Wildlife Diseases
Last Review/Updated: October 20, 2008
Alberta has some of the best Watchable Wildlife opportunities in the country. The diversity of wild life-forms surpasses that in many other jurisdictions and runs the gamut from ants and antelope to walleye and whiskey-jacks. Many species are well known and well appreciated for a multitude of benefits. However, others are seldom seen and often unknown or misunderstood by those who see them or hear of them for the first time. Parasites and disease agents can invoke some obvious concerns about whether they are a risk to people, to livestock, or to other wildlife.
By far, the majority of individual fishes and wildlife in Alberta are healthy and it is a rare event to see sick or dying animals. That said, diseases and parasites also are a natural part of any ecosystem and the balance among all free-ranging native species. The following documents provide information about some of the noteworthy diseases and parasites in Alberta and the programs that have been implemented to understand and, if necessary, manage them.
- Chronic Wasting Disease - Hunters can check AlbertaRelm website for results on deer heads they have submitted for CWD testing; visit https://www.albertarelm.com/wc.user.Login.page
Fact sheets of common parasites & diseases
General information is provided in the Introduction.
A complete Index also is provided.
Note: Many of these documents are in PDF and require Acrobat
Reader™ to view and print.
| * Zoonosis - Can infect people/em> |
| Wildlife parasite or disease | Primary habitat | Fact Sheet # |
| Abscesses | Big Game | 6 |
| Anthrax * | Big Game | 5 |
| Avian Botulism | Waterfowl | 4 |
| Avian Cholera | Waterfowl | - |
| Avian Conjunctivitis | Song birds | - |
| Avian Pox | Song birds | - |
| Avian Salmonellosis * | Song birds | 3 |
| Besnoitea | Big Game | - |
| Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) * | Big Game | 2 |
| Broad Fish Tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium ) * | Fish | - |
| Brucellosis * | Big Game | 1 |
| Canine Distemper | Carnivores | - |
| Chlamydiosis * | Waterfowl | - |
| Chronic Wasting Disease | Big Game | 10 |
| Echinococcus multilocularis * | Carnivores | - |
| Encysted Larvae in Fish | Fish | - |
| Filarial Worms | Carnivores & Ungulates | - |
| Fly Larvae: Bots and Warbles | Big Game | - |
| Frog Diseases | Amphibians | - |
| Giant Liver Fluke | Big Game | 20 |
| Giardiasis * | Furbearers | - |
| Hantavirus * | Small Mammals | 7 |
| Hydatid Tapeworm * | Big Game, Carnivores | 17 |
| Legworm | Big Game | - |
| Lice | Big Game, Waterfowl | - |
| Liver Blisters (Taenia hydatigena) | Big Game, Carnivores | 14 |
| Lungworms (Dictyocaulus, Protostrongylus) | Big Game | - |
| Lyme Disease * | Small Mammals | 12 |
| Meningeal Worm | Big Game | - |
| Moose Measles (Taenia krabbei) | Big Game, Carnivores | 16 |
| Newcastle Disease Virus * | Waterfowl | 25 |
| Parvovirus | Carnivores | - |
| Rabbit Blisters (Taenia pisiformis) | Hares, Rabbits, Carnivores | 15 |
| Rabies * | Carnivores, Other mammals | 13 |
| Raphidascaris | Fish | - |
| Ringworm * | Big Game | 19 |
| Sarcocystis | Waterfowl, Big Game | 11 |
| Sarcoptic Mange * | Carnivores | 9 |
| Scaly-leg Mites | Song Birds | 8 |
| Skin Tumors of Fish | Fish | 26 |
| Skin Tumors of Mammals | Various Mammals | 24 |
| Soremouth * | Big Game | - |
| Swim Bladder Worm (Cystidicola) | Fish | - |
| Swimmer’s Itch * | Waterfowl | - |
| Ticks: Winter, Wood, & Rabbit | Big Game, Small Mammals | 21,22,23 |
| Triaenophorous | Fish | 27 |
| Trichinellosis* | Carnivores | 18 |
| Tularaemia * | Furbearers | - |
| Whirling Disease | Fish | - |
| Yellow Grub (Clinostomum) | Fish | - |
* Zoonosis - Can infect people
Teachers, youth leaders and outdoor instructors may print and copy this material for not-for-profit, educational purposes only. The text and graphics may not be used for other purposes without written permission from the Fish and Wildlife Division.
Updates
CWD Test Results: hunters who submitted heads for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing will receive a letter in the mail with the results within six weeks of submission of the head. Thanks for your assistance - it is critical in controlling CWD!
Avian cholera has been confirmed in waterfowl near Calgary in February 2007. This is not uncommon in the Bow River watershed among overwintering waterfowl. It is caused by a bacteria that affects the birds due to poor conditioning caused by the harsh winter, difficulties finding food, and the stresses of crowded flocks. The following links provide good background on this disease:
