The childhood love of animals, sparked by a series of books about a Yorkshire veterinarian, has blossomed into a career dedicated to safeguarding the health of creatures both common and rare for Natalie Tocco. Now a wildlife pathology fellow with the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Center, Tocco’s path—from a farm in Rhode Island to studying black bears in Connecticut and elephants at the Smithsonian National Zoo—highlights the critical, often unseen perform of veterinary pathologists in protecting both animal and human health. Her journey underscores the growing field of “One Health,” a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnectedness of people, animals, and their environment.
Tocco’s fascination with the animal world began with James Herriot’s “All Creatures Great and Modest,” a series of autobiographical stories detailing the life of a country veterinarian in 1930s and 40s England. “That’s where the love of animals developed into wanting to pursue veterinary medicine,” Tocco explained. That early inspiration led her to the University of Vermont, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in animal science, and then to the Atlantic Veterinary College of the University of Prince Edward Island for her doctorate of veterinary medicine. Even as initially intending to focus on farm animals, Tocco discovered a passion for veterinary pathology during vet school.
“The whole reason I wanted to be a farm vet was actually because of population health, global health, and one health,” Tocco said. “I started making a shift into pathology because I found that those core principles that I went to school for were very much aligned with pathology.” This realization brought her to the University of Connecticut in 2020 to complete a veterinary anatomic pathology residency program and earn a master’s degree through the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science. UConn, while not having a veterinary school itself, offers unique training opportunities through the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL), which handles a diverse range of animal cases.
Uncovering Hidden Threats to Wildlife
The CVMDL’s broad caseload—ranging from pets and farm animals to wildlife and even animals from Mystic Aquarium—provided an intensive learning environment. “UConn’s lab gets so many different things,” Tocco noted. “It was a very intense program. But in that intensity, I learned a lot because of how much we saw.” During her residency, Tocco earned a reputation as a “black-bear magnet,” encountering a group of bears in Connecticut suffering from a genetic neurological condition. She has submitted her findings for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and is currently working on a case report detailing an undocumented cancer presentation in a geriatric black bear.
Tocco’s research extended beyond neurological conditions. She co-authored two papers identifying the genetic makeup of recent strains of West Nile virus detected in an alpaca and a crow, and the molecular epidemiology of West Nile virus in raptors, revitalizing research on the virus within the department. She was also involved in identifying the first case of COVID-19 in a dog in Connecticut, demonstrating the potential for zoonotic spillover—the transmission of diseases from animals to humans.
From Zoo Necropsies to Wildlife Surveillance
Following her residency, Tocco broadened her experience as a veterinary epidemiology fellow at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. There, she performed necropsies on a variety of animals, including elephants, cheetahs, and red pandas, while also tracking mortality data. “So much of the data that is acquired on these species is from the pathology of when they pass,” Tocco explained. “What we learn from them in a captive setting will better help us take care of the animals within our care as well as seeing if that translates to their wild counterparts.”
The “CDC of Wildlife”
Currently, Tocco is a wildlife pathology fellow at the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Center, working in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. She describes the center as “the CDC of wildlife,” focusing on monitoring and studying diseases impacting North American wildlife, including avian influenza, white-nose syndrome in bats, plague in prairie dogs, and chronic wasting disease in deer. This work is crucial, she emphasizes, because wildlife often serve as early indicators of potential threats to both animal and human populations.
“If anything’s going to happen to any creature, it’s usually going to happen to wildlife first,” Tocco said. “It’s more so getting ahead of situation before it comes to us, or at least learning how we can better help so that we are not grossly affecting these creatures.” Her work exemplifies the importance of a “One Health” approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health.
Tocco’s career, rooted in a childhood fascination with veterinary medicine and nurtured through rigorous scientific training, demonstrates the vital role veterinary pathologists play in safeguarding the health of our planet and its inhabitants. She and her colleagues are currently working on papers regarding new world porcupines, Komodo dragons, and their close relatives, continuing to expand our understanding of animal health and disease.
The U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Center will continue its surveillance of wildlife diseases, with ongoing monitoring of avian influenza and other emerging threats. Updates and information can be found on the USGS National Wildlife Health Center website.
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