Algae Bloom Killing Wildlife off California Coast
The Associated Press (Posted by Canada.com)
27 Apr 2007
Area: California, USA
A bloom of ocean algae that produces a toxic acid has sickened and killed hundreds of birds, sea lions and dolphins in California, environmentalists said. Birds and animals have been washing up on shores from San Diego to San Francisco Bay.
In the past week, 40 birds have been taken to the International Bird Rescue Center in San Pedro with symptoms of domoic acid poisoning, which attacks the brain and can cause seizures. In previous seasons, the centre might see seven birds a week, director Jay Holcomb said.
"I have been doing this work for 35 years and I have never seen anything like this as far as the number of species affected, other than an oil spill," Holcomb said Thursday.
PCBs in Freshwater Clams Prompt Health Warning
The Daily News
25 Apr 2007
B LaBoe
Area: Washington, USA
Dangerously high levels of PCBs in Columbia River freshwater clams prompted an emergency warning against eating or harvesting them Tuesday. Columbia River clams have up to 70 times the acceptable level of PCBs in a recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study, according to a joint emergency notice issued by the Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania and Wahkiakum county health departments.
Levels were particularly high around the former Vanalco aluminium plant in the Vancouver area, prompting warnings in four area counties. Harvesting clams from the river is illegal but is known to occur in Cowlitz, Wahkiakum and Clark counties, according to the warning. Because of that warnings in several languages are being posted along the river.
State Pans Wildlife Rule
Jackson Hole News & Guide
27 Apr 2007
R Huntington
Area: Wyoming, USA
A state task force decided Thursday to back Gov. Dave Freudenthal’s opposition to drafting federal rules to deal with wildlife diseases in a way that might impact cattle ranchers.
State officials said they have not been allowed to see the draft rules, which could affect both wildlife and livestock in Wyoming. The first draft is slated for publication in the fall, according to Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Terry Cleveland, who said his agency wants to be allowed to see the rules and offer input before publication.
Cleveland said he’s worried the rules could open the door to penalizing Wyoming cattle ranchers because the state’s elk population is infected with the disease brucellosis. “I don’t want Wyoming livestock producers to lose [brucellosis-free] status because of disease in wildlife,” Cleveland said.
Journal Articles of Interest
Emerging Infectious Disease – May 2007 Issue
Volume 13, Issue 5
Toxoplasma Gondii Inclusions in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes of a Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus). [online abstract only]
Vet Clin Pathol. 2007 Mar;36(1):97-100.
MJ Adkesson et al.
Leptospirosis in Urban Wild Boars, Berlin, Germany
Emerging Infectious Disease. 2007 May; 13(5): Eprint
A Jansen et al.
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