From Costa Rica to California

When Dr. Ernesto Rojas Sánchez first heard about UC Davis, he was a third-year veterinary student at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA-CR). That’s when Dr. Pat Conrad, at the time the Associate Dean for Global Programs at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, visited his university to give a series of talks on infectious diseases in California and the One Health approach. Her presentation, which included research on toxoplasmosis in marine mammals and a roundtable discussion “Imagine what you can do and contribute as a veterinarian”, left a lasting impression.

A Warning from the Wild: H5N1 Hits Patagonia’s Elephant Seals

When our Latin America Program director Dr. Marcela Uhart arrived at the windswept beaches of southern Patagonia, she was met with a devastating sight—thousands of dead elephant seals, including mothers and pups, wiped out by the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

As the virus spreads globally, mutating and infecting more species—including mammals—scientists like Uhart are racing to understand its deadly trajectory. Her team’s findings, recently published in Nature, underscore a critical truth: We can’t prepare for what’s coming unless we’re paying attention now.

Salish Sea Wild Gets Two EMMY™ Nominations!

SeaDoc Society's original web series, Salish Sea Wild, has been nominated for two EMMY™ Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences! The show is produced by Bob Friel and hosted by SeaDoc Society Science Director Joe Gaydos.

SeaDoc has two Salish Sea Wild episodes nominated in the North West Chapter's Environment/Science - Long Form Content category:

  

NEW PUB: Exposure and survival of wild raptors during the 2022-2023 highly pathogenic influenza a virus outbreak

A new study co-authored by Dr. Victoria Hall, Director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, sheds light on raptor survival following infection with highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza. Published in Nature, the research—conducted during her time at The Raptor Center in Minnesota—reveals that a significant number of raptors, including bald eagles, have developed antibodies to H5 and N1, suggesting a higher-than-expected survival rate post-infection.