Abstract Submission

Call for Abstracts

Important Dates

Abstract submission closes:

February 13, 2026

Presenters are notified of acceptance:

April 1, 2026

The Scientific Program Committee is now accepting abstracts for the 74th Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The conference theme is “Thriving Together: Urban One Health and Ecosystem Resiliency.”

With over half of the world’s population living in urban areas, the need to develop conservation plans that work within these urban landscapes and at interfaces has never been greater. In 2026, we will prioritize accessibility to cutting edge information and strategies addressing earth’s most critical wildlife health issues. We will also nurture effective science communication to generate proactive, positive policy outcomes and to galvanize the public in support of wildlife conservation initiatives. The Scientific Program Committee encourages abstracts that address all aspects of wildlife health and disease for the oral and poster sessions. In particular, we welcome abstracts dealing with urban wildlife and wildlife interfaces as well as science communication.

Registration Required to Participate

All presenters (poster and oral) need to register for the conference no later than May 15, 2026 to confirm participation. If a presenter does not register by that date, the Scientific Program Committee will assume they are not able to attend the conference and will find a replacement.

Abstract Preparation and Formatting Instructions

Abstracts will be submitted through the ExOrdo submission system: wda2026.exordo.com

General instructions for using ExOrdo can be found here: support.exordo.com/article/473-submitting-an-abstract-or-paper

When submitting your abstract please choose your session (General, Student or Global Voice) and then note whether your abstract fits within the thematic areas of urban wildlife, science communication or the open call.

Abstract Guidelines for All Sessions

Abstracts for all sessions must be submitted by February 13, 2026
Abstract length is limited to 250 words
Be sure to include all authors in the author list, including the submitting author, and any co-authors
All submissions will print exactly as submitted
All abstracts must be submitted in English with a quality of spelling and grammar suitable for publication in the proceedings
Proposals constituting sales pitches for products or services will not be considered.

Students who are WDA members and would like to be considered for the Student Awards Competition must follow abstract guidelines and criteria. Be sure to select the "Student Awards Competition" during the submission process.

Once you submit your abstract, Ex Ordo will send you and your coauthors an email to confirm receipt of the abstract. This email will come from wda2026 notifications@exordo.com; check your junk folder if a confirmation is not received. After you submit your abstract, you will be able to log back into Ex Ordo and make modifications up until the abstract submission deadline. Work to be presented should adhere to the WDA Research Code of Conduct. All submissions will be reviewed for relevance to wildlife and WDA community, originality, quality of aims, appropriateness of methodology and conclusions supported by results. We will email you about the status of your abstract by April 1, 2026. If you do not receive this status notification, contact us.

Oral Presentations

Presentations will be 12 minutes with 3 minutes for questions. To allow as many people as possible to give an oral presentation, attendees will be limited to a single oral presentation; however, you may be a co-author on other presentations or submit multiple abstracts for poster presentation. A presenter may present another colleagues work if they are unable to attend.

Poster Presentations

There will be two poster sessions, one showcasing work by our student attendees and a general session.

WDA2026 Global Voice (virtual event)

Join wildlife health professionals worldwide in WDA's innovative synchronous virtual conference. WDA2026 Global Voice offers a dynamic online platform featuring live presentations, interactive discussions, and real-time translations in over 30 languages. With the exception of a Global Voice session within the main conference, the content for the Global Voice will not be a live projection of the in-person conference but different content occurring simultaneously.

We welcome the presentation of diverse forms of knowledge (e.g., Indigenous knowledges) AND knowledge sharing. To provide a seamless connection with the in-person event, the themes for WDA2026 Global Voice are the same as those for the General Abstract category. Your work can be presented through:

Traditional conference-style presentations
Storytelling approaches (check out an excellent example from WDA2024 Off-Country here)
Video-based presentations (example video from WDA2024 Off-Country)

Presentations can be delivered in your preferred language (e.g., English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German). Please check in with the Global Voice organizers if translation captions for your language are available (please email wda2026GlobalVoice@gmail.com).

Please provide your abstract in English.

Work to be presented should adhere to the WDA Research Code of Conduct. All submissions will be reviewed for relevance to wildlife and WDA community, originality, quality of aims, appropriateness of methodology and conclusions supported by results.

Sessions will be scheduled across multiple time zones to accommodate presenters worldwide. After abstract acceptance, you can choose between delivering your online presentation live or submitting a recording (unless it’s a video anyway). For the first time, you can also choose to present your work as a poster to the Global Voice community.

Submit your abstract now and add your voice to this global conversation about wildlife health!

Any questions? Simply email wda2026GlobalVoice@gmail.com!