Costa Rica Probes Deaths of 500 Pelicans
The Associated Press (Posted by todaysthv.com)
13 Feb 2007
Area: Costa Rica
Authorities in Costa Rica said Tuesday they are investigating the mysterious deaths of about 500 brown pelicans along the country's Pacific coast over the last five days but do not suspect bird flu was the cause. The first dead birds were spotted by a fisherman on Thursday on San Lucas Island, about 10 miles from the coastal city of Punta Arenas. More turned up in the following days at nearby islands and rivers. "This is a situation that is enormously worrisome," Costa Rican Environment Minister Roberto Dobles said.
"But it is hard to know what happened, and so it is better not to speculate." Investigators were collecting tissue samples from the dead birds, but tests to determine the cause of death may take several days, said National Animal Health Service spokesman Flor Aguero. Coast Guard marine biologist Carmen Castro said investigators do not think the deaths were caused by bird flu, which is primarily spread by migration. Brown pelicans are not migratory birds, and form stable, permanent colonies. They are not considered an endangered or protected species in Costa Rica.
Avian Influenza, Poultry vs Migratory Birds - Archive Number 20070214.0556
International Society for Infectious Diseases - ProMED-mail
14 Feb 2007
Hon Ip
The Moderator wondered whether a survey in the United States reached similar findings to the Canadian wild bird survey that did not find any evidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. Our Center participated in the US program, and perhaps I can summarize the results. The 2006 program in the United States involved the collaboration between the federal Departments of the Interior and Agriculture along with numerous state, tribal, local governments and other partners. The program was unprecedented in scope in terms of the range of species of birds sampled, which included waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls and terns, among others; the number of birds tested; and the geographical coverage, which included all states as well as freely-associated states and territories in the Pacific Basin.
As of today [14 Feb 2007], the testing of over 74 506 samples in wild birds from across the United States has been completed, and no highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have been found. For those interested, up to date information on the US wild bird surveillance program, including the number of birds tested, the distribution of samples collected from across the country, and information on the low pathogenic H5N1 isolated thus far, please see: <http://wildlifedisease.nbii.gov/ai/>
Bloodsucking Bugs Plaguing Moose in Norway
EARTHtimes.org
15 Feb 2007
Area: Norway
Wildlife experts are struggling with the recent spread of Lipoptena cervi, a bloodsucking parasite that has killed at least 20 moose in Norway. John Sigmund Moen, a wildlife expert in eastern Norway, said five moose were found dead and another 15 were destroyed after being ravaged by the deer louse-fly, Aftenposten reported. It is beginning to become a relatively dramatic problem, at least here in the area around Romskog, he said.
Norwegian Institute of Public Health official Preben Ottesen said the outbreak requires immediate action. The spread is steadily increasing, he said. We now want to enlist moose hunters in a project to get more direct information, and it wouldn't surprise me if the spread is wider than we know about today.The parasites not only feed off of the blood of moose, they also cause the animals to lose their hair, making them more susceptible to frigid air.
New Report: U.S. Demand Fueling Illegal Capture and Trade of Certain Endangered Mexican Parrots [Press Release]
CommonDreams.org
14 Feb 2007
Area: U.S. and Mexico
Tucson, Ariz., El Paso, Texas, Laredo, Texas, and Tijuana among the main entry points for parrot smuggling, according to wildlife officials and parrot trappers.
U.S. consumer demand for certain imperiled Mexican parrot species could be a major factor in their extinction if current trends continue, according to a new report titled The Illegal Parrot Trade in Mexico: A Comprehensive Assessment released today by Defenders of Wildlife. Of the top 10 Mexican parrot species that are smuggled into the United States, five are endangered, two are threatened and one is under special protection in Mexico. "Clearly this is not a sustainable market. Smuggling of certain endangered parrots, such as the yellow headed parrot and the yellow naped parrot, into the United States is increasing, and this demand is pushing already depleted parrot populations in Mexico to the brink of extinction," says Juan Carlos Cantu Guzman, manager of the Mexico program at Defenders of Wildlife and lead author of the report.
"Birds are being taken from the wild, sometimes plucked right out of the nest, and dying at alarming rates for sale in the pet trade. Next to habitat loss, parrot trapping posses the greatest threat to the birds' survival in Mexico." In one of the most detailed examinations ever of any illegal animal trade, the report estimates that Mexican parrot trappers illegally capture roughly 65,000 to 78,500 parrots annually. About 75 percent of these die from stress, disease, rough handling, crushing, asphyxiation or dehydration during capture and transport before reaching the consumer.
Bill to Make It a Civil Offense to Feed Wildlife Lacks Support
The Associated Press (Posted by boston.com)
14 Feb 2007
Area: Maine
Mainers who like to feed deer and turkeys in their backyards are free to continue doing so. A bill that would have made it a civil offense to feed wildlife was rejected unanimously by a legislative committee on Tuesday. Wildlife biologists say the practice of feeding deer and other wildlife is a bad idea but many Mainers continue to do so. The proposal that was rejected would have imposed fines of up to $500 for a first offense, and up to a $1,000 for a second offense.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Scott Lansley, R-Sabattus, on behalf of a farmer who says his crop was devoured by deer drawn by neighbors who feed them. Wildlife converging on the feeding locations can become nuisances and they also tend to seek out handouts instead of retreating to winter "deer yards" that offer them needed protection from the harsh weather, biologists said. Also, ailments such as Lyme disease or chronic wasting disease are spread more easily when animals congregate, biologists said. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will continue to try to educate the public problems associated with feeding wildlife, Commissioner Roland Martin said.
Group Warns of Approaching Fish DiseaseMinnesota Public Radio
14 Feb 2007
Bob Kelleher
Area: Minnesota
A deadly fish virus, responsible for wide spread fill kills in Lake Erie last summer, has now been identified in Lake Huron. Experts say the disease will almost certainly hit Lake Superior. Some Minnesota conservationists are calling for new rules requiring ships to treat ballast water so exotic species like the virus will be killed rather than spread through the Great Lakes.
It's a disease known to infect salt water fish, but no one really knows how viral hemorrhagic septicemia came to be a highly contagious and often fatal disease for fresh water fish in the Great Lakes. It's blamed for huge fish kills last summer in Lake Erie, where killed large numbers of fresh water drum, yellow perch, and round gobies. "But it was the fresh water drum die off that gathered the most attention because we had dead fish floating everywhere, and actually forming wind rows on the beaches," says Fred Snyder, an extension specialist with Ohio Sea Grant. The virus known as VHS was first identified in the lakes two years ago, but it might have been around much longer.
It's not always obvious. VHS can cause a distended abdomen, or sometimes red patches on a fish's head or near its gills. The real damage is done to internal organs. What's troubling, Snyder says, is how many kinds of fish are susceptible. "It has been found in 37 species,"says Snyder. That does not mean that all of them have had die offs. It simply means that when they take kidney tissue samples they do find the virus."
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