Bushmeat Bringing a Health Crisis?
ABC Inc., KGO-TV San Francisco
15 Mar 2007
R Goldman
Photo courtesy of ABC Inc., KGO-TV San Francisco
From Cane Rats to Elephants
Wild animals -- from monkeys to elephants -- are regularly killed in Africa for their meat. Some of that is being imported into the U.S. -- and with it could be some deadly pathogens. In 2003, a large suitcase containing the remains of 26 butchered monkeys was confiscated at Logan Airport in Boston on its way from Ghana.
The 300 pounds of raw meat, destined to be served as the main course at a wedding in New Hampshire, was "oozing out of its container," said Tom Healy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Experts estimate that about 500 million wild animals, from cane rats to elephants, have been killed in Central Africa for their meat. In the Congo Basin alone, this "bushmeat" is consumed on the order of 1 to 5 million metric tons, or the equivalent of 9 to 45 billion quarter pounders.
Battle to Save Tasmanian Devil from Extinction
Reuters AlertNet
15 Mar 2007
M Byrnes
Area: Australia
The Tasmanian Devil, a rare carnivorous marsupial found only on Australia's southern island state of Tasmania, faces extinction in 10 to 20 years without a cure for the facial cancer now decimating the population. With half the population of this fierce, black furry animal now wiped out, leaving less than 75,000 devils, Professor Hamish McCallum at the University of Tasmania is battling to establish offshore colonies of healthy devils. "We might be looking at a 10-15 year cap down to extinction," McCallum told Reuters in an interview in Hobart, state capital of Tasmania, on Wednesday.Nobody knows how many of the rapidly-diminishing devils are left, but McCallum says the minimum would be 20,000.
The disease is most likely spread during ferocious mating. The speed with which it is now spreading across Tasmania has created an urgent series of deadlines in a race to save the animal, which inspired the Warner Bros Looney Tunes cartoon character Taz. The Hollywood studio has donated funds, but limited Australian government funding is not enough to save the creature, say those fighting to save the devils.The mystery disease first emerged on the remote northeast Tasmanian coast 10 years ago. McCallum estimates that the disease is now only 50 km (30 miles) from the west coast.
Contaminated Gravel Suspected in Sea World Deathsnews.com.au
14 Mar 2007
B Williams
Area: Austraila
Photo courtesy of news.com.au
Gold Coast attraction Sea World has lost one of its prized attractions with the deaths of 25 of its 37 fairy penguins. The birds started dying on Thursday, leading to fears they may have been infected with avian bird flu. This was ruled out last night by the newly established Biosecurity Queensland, which has been testing the birds.
Sea World's manager of marine sciences Steve McCourt last night said he suspected the deaths were caused by a load of contaminated gravel that had been placed in the bird's enclosure as part of three-monthly maintenance. "All the staff here are absolutely devastated about this," Mr McCourt said. "We think there is some sort of toxin in the gravel." Sea World first took samples to a private laboratory and then called in Biosecurity, which worked on Monday night to clear up fears of bird flu.
Scientists Doubt Sick Birds can Migrate to AlaskaNBC Inc., KTUU-TV Alaska
15 Mar 2007
S Doogan
Area: Alaska, USA
Photo courtesy of NBC Inc., KTUU-TV Alaska
Scientists say a new report brings good news regarding Alaska's potential avian influenza threat. Last spring, many were concerned that millions of wild birds migrating from Asia might bring a deadly strain of bird flu, known as H5N1, with them. A new report says the threat may not be as bad as many people feared. After taking almost 20,000 samples from wild and domestic birds last year, scientists say they can not find any examples of Asian bird flu making its way to Alaska.
A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture questions whether sick birds could fly thousands of miles in order to make it here. But that doesn't mean biologists are ready to stop their hunt for bird flu in Alaska. A new report, released by the Agriculture Department, shows bird flu is already in Alaska. "We found that only 1.6 percent of the samples we submitted to the national laboratory tested positive for avian influenza," said Doug Alcorn, regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But of the 17,000 samples taken from wild and domestic birds statewide last year, state officials say none showed signs of being infected with the deadly Asian strain of the disease. "We found some influenza viruses, what we expect to find in the wild population, but no high-pathogen strains of avian influenza," said Dr. Bob Gerlach, VMD, a veterinarian for the state.
Cultured Coral Could Help Repair Damaged ReefsScience Daily
16 Mar 2007
Area: Florida, USA
Photo courtesy of Science Daily
Coral might be the slowest-growing crop ever farmed by the University of Florida, but researchers say damaged reefs could be repaired faster if they perfect methods to cultivate the marine organisms. UF experts are raising seven species of coral at the Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory in Ruskin, and next week they’ll dive to check the progress of farmed corals returned to the wild last year. The dive takes place at a reef near Key West where a freighter ran aground in 1993, said Craig Watson, director of the Ruskin lab. Almost 160 cookie-sized coral fragments were placed there last year. The reef is within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, a protected area that comprises most of the Florida Keys.
“If you grow coral in a greenhouse in a land-based system and put it in the wild, will it survive?” Watson said. “There are those who say no, because it won’t be acclimated to those conditions where it grew and it can’t survive elsewhere. We don’t believe that, we are setting out to prove that wrong.” Researchers and the marine sanctuary staff hope to create a network of nonprofit organizations, businesses and individuals to raise coral and contribute specimens to repair damage from events such as vessel groundings and anchorings, said Lauri MacLaughlin, a resource manager with the marine sanctuary. The sanctuary includes Western Sambo Reef and Ecological Reserve, location of the restoration effort.
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