Tassie Devils Devastated by Facial Tumors
The Mercury (Posted by theaustralian.news.com.au)
24 Oct 2006
The devastating and deadly facial tumour disease has been detected in two Tasmanian devils at the Trowunna Wildlife Park. The park in North West Tasmania was previously thought to be free of the disease. The animals, a 4-year-old male and a 5-year-old female, are understood to have been captive-bred at the park. Two other devils from Trowunna have previously been sent as a gift to mark the birth of Prince Christianson of Prince Frederick and Tasmanian born Princess Mary of Denmark.
Other Trowunna devils have been sent to Dreamworld in Queensland, East Coast Natureworld, Bonorong and Devils At Cradle. The five institutions which have received devils from Trowunna in the past two years have been notified. Chief Veterinary Biosecurity general manager with the Department of Primary Industries and Water, Alex Schaap, said Trowunna management reported the suspicious lesions to the department and biopsies were taken on Friday.
"Confirmation of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD ) was made late yesterday at the Mt Pleasant Animal Health Laboratories," Mr Schaap said. "The strain of DFTD appears to be the widespread Strain 2. This strain is known from wild devils in the general vicinity of Trowunna." Mr Schaap said the Tasmanian Government's insurance populations of Tasmanian devils were separate from those in private wildlife parks.
North American Birds in Avian Flu Study
United Press International (Posted by upi.com)
23 Oct 2006
U.S. scientists say they've found the common wood duck and laughing gull are susceptible to the H5N1 avian influenza virus and could transmit the disease.
The University of Georgia researchers say different species of North American birds would respond very differently if infected with the bird flu virus. Professor David Stallknecht, co-author of the study, said knowing which species are likely to be affected by highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses is a vital component of efforts to quickly detect the disease should it arrive in North America. "If you're looking for highly pathogenic H5N1 in wild birds, it would really pay to investigate any wood duck deaths because they seem to be highly susceptible, as are laughing gulls," said Stallknecht.
"It was also very interesting that in some species you normally think of as influenza reservoirs -- the mallard, for instance -- the duration and extent of viral shedding is relatively low. This may be good news since it suggests that highly pathogenic H5N1 may have a difficult time surviving in North American wild birds even if it did arrive here." The study's findings appear in the November issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Namibia: Anthrax Confirmed in Caprivi
allafrica.com
23 Oct 2003
Petronella Sibeene
The Directorate of Veterinary Services in the Caprivi Region today starts with the mass vaccination of cattle in the area following an outbreak of anthrax that has killed livestock and wild animals. The disease is said to have originated from the Chobe National Park in Botswana where it is believed to have killed dozens of wild animals. It spread to Namibia through animals that freely wander between the two countries.
Last Friday, officials from neighbouring Botswana and their Namibian counterparts convened an urgent meeting in the Caprivi to discuss control measures that could be implemented to prevent increased deaths in the wildlife population after an outbreak was declared in September in Botswana. Dr Frank Chitate of the Veterinary Directorate confirmed to New Era that officials from the Department of Animal Health and Production, the police, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Ministry of Health and Social Services and others from the Department of Wildlife and Parks, had met to discuss how the outbreak could be contained, taking into consideration that it affects both countries.
So far, four elephants and eight zebras are known to have died from the disease on the Namibian side of the border. However, Chitate says the figures are likely to be higher than this. One person suspected to have contracted the disease, Chitate said, has been admitted to the Katima Mulilo state hospital but efforts to get comment from health officials proved fruitless. In Botswana, a mass vaccination has started already while in Namibia the exercise commences today. At least 180 000 doses of vaccines at a cost of N$108 000 were procured from South Africa last week.
New Michigan Bird Flu Cases not Dangerous H5N1 Strain
Agriculture Online (Posted by agriculture.com)
23 Oct 2006
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior today announced a detection of H5 and N1 avian influenza subtypes in a wild Green-winged teal sample from Tuscola County, Michigan, that was killed by hunters. Initial tests confirm that this wild bird sample does not contain the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has spread through birds in Asia, Europe and Africa. However, initial test results do indicate the presence of low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus, which poses no threat to human health.
Fifty-one bird samples were collected on Oct. 15 through a partnership between USDA and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as part of an expanded wild bird monitoring program. USDA and DOI are working collaboratively with states to sample wild birds throughout the United States for the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). As a result of this expanded testing program, USDA and DOI expect to identify additional cases of common strains of avian influenza in birds, which is not cause for concern.
Of the 51 samples collected from a number of wild bird species, five were sent to thr USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, for confirmatory testing. One sample tested positive for both H5 and N1 subtypes. This does not mean these birds are infected with an H5N1 strain. It is possible that there could be two separate avian influenza viruses, one containing H5 and the other containing N1. Confirmatory testing underway at NVSL will clarify whether one or more strains of the virus are present, the specific subtype, as well as confirm the pathogenicity.
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