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Improving Wildlife Histopathology Capacity in Nepal

Principal Investigator: Carmen Smith

Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences
Sponsor: Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health
Title: Improving Wildlife Histopathology Capacity in Nepal
Project Amount: $15,055
Project Period: April 2025 to March 2026

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant):

Determining the etiology of wildlife mortality events is crucial to inform meaningful wildlife health policy or impactful management changes. Difficulty in exporting wildlife diagnostic samples and lack of in-country expertise are the main obstacles in determining the causes of wildlife mortalities, particularly in low-income countries such as Nepal. In Nepal, there are veterinary diagnostic laboratories that are not operational despite having functioning equipment. The main barrier to lab operation is a lack of trained personnel to use this equipment. Our previous work in the country has identified that these inactive laboratories can be energized through short training workshops that deliver the expertise to use the equipment efficiently. To address a current lack in wildlife histopathology capacity, we will host a hands-on training workshop to help improve in-country laboratory function to produce histopathology slides. These slides will be digitally scanned and reviewed by our experts at the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health and elsewhere around the world to obtain a rapid diagnosis and reinforce laboratory operation. Our long-term goals additionally include developing local capacity for wildlife histopathology interpretation. Using these diagnostic cases, we will mentor Nepali wildlife pathology trainees on histopathology interpretation. We will also supervise these trainees through their graduate projects focused on disease of endangered species. Our histopathology guidance will help answer important questions regarding disease in these threatened species while simultaneously serving to promote local histopathology expertise to diagnose wildlife mortalities in the long-term. As in many parts of the world, South Asia has few wildlife pathologists, and these few are isolated and scattered throughout the region. Through collaborative workshops and conference attendance, we will begin to establish a cohesive network of wildlife pathology trainees and professionals across South and Southeast Asia to fill this critical gap in One Health and conservation more sustainably.