STD May Be to Blame for Lions' Blindness
The Associated Press (Posted by Today'sTHV)
27 Dec 2006
Researchers are trying to determine whether a sexually transmitted disease might have caused the blindness found in at least two mountain lions in the Black Hills. Steve Griffin, a wildlife biologist with the state Game, Fish and Parks Department, said tests on two lions are consistent with chlamydia, but nothing is confirmed. Three lions have been observed so far with opacity in their eyes.
Two of them were confirmed blind. Griffin said the disease will not be confirmed unless eye swabs or blood samples can be taken from more cats.Jonathan Jenks, a wildlife and fisheries sciences professor at South Dakota State University, said he has contacted researchers in Wyoming and Florida to see whether any chlamydia cases have been documented in lions. He has yet to find a documented case, although he said chlamydia is "pretty common in domestic cats."
Wildlife Battling Serious Health Problems
The Journal News
21 Dec 2006
G Sapir
While holiday vacations from school and the office give many people a chance for some refreshing time outdoors, some forms of wildlife in New York may not be in for a happy and healthy new year. Many animals have recently had to deal with health issues, although none of the problems has been identified in the Lower Hudson Valley. Here are some of the most common:
Chronic wasting disease: This fatal disease that attacks the central nervous system of "cervids," primarily deer and elk, and to a lesser extent moose, was identified in five captive and two wild deer in Central New York in 2005. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has since tested more than 15,000 deer - including nearly 300 in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties - and none has come up positive.
Vietnam Decodes Bird Flu Virus GenesVietnamnetBridge
25 Dec 2006
Vietnamese scientists have successfully decoded genes of bird flu virus strain H5N1, paving the way for production of vaccines used among humans, local media reported Monday. The Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute has decoded genes of 24 samples of the viruses which killed fowls and people in Vietnam's southern region in the 2004-2005 period, said Youth newspaper.
The decoding shows that there have been some changes in the genes. Based on the decoding, the institute in southern Ho Chi Minh City is facilitating the production of H5N1 vaccines to be used among humans. In November, Vietnam's Nha Trang Institute of Vaccines and Biological Products in central Khanh Hoa province announced it has successfully turned out 5,000 doses of H5N1 vaccine for humans in labs, which have yielded good results after being tested on white mice, guinea-pigs and cockerels.
Keeping Healthy Around CrittersThe Seattle Times
27 Dec 2006
P Thompson
Bird flu, West Nile virus, roundworm, hantavirus. It's enough to make a person sick. But should we be afraid? Zoonotics are diseases transmitted from wild animals to humans. It is easy not to get them, and if you want one, you really have to work hard at it. The "disease of the year" is rarely as lethal to people as it sounds in the news. The following are a few headliners:
West Nile virus is spread by infected mosquitoes to birds, horses and humans, causing inflammation of the brain. It first appeared in Washington in 2002 in a raven. A very small number of those bitten shows signs of illness. Birds, especially crows, ravens and raptors, are affected far more than humans; thousands of birds have died. Prevention: Dispose of mosquito-bearing water. See the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Web site, http://wdfw.wa.gov.
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