The Associated Press (Posted by kutv.com)
4 Oct 2006
Photo Courtesy of The Associated Press
About 15,000 birds have died in a botulism outbreak at the Great Salt Lake, the worst the lake has had in nine years. “It’s worse than average, but certainly far short of maximum,” said Tom Aldrich, waterfowl coordinator for the state Division of Wildlife. Thousands of dead shorebirds and ducks have been washing up on the causeway that connects Antelope Island with the mainland.
Aldrich said the latest estimate is 15,000 dead birds and counting. In 1997, the worst avian botulism outbreak in recent history killed an estimated 500,000 birds, according to wildlife officials. Up to 3 million ducks are expected to pass over the lake this fall, so the outbreak isn’t expected to have a significant impact on the overall population.
But the dead and dying birds are a gruesome sight. “Unfortunately, with botulism it takes a long time for them to die,” said Leslie McFarlane, disease specialist for the Division of Wildlife. “It causes paralysis, and they starve to death. It takes several days for them to die from it.” The disease spreads as birds die and begin to decompose.
Pelican Chick Rate of Survival Improved
The Bismarck Tribune
4 Oct 2006
Richard Hinton
American white pelican chicks enjoyed a better year at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge this summer. Only 12 percent, or about 1,300 chicks, of the estimated 11,000 young birds died this summer, said Ken Torkelson, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman in Bismarck.
"It's a big improvement. In the previous two years, we had virtually nothing, and when the West Nile virus first showed up, we lost between 40 percent and 50 percent," Torkelson said. Three chicks sent to a laboratory for necropsies came back positive for West Nile, Torkelson said.
"We assume it was West Nile. We had no weather events or predation," Torkelson said. Researchers speculated that the dry weather may have cut back on mosquitoes, which transmit the disease. The pelicans already have begun their southern migration from the refuge north of Medina, Torkelson said.
Disease Found in West Michigan Deer
The Grand Rapids Press
4 Oct 2006
Howard Meyerson
Dave Engel's gut told him something was wrong when he found four dead deer along a half-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River in August. A call to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources cued him to the fact that 12 others had been reported upstream.
"We knew instantly that something was wrong," said Engel, the manager of the Pottawatomie Gun Club located along the river between Saugatuck and Richmond.
The 120-year-old private waterfowl hunting club has nearly 2 miles of riverfront on its property. The deer were found floating or along the bank. Engel didn't anticipate finding 17 more in subsequent weeks, the predictable result of a often fatal viral disease in deer known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD.
The infectious disease is carried by a tiny flying midge known as a no-see-um. State officials confirmed the presence of the disease in two deer Tuesday. Officials say they have received 50 reports of dead deer in Manlius and Saugatuck townships along the Rabbit and Kalamazoo rivers.
Rabies In Cattle A Continual Threat In Virginia
cattlenetwork.com
4 Oct 2006
Cattle are one of the most common domestic animals to contract deadly rabies putting cattle producers at an increased risk themselves. In a year 2000 report only cats exceeded cattle in the incidence of rabies cases in domestic animals. A large amount of effort goes into keeping pet owners safe from rabies through vaccination programs and educational efforts but those who routinely handle cattle are less often reminded of the threat of this disease which is almost always fatal.
Virginia is considered to be endemic for rabies in most areas. This means that there are low levels of the disease present that are maintained by some animal reservoir. In Virginia’s case, raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats are the animals where the disease persists, with raccoons being the most important.
Since the virus that causes the disease only survives out of the animal for short periods of time, it would disappear from an area if it were not constantly being incubated and spread in these wildlife populations. Fortunately, human contact with these animals is infrequent so that humans are seldom at risk due to exposure to wildlife.
Public Participation in Wild Bird Survey
The Government of Canada
4 Oct 2006
The Government of Canada and the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre are reminding Canadians to report findings of dead wild birds for disease testing. Canada launched its second annual survey to monitor the many strains of avian influenza naturally present in wild bird populations in May, 2006.
An important component of this program is testing of dead birds, which depends on a significant level of public participation and vigilance. Anyone noticing dead birds - particularly waterfowl such as ducks and geese or significant numbers of dead birds in one location - should report these findings and avoid touching the birds.
Findings of dead birds should be reported to the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre at 1-866-544-4744 or http://wildlife1.usask.ca. People reporting birds will be directed to the proper provincial or territorial authority. Viruses circulating in wild birds generally pose low risks to human health.
Related Links
>>>Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre
>>>Public Health Agency of Canada
>>>Avian Influenza: Virus Backgrounder (Wild Birds)
>>>Main Page - Avian Influenza
>>>Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre
>>>Public Health Agency of Canada
>>>Avian Influenza: Virus Backgrounder (Wild Birds)
>>>Main Page - Avian Influenza
Fisheries Industry Alerted to Guard Against Virus Risk
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (Posted by the Belleville News Democrat)
5 Oct 2006
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is alerting aquaculture operators, fish dealers and other fisheries interests to take precautionary measures in an effort to prevent the spread of a viral disease that is causing significant fish kills in some areas of the Great Lakes.
The viral disease known as viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) affects a number of species of fish, but does not affect humans and poses no threat to human health. "VHS was known to have killed trout and salmon on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts in the past, but a new strain is causing mortalities in muskie, yellow perch, drum and other sport and non-sport fish in areas of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario," said Scott Stuewe, chief of the IDNR Division of Fisheries.
"Because VHS is proving lethal to species that are common in Lake Michigan and waterways, lakes and ponds in Illinois, every precaution must be taken to try to keep the disease from advancing into the state's waters." IDNR has issued an alert targeted to aquaculture operators and fish dealers who move fish and fish eggs into and out of the state.
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