's , and I've officially published my first manuscript! In this paper, we identified the adult helminth parasites infecting red kites in the United Kingdom based on morphology and genetic analysis, and is the first to assess gastrointestinal parasite prevalence in a large cohort of red kites. Additionally, we isolated a previously unsequenced portion of the cytochrome oxidase 1 gene in the Porrocaecum genus and uploaded it to GenBank.

04/25/2025

USGS HOSTS FIRST WILDLIFE HEALTH AWARENESS DAY, APRIL 25

Join the United States Geological Survey for its very first Wildlife Health Awareness Day, and a special one-hour showcase of USGS wildlife health science.

With its wildlife health work focused largely on the prevention and detection of disease in wild game species, fishes, and other wildlife, the USGS also plays an important role in disease outbreak responses for humans.

This event will feature presentations which explore the impact of the loss of sea stars on coastal environments, examine how plague is transforming ecosystems and delve into interventions for diseases that have significant ramifications for free-ranging wildlife health.

It promises to be the first of many celebrations which highlight the critical importance of wildlife in our world.

Join the conversation 2pm (EDT/UTC-4), April 25 at https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/ecosystems/news/usgs-wildlife-health-awareness-day

Image: Arctic fox by Ryan Askren courtesy of the US Geological Survey

03/19/2025

Did you know that parasites don't just infect the gastrointestinal tract of animals?

While this specimen, a larvae of the nematode called Crenosoma vulpis (or fox lungworm), was found in a f***l sample from a raccoon, the adults of these parasites spend their life in the bronchioles of the lungs of foxes, dogs, and other carnivores! The first-stage larvae of these parasites travel up the trachea, and are subsequently swallowed by the host. After passing through the GI tract and being excreted in f***s, the larvae must be eaten by a snail to mature into the second and third larval stages. When snails are eaten by a potential host, the 3rd stage larvae mature into adults, resetting the cycle. First stage larvae are able to be detected as soon as 19 days after initial consumption of an infected snail!

***l

03/09/2025

Thanks Cat and the rest of the WDA Crew for having me on the podcast!

🦝🦝 WILL AND THE RACCOONS (USA) 🦝

In the all-new ep of Wildlife Health Talks host Dr. Cat Vendl takes you to Oklahoma, where Will Funk directs wildlife rehabilitation at WildCare Oklahoma, caring for over 8000 native patients annually – from hummingbirds to bald eagles, and even tarantulas! Will shares his fascinating journey from studying red kites in London to investigating mysterious neurological outbreaks in raccoons that challenge conventional wisdom about parvovirus. Discover his research on raccoon roundworm, a zoonotic parasite with serious public health implications for both wildlife and humans.

Will makes a compelling case for wildlife rehabilitation centers as vital surveillance stations bridging conservation, disease monitoring, and public health. From heartbreaking losses to triumphant recoveries – including a remarkable bald eagle that survived highly pathogenic avian influenza against all odds – this episode offers a unique window into the evolving world of wildlife health at the intersection of rehabilitation, research, and One Health.

Listen now on your favourite app or Google Wildlife Health Talks, and remember, we'd love to hear your thoughts via FB and Insta ... or try the Fan Mail feature on Buzzsprout.

WDA members, to be part of the program email communications@wildlifedisease.org

Wanna learn more about Will’s work? Follow these links!
https://www.wildcareoklahoma.org/
"Funk's Wildlife Disease Lab" on Facebook and on Instagram

03/07/2025

Gastrointestinal parasites can be particularly difficult to identify, especially to the genus or species level. Understanding how to adjust the various factors affecting the light of a microscope can resulting in identifying ova at the species level as opposed to a general category.

These two capillarid ova, collected from a f***l sample of a raccoon, look extremely similar under low light intensity with a closed down condenser. Opening the condenser and increasing the output of the light revealed some minute differences in overall morphology. However, when adjusting the focus under these new light conditions, we see distinct differences in the outer surface of the ova. These differences allowed for speciation of the parasites as Eucoleus aerophilus (left) and Aonchotheca (right).

02/28/2025

Opportunistic disease surveillance provides a glimpse into the health of wild populations. Wildlife rehabilitators are in a unique position to collect this information using patients that are euthanized or die shortly after intake. This poster was presented at the and details some of the gross pathological and parasitology findings from our surveillance program.

02/21/2025

Spent the last few days in Seattle presenting at the . This conference provides wildlife rehabilitators from around the world opportunities to develop their professional networks and expand their knowledge in this growing branch of wildlife conservation and health. Now it's time to catch the red eye flight back to OKC cause there's baby squirrels to feed at the center!

01/23/2025

The type of f***l exam utilized can significantly affect your ability to detect different types of parasitic ova in a samples. This sample (shown in the previous post as well) underwent both flotation and sedimentation exams. The sedimentation exam, shown here, revealed both species that were present in the flotation (Baylisascaris procyonis [red] and strongilid-type ova [blue]; both nematodes) as well as two that were not, including Alaria sp. (black; a trematode or fluke) and Physaloptera sp. (purple; also a nematode).

01/15/2025

It's the first day of the spring semester, and I've started conducting surveillance for Baylisascaris procyonis in Oklahoma raccoons as part of my MPH thesis. A zoonotic parasite, these roundworms are commonly found in young raccoons with little to no clinical disease. However, when the ova is ingested by humans or other dead end hosts, the larvae can migrate to the eyes or brain, causing blindness, seizures, and other neurologic symptoms.

This sample, collected from an adult raccoon, had a very high ova load with more than 230 Baylisascaris eggs/gram of f***s (the dark brown ovals). Additionally, there were more than 50 strongylid ova (smaller, clear ovals; likely hookworm). Understanding the distribution of zoonotic diseases in Oklahoma's wildlife can help inform human health questions.

***lexam