November 24, 2009

TOP STORIES

Killer Fungus Threatening Amphibians
ScienceDaily - www.sciencedaily.com (Source: Society for General Microbiology)
23 Nov 2009
Photo credit: iStockphoto/Mark Kostich

Amphibians like frogs and toads have existed for 360 million years and survived when the dinosaurs didn't, but a new aquatic fungus is threatening to make many of them extinct, according to an article in the November issue of Microbiology Today.

The fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd),was found to be associated with waves of amphibian extinctions in Central America and north-eastern Australia in the 1990's. Bd infects over 350 amphibian species by penetrating their skin, but little else is known about where it came from and how it causes disease.



Our Earth Apes in Danger: Tourists Spread Disease
Babelgum - www.babelgum.com
23 Nov 2009

Tourists walk through the forests in the Congo in the hope of a chance sighting of a wild chimpanzee, but do they realise the impact their colds and flus could have on the dwindling chimpanzee population? Interesting video from BBC wildlife show 'Apes In Danger'.



Disease may play role in quail decline
PressZoom.com - presszoom.com
23 Nov 2009

Disease may be playing a role in the demise of Texas quail, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

“Quail season has been disappointing,” said Dr. Dale Rollins, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at San Angelo. “By Texas standards, wild quail hunting has been sub-par since 2006, and I’m wondering if disease might not be part of the puzzle. Certainly, it’s probably not the key reason, but I’m starting to suspect it may be a contributing factor.”

Rollins said coccidiosis ( malady caused by parasitic protozoans of the digestive system ) is often blamed, but exactly what disease might be behind the drop in quail populations, or even if there is a disease contributing to the problem, is currently unknown.




Fight to protect California condors from lead ammunition moves to Arizona
Scientific American - www.scientificamerican.com
20 Nov 2009
J Platt

. . . "Arizona has a pretty significant lead-poisoning problem," Miller says. "It's been worse than in California for the last few years, and the Arizona government is bending over backwards to hand out free nonlead ammo to hunters. Still, there have been quite a few lead-related deaths.

"It doesn't take many hunters using lead ammo to poison a significant number of birds," Miller says. "One flock of birds on a carcass can create an immediate crisis. We would have had more deaths if the condors were not so well managed and monitored."




From Toxic Dust and Algae to Ill Winds From Africa
USGS Newsroom - www.usgs.gov/newsroom
20 Nov 2009

  • Eensy-weensy spiders play large role as sentinels of contaminants
  • Invasive carp and the secret language of scent
  • Toxic algae may be harming endangered suckers in Klamath Lake
  • Wading through the sources of lake contamination
  • Tiny particles with big effects
  • Cause of feminized male sturgeon remains elusive



OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo credit: Andrew Marshall/African Journal/PA
Chronic Wasting Disease
Huh, That's Interesting!
It Ain't All Bad News


WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Pathology of whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus in Akita, Japan, in 2008
J Vet Med Sci. 2009 Oct;71(10):1377-80.
S Ogawa et al.

Estimation of Wildlife Hazard Levels Using Interspecies Correlation Models and Standard Laboratory Rodent Toxicity Data
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A. 2009 Jan; 72(24): 1604 - 1609
JA Awkerman et al.

Molecular Characterization of a Novel Gammaretrovirus in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)
J Virol. 2009 Dec;83(24):12956-12967. Epub 2009 Oct 7.
SA Lamere et al.

A 10-year wildlife survey of 15 species of Canadian carnivores identifies new hosts or geographic locations for Trichinella genotypes T2, T4, T5, and T6
Vet Parasitol. 2009 Oct 23. [Epub ahead of print]
AA Gajadhar and LB Forbes

Local Scale Effects of Disease on Biodiversity
Ecohealth. 2009 Nov 18. [Epub ahead of print]
KF Smith et al.

Ocean acidification disrupts the innate ability of fish to detect predator olfactory cues
Ecol Lett. 2009 Nov 16. [Epub ahead of print] [letter]
Dixson DL, Munday PL, Jones GP.

at 11/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

November 23, 2009

TOP STORIES

Bacterially Produced Antifungal on Skin of Amphibians May Protect Against Lethal Fungus
Science Daily - www.sciencedaily.com
20 Nov 2009
Photo Credit: M Murphy/Smithsonian's National Zoo

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a fungal pathogen that can cause a lethal skin disease in amphibians, however, some species remain relatively symptom free during infection.

Innate immune factors, antimicrobial peptides, skin-associated microbial species, and behavior are all believed to attribute to the survival of some species over others.

Researchers have found antifungal microbes to be of particular interest because their presence suggests they are mutualistic associates of amphibian species, meaning that there is a mutually beneficial relationship between the two organisms.


Journal Article Cited

Related News


U.S. makes big push to prevent global pandemic
JAVMA News - www.avma.org/onlnews
01 Dec 2009
M Larkin
Photo courtesy of JAVMA News

Recognizing the threat to animal and human health, the federal government has launched a multimillion-dollar initiative in the hopes of preventing the next global pandemic.

The U.S. Agency for International Development announced Oct. 22 the start of its Emerging Pandemic Threats program, a five-pronged approach to preparing the world for emerging infectious diseases. It builds on the agency's long-standing programs in disease surveillance, training, and outbreak response.

. . . The focus of the EPT program is to pre-empt or combat, at their source, newly emerging diseases of animal origin that could threaten human health.



Reported Wildlife Mortality Events to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Updated
USGS National Wildlife Health Center
17 Nov 2009
Area: United States

USGS and a network of partners across the country work on documenting wildlife mortality events in order to provide timely and accurate information on locations, species and causes of death. This information was updated on November 17, 2009 on the USGS National Wildlife Health Center web page, New and Ongoing Wildlife Mortality Events Nationwide. Quarterly Mortality Reports are also available from this page. These reports go back to 1995.



TOP READ LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

News
  1. Health issues force state to crack down on private hunting ranches
  2. What’s killing the bats?
  3. Nanosilver in consumer products: No silver lining for fish
  4. Starvation 'wiped out' giant deer
  5. When Mountain Lions Hunt, They Prey on the Weak
  6. More ferrets in Oregon get swine flu from owners
  7. Monkey eludes capture in Florida
  8. Saving wildlife in a warmer world
  9. Bird Banders [video]
  10. Wild pig put down in Lake County
Publications
  1. The economic crisis and infectious disease control
  2. Newsletter of the Wildlife Disease Association
  3. Mountain lions prey selectively on prion-infected mule deer

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo credit: Butterfly Conservation/PA
Chronic Wasting Disease
Huh, That's Interesting!

at 11/23/2009 12:01:00 AM

November 20, 2009

In the Spotlight - Medical Wallet Card for Wildlife Professionals

Don't Leave Home without Your Medical Alert Card!

Biologists working with wildlife may be exposed to a variety of disease agents. USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) has developed a wallet card that wildlife professionals can carry with them to alert medical personnel about potential exposure to zoonotic diseases.

Contact information is provided for both the Centers for Disease Control, on the occurrence of zoonotic diseases in humans, and the NWHC, for information on diseases in wildlife.

Download the wallet card here.[pdf]



Other Resources About Zoonotic Diseases for Wildlife Professionals


What Essential Resource Should Every Wildlife Professional Know About?

Know of a invaluable resource (e.g. manual, website, online database) that every wildlife professional should be aware of? Send the title and a link (if available) for this indispensable resource to us at wdin@usgs.gov, and we will share it with your colleagues on the Digest. In less-than-a-two-minute email you can pass on your knowledge and help a fellow wildlife professional.

at 11/20/2009 12:01:00 AM

November 19, 2009

TOP STORIES

Could CWD at landfill pose a future threat?
Gazette Extra - gazettextra.com
17 Nov 2009
F Schultz

If we throw deer carcasses that carry chronic wasting disease into our landfills, will the disease be transmitted to animals—or humans—decades from now?

Science does not yet have the answer.

So what do we do in the meantime with the carcasses from deer in this part of the state, where chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is most prevalent?


More Deer Disease News



Saving wildlife in a warmer world
The Christian Science Monitor - features.csmonitor.com
17 Nov 2009
M Clayton
Photo courtesy of J Lessman/The Powell

Whether it’s a polar bear clinging to a melting iceberg in the Arctic or a tiny, rabbitlike pika panting atop a warming mountain in western North America, scientists say that these species and others could be historical footnotes unless people help them survive. . .

But sweeping changes that would accompany projected climate change mean that an animal’s traditional range may no longer be habitable to it in a few years – or that a key food source or resource it needs is disappearing. And that calls for different solutions from those in the past.

“The business-as-usual approach to managing wildlife populations and resources is no longer likely to work very well,” says John Wiens, chief conservation science officer for the Point Reyes Bird Observatory in Petaluma, Calif. “We can’t say anymore, ‘Hey, we’ll do some management to control this threat, and everything will be hunky-dory,’ or ‘Preserve some habitat and some organisms, and everything will be fine.’ ”



OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo courtesy of P Hoeck / BBC News

Huh, That's Interesting!
It Ain't All Bad News

WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Phenotypic, genetic, and phylogeographical characterization of avian influenza virus subtype H5N2 isolated from northern pintail (Anas acuta) in Japan
Virus Res. 2009 Nov;145(2):329-33. Epub 2009 Jul 25.
A Jahangir et al.

Knowledge Systems for Sustainable Development Special Feature Sackler Colloquium: Evolution of models to support community and policy action with science: Balancing pastoral livelihoods and wildlife conservation in savannas of East Africa
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2009 Nov 3. [Epub ahead of print]
RS Reid et al.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Africa: Egyptian scenario
Hum Exp Toxicol. 2009 Sep;28(9):531-66. Epub 2009 Sep 18.
SA Mansour

Google trends: a web-based tool for real-time surveillance of disease outbreaks
Clin Infect Dis. 2009 Nov 15;49(10):1557-64.
HA Carneiro and E Mylonakis

Impact of age and sex of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) on follicle counts from rectal mucosal biopsies for preclinical detection of chronic wasting disease
J Vet Diagn Invest. 2009 Nov;21(6):868-70.
Spraker TR,

at 11/19/2009 12:01:00 AM

November 18, 2009

TOP STORIES
Nanosilver in consumer products: No silver lining for fish
Environmental Health News - www.environmentalhealthnews.org
17 Nov 2009
G Shetler
Photo credit: S Harper

Smaller than a virus and used in more than 200 consumer products, silver nanoparticles can kill and mutate fish embryos, new research shows.

Tiny particles of silver – potent anti-microbial agents that can kill bacteria on contact – are becoming increasingly popular in consumer goods, including washing machines, refrigerators, clothing and toys.

But as use of these microscopic silver particles grows, some scientists now are raising concerns about potential effects on the environment and human health.

. . . In one new experiment, Furgeson, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences, exposed zebrafish embryos to silver nanoparticles in a laboratory, and found that some died and others were left with dramatic mutations.


When Mountain Lions Hunt, They Prey on the Weak
New York Times - www.nytimes.com
16 Nov 2009
H Fountain
Photo credit: K Moloney/New York Times

Predators do not always play fair. Sometimes they choose their victims based on physical condition, preferring young, old, sick or injured prey.

That is the idea, although surprisingly it has not been tested much. But now researchers have found that one predator does, in fact, show a preference for less-than-fully-capable victims.

The findings may have implications for the spread of chronic wasting disease among deer populations.


Journal Article Cited

Other Chronic Wasting Disease News


Swine flu virus expanding among different animals species: OIE
The Economic Times - economictimes.indiatimes.com
16 Nov 2009

The H1N1 virus which was limited to pigs and humans is now spreading its tentacles to other animal species, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), responsible for improving animal health worldwide, has said.

"Pandemic H1N1 infections have been reported in turkeys in Chile and Canada and in a few pet animals in the USA," a WHO official said quoting reports sent by OIE.



Hive and Seek: Where Have the Honeybees Gone?
Scientific American - www.scientificamerican.com
16 Nov 2009
Photo credit: R Hungershausen

. . . What made the problem—dubbed “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD)—so unusual is that most traumas to bee colonies leaves bees dead in or around their hives, not mysteriously gone altogether.

Strangely enough, there was no concrete evidence pointing to disease or predation or of mites that tend to attack bee hives.

Some beekeepers reported that moths, animals and other bees were steering clear of the newly empty nests, leading to speculation that chemical contamination due to widespread use of pesticides might be to blame. But no smoking gun emerged and the mystery remains today.



OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo credit: L Travis

Huh, That's Interesting!
It Ain't All Bad News

WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Browse complete Digest publication library here.

New Findings from an Old Pathogen: Intraerythrocytic Bacteria (Family Anaplasmatacea) in Red-Backed Salamanders Plethodon cinereus
Ecohealth. 2009 Nov 12. [Epub ahead of print]
Davis AK

Heavy Metal Concentrations in Food Chain of Lake Velenjsko jezero, Slovenia: An Artificial Lake from Mining
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2009 Nov 11. [Epub ahead of print]
Z Mazej et al.

Prevalence, Emergence, and Factors Associated with a Viral Papillomatosis and Carcinomatosis Syndrome in Wild, Reintroduced, and Captive Western Barred Bandicoots (Perameles bougainville)
Ecohealth. 2009 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print]
L Woolford et al.

Passerine Exposure to Primarily PCDFs and PCDDs in the River Floodplains Near Midland, Michigan, USA
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2009 Nov 6. [Epub ahead of print]
TB Fredricks et al.

at 11/18/2009 12:01:00 AM

November 17, 2009

TOP STORIES

What’s killing the bats?
Boston Globe - www.boston.com
15 Nov 2009
S Chase

. . . The latest research examines a strange new twist. European scientists have begun tracking a fungus similar in appearance to Geomyces destructans that has affected bats (different species than their American cousins) for at least two decades -- but with no attributable deaths.

The unnamed fungus had been observed in seven countries, including Germany and Switzerland, as far back as the 1980s but piqued interest after America’s devastating bat losses; genetic tests are underway to determine if the fungi are the same.

A match could intensify speculation that European cavers inadvertently carried the fungus to New York bat caves on their gear.




Turtles Are Casualties of Warming in Costa Rica
New York Times - www.nytimes.com
13 Nov 2009
E Rosenthal
Photo credit: Ruth Fremson/New York Times

. . . But climate change may deal the fatal blow to an animal that has dwelled in the Pacific for 150 million years.

Sea turtles are sensitive to numerous effects of warming. They feed on reefs, which are dying in hotter, more acidic seas. They lay eggs on beaches that are being inundated by rising seas and more violent storm surges.

More uniquely, their gender is determined not by genes but by the egg’s temperature during development. Small rises in beach temperatures can result in all-female populations, obviously problematic for survival.




Outbreak of squirrel pox virus in Blundellsands
Crosby Herald - www.crosbyherald.co.uk
12 Nov 2009
K Carr
Area: Blundellsands, England - Map It

The first case of squirrel pox has been confirmed in Blundellsands.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust is urging residents to report any sightings of squirrels, in a bid to stop the virus spreading further.

The Blundellsands population of red squirrels is at risk because of the presence of grey squirrels in the Crosby area. Squirrel pox is a threat to all red squirrels, particularly if they come into contact with grey squirrels, the carriers of the virus.




OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Chronic Wasting Disease
Huh, That's Interesting!
Photo credit: National Museum of Ireland
It Ain't All Bad News


WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Browse complete Digest publication library here.

The economic crisis and infectious disease control
Eurosurveillance. 2009 Nov 12; 14(45); pii=19401.
M Suhrcke et al.

First report of a North American invasive mosquito species Ochlerotatus atropalpus (Coquillett) in the Netherlands, 2009
Eurosurveillance. 2009 Nov 12; 14(45): pii=19400
EJ Scholte et al.

Visual pathology in animal prion diseases
Histol Histopathol. 2009 Dec;24(12):1563-77.
X Ye

Phylogenetic analysis of Newcastle disease viruses isolated from waterfowl in the Upper Midwest Region of the United States
Virol J. 2009 Nov 5;6(1):191. [Epub ahead of print]
N Jindal et al.

Characterization of the Influenza A H5N1 Viruses of the 2008-09 Outbreaks in India Reveals a Third Introduction and Possible Endemicity
PLoS ONE. 2009; 4(11): e7846.
AK Chakrabarti et al.

at 11/17/2009 12:01:00 AM

November 16, 2009

TOP STORIES

Open season on escaped exotic deer near Delhi
Daily Comet - www.dailycomet.com
13 Nov 2009

Location: Delhi, Richland Parish, Louisiana - Map It

. . . Up to 14 fallow deer and an unknown number of sika deer escaped through a broken fence at High Delta Exotics, a wildlife park and hunting ranch, John Hanks, a biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said Thursday.

He said the deer might have diseases they could spread to native whitetails. "The biggest we're worried about is chronic wasting disease," he said. The disease has not been found in Louisiana deer.



Dolphin washed ashore by Tropical Storm Ida rescued by scientists
Alabama Live - www.al.com
13 Nov 2009
R Dezember
Photo courtesy of The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies

Location: Gulf Shores, Baldwin County, Alabama, USA - Map It

. . . A jogger spotted a stranded Atlantic bottlenose dolphin at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Gulf Shores shortly after the weather cleared Tuesday morning, said Refuge Manager Jereme Phillips.

The dolphin was being treated Thursday at The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, a Gulfport research facility that responds to dolphins stranded in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Moby Solangi, the institute's executive director, said this dolphin is suffering from pneumonia, dehydration and parasites.



SEA to conduct expedition dedicated to measuring plastic marine debris in the North Atlantic Ocean
Eurekalert - www.eurekalert.org
12 Nov 2009

Sea Education Association (SEA) is preparing to conduct the first-ever research expedition dedicated solely to examining the accumulation of plastic marine debris in the North Atlantic Ocean.

. . . This trip will explore an area southeast of Bermuda that, it is hypothesized, is an extension of the high plastic pollution region defined by more than 200 previous SEA voyages in the Western North Atlantic.

Observations from those trips indicate the area has large concentrations of plastic debris comparable to the region of the Eastern North Pacific Ocean dubbed the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch.



TOP READ LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

News
  1. South African disease outbreak affects its mammal population
  2. Scientists seek help studying bird virus
  3. Foxes, skunks spreading bat rabies variant in Arizona
  4. Phylogenetic analysis of Newcastle disease viruses isolated from waterfowl in the Upper Midwest Region of the United States
  5. Nation prepares for deadly bat virus
  6. Experts Discuss Complex Nature Of Animal Welfare At Symposium
  7. Video shows dolphins attacking porpoise in Monterey Bay
  8. Expert: bats not the bad guys
  9. Koala numbers in free fall
  10. Sage-Grouse Conservation: A Major Challenge in the West
Publications
  1. Risk of Importing Zoonotic Diseases through Wildlife Trade, United States
  2. Journal of Wildlife Management [Journal Table of Contents]
  3. Effects of environmental change on wildlife health

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Huh, That's Interesting!
Photo credit: O Bronstein

at 11/16/2009 12:01:00 AM

November 13, 2009

In the Spotlight- Revisiting a Disease Investigation

From the Disease Investigation Archives

Widespread Common Murre Mortality in Alaska in 2004
Photo courtesy of NOAA Ocean Explorer

In late March, 2004 USFWS biologists reported mortality of common murres along the south central Alaska coast. Estimating mortality in wide-ranging pelagic birds is a very inexact undertaking but their estimate was 1,000 to 2,000 dead murres at that time. The USFWS organized beach surveys to collect suitable specimens and attempt to quantify the mortality.

The NWHC received common murres and one common loon carcass from two National Wildlife Refuges and the Alaska Sea Life Center. The observations of emaciation and possible heavy GI parasitism, and traumatic injuries in murres from one Refuge, were consistent with those made by pathologists examining bird submitted for rehabilitation at the Alaska Sea Life Center. Diagnostic investigation at the NWHC have not identified any significant toxicological or infectious disease agents in the specimens submitted. The NWH Epizootic Database contains records of indicates 19 epizootics in common murres since 1982 along the Pacific coast from Alaska to central California. Estimated mortality in these events ranged from 9 birds to 11,000 birds with one large scale epizootic of 120,000 murres along the south central Alaska coast in the spring of 1993. The primary diagnoses were emaciation in 9 epizootics, open in 8 epizootics and petroleum toxicosis in 2 epizootics.

Source: USGS National Wildlife Health Center Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report, January 2004 to March 2004


View More Disease Cases Involving the Common Murre on a Map

The Epizoo Data Viewer summarizes information on mortality events (epizootics) in wildlife gathered by members of the Field Investigations Team at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Complete data from 1975 to 2003 are included, as well as some data from earlier years.


To explore the Epizoo map begin by:

  1. Follow the link to the map here
  2. Click the 'Query' button in the top navigation bar
  3. In the 'Species' drop-down box select 'Murre, Common' to view case reports

Know of Another Interesting Past Disease Investigation?

If you know about an interesting past disease investigation, please consider forwarding a brief description with supporting web links to where readers can learn about the case details. Email this information to us at wdin@usgs.gov and we'll share it here on the Digest with your colleagues.

at 11/13/2009 12:01:00 AM

November 12, 2009

TOP STORIES

Wasting disease confirmed in Johnson County Elk
Buffalo Bulletin - www.buffalobulletin.com
11 Nov 2009
G Smith

Location: Johnson County, Wyoming, USA - Map It

For the first time, a bull elk harvested from elk hunt area 35, southwest of Buffalo, tested positive for chronic wasting disease, said Warren Mischke, the Sheridan Information and Education Specialist with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

“This is the first time we have found elk with CWD in area 35,” Mischke said. “This area overlays deer hunt areas 27 and 28. A whitetail deer tested positive for CWD in deer area 27 in 2008.”

According to Mischke, department personnel collected tissue samples from the hunter-harvested elk on Oct. 21. Personnel in the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Laboratory in Laramie analyzed the samples and verified the positive result on Nov. 9.



Wounded Sea Lion Found In Old Sacramento
CBS 13 News - cbs13.com
11 Nov 2009

Location: Sacramento, Sacramento County, California, USA - Map It

A wounded sea lion has been found wandering around in Old Sacramento drawing a crowd of spectators.

. . . It appears to have some kind of head wound possibly a gun shot. CBS13's Ron Jones is watching the sea lion and says it is a "sad sight".



Experts Discuss Complex Nature Of Animal Welfare At Symposium
Cattle Network - www.cattlenetwork.com
10 Nov 2009

Far from being a topic rooted only in science, how we protect animal welfare is affected by such diverse elements as politics, ethics and semantics, international speakers at a welfare symposium at Michigan State University said Monday.

Day one of the three-day Joint International Educational Symposium on Animal Welfare, developed and co-sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), kicked off with speakers from as far away as Australia and nearby as East Lansing discussing the vast array of inputs and influences affecting animal welfare decisions.



Reported Wildlife Mortality Events to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Updated
USGS National Wildlife Health Center
09 Nov 2009
Area: United States

USGS and a network of partners across the country work on documenting wildlife mortality events in order to provide timely and accurate information on locations, species and causes of death. This information was updated on November 09, 2009 on the USGS National Wildlife Health Center web page, New and Ongoing Wildlife Mortality Events Nationwide. Quarterly Mortality Reports are also available from this page. These reports go back to 1995.



OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

Invasive Species News
It Ain't All Bad News
Photo credit: D Stephens/The Wildlife Trust

WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms - November 2009
Volume 86, Number 3

Endangered Species Bulletin - Fall 2009 [pdf]
Volume 34, Number 3
Table of Contents include:
  • Biologists Track Sea Otter Decline
  • Mississippi’s Sandhill Cranes
OIE Bulletin - Wildlife
Number 3

Wildlife Disease Association Newsletter [pdf]
October 2009

TWS News Bulletin - The Wildlifer - October 2009 [pdf]
Issue 355

Cats, rabbits, Myxoma virus, and vegetation on Macquarie Island: a comment on Bergstrom et al
J Applied Ecology. 2009; 46(5): 1129 - 1132
JE Dowding et al.

at 11/12/2009 12:01:00 AM

November 11, 2009

TOP STORIES

Whale's death still a mystery
Daily Press - www.dailypress.com
09 Nov 2009
C Nealon
Photo courtesy of Daily Press

Location: Virginia, USA - Map It

Scientists have yet to determine the cause of death of a 14-foot beaked whale that washed ashore Sunday in Hampton.

"It's going to take longer than it normally does," said Joan Barns, spokeswoman for the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center.

. . . "We have done an initial look," said Jene Nissen, acoustic policy manager with U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk. "We didn't find anything that could be associated with this stranding."

Environmental groups and scientists believe that sonar can harm or kill 37 species of marine mammals by interfering with their ability to navigate and communicate.

>>> FULL ARTICLE [includes picture gallery]


Czech rep: outbreak of low path bird flu in ducks
VetsWeb.com - www.vetsweb.com
09 Nov 2009

Location: Czech Republican - Map It

The Czech ag authorities reported an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza (H5N3) in a holding with mallard ducks for restocking of game in Jihoceský.



State Fish and Wildlife Agencies are the Most Trusted Source for Conservation Information
AmmoLand.com - www.ammoland.com
10 Nov 2009

In an October 2009 survey, Southwick Associates asked anglers and hunters which type of organization they trust the most for accurate information regarding fish and wildlife conservation.

Of the 2,771 anglers surveyed, 54.4 percent reported state fish and wildlife agencies were their most trusted source. Of the 3,378 hunters surveyed, 50.7 percent agreed.

The second most trusted source, with 25.1 percent of anglers and 29.5 percent of hunters, was sport-fishing and hunting non-profit conservation groups.



OTHER WILDLIFE RELATED NEWS ARTICLES
Photo courtesy of Science Alert

It Ain't All Bad News

WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Hemagglutinin Receptor Binding Avidity Drives Influenza A Virus Antigenic Drift
Science. 2009 Oct 30; 326 (5953):734 - 736
SE Hensley et al.

Prevalence of avian influenza and sexual selection in ducks
Behavioral Ecology. 2009 Oct; [Epub ahead of print]
G Hegyi et al.

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation - November 2009
Volume 21, Issue 6

Journal of Wildlife Diseases - October 2009
Volume 45, Number 4

Wildlife Disease Surveillance Reports for England and Wales - Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Second Quarter Report - April - June 2009
Volume 11.2

at 11/11/2009 12:01:00 AM
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