PATHOGEN PREVALANCE IN AMERICAN BLACK BEARS () OF THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS, NEW MEXICO, USA.

Informed management of American black bears () requires knowledge of the distribution and pathology of diseases affecting the species. Little information is available on pathogen prevalence from black bear populations in the Southwest, US, and it is unknown how these infections may influence black bear populations or disease transmission. We captured New Mexico black bears () during 2016-17 as part of a long-term monitoring project and opportunistically collected 36 blood samples from 12 female and 17 male black bears.