Wildlife Disease News Digest

Die-off, Seals – Kazakhstan (Mangistauskaya): Request for Information – ProMED Archive Number 20070418.1280
ProMED
18 Apr 2007
Area: Kazakhstan
Photo courtesy of FWS Digital Library System; Hawaiian Monk Seal

The number of dead seals found at the coast of the Caspian sea in the territory of Mangistauskaya region, Kazakhstan has increased to 435. A total of 50 were adults and there were 385 young. Bodies of the dead animals were initially found on 30 Mar 2007; and by 14 Apr 2007 the number had increased to 388. . . . .

During an interview with Interfax, the deputy head of the Agency for Environmental Protection of Mangistauskaya region, Marat Orinbasarov, said that these results are preliminary and that additional infections might be found during further investigations. Any additional findings will be published, and a final conclusion about the cause of death in seals will be announced when the results from other laboratories become available.

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First Avian Flu Case in Broiler Chicken Discovered in Wafra; PAAAFR Destroys 180,000 Eggs, 250 Tons of Fodder
Arab Times – Kuwait (Special to the Arab Times And Agencies)
19 Apr 2007
F Al-Qahtani
Area: Kuwait

The first case of avian flu in broiler chicken has been discovered in a poultry farm in Wafra, says a reliable source at the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR). Meanwhile, falcons illegally imported into Kuwait may have been the cause of an outbreak of bird flu that has forced authorities to cull about two million chickens, MPs charged on Tuesday. During a special debate, a number of lawmakers submitted official documents showing that several falcon shipments for royals and influential people were imported without the strict quarantine procedures.

The head of the government’s agriculture authority, Jassem Al-Bader, denied the allegations, insisting that all the imported falcons were properly tested and found healthy. But he admitted that a total ban on bird imports imposed in 2005 following the discovery of the first bird flu case in Kuwait was eased in July 2006 to allow the import of falcons.Bader said that the last falcon shipment allowed was in late 2006.

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>>> Hospital Testing Birds for Flu [News Article]

>>> Falcons could have Brought Bird Flu to Kuwait [News Article]

DNR Releases CWD Update
The Assoicated Press (Posted by Green Bay Press-Gazette)
14 April 2007
Area: Wisconsin, USA

State wildlife managers gave legislators an update Friday on their program to fight chronic wasting disease, outlining changes since a critical audit and saying costs should be cut considerably in coming years when some testing of deer won't be needed. The report from Department of Natural Resources secretary Scott Hassett said surveillance testing has continued to confirm that the fatal brain disease of deer is contained to parts of south-central Wisconsin.

The state audit in November said the DNR spent nearly $27 million on CWD efforts since the disease was first found in the deer herd in 2002. That included a campaign to kill as many deer as possible in affected areas, but deer numbers in the so-called CWD zones increased, auditors said.... Hassett said in the report that since the audit, "we have another year of data on CWD and are pleased that new data finds there has been no spread of CWD to the western areas of the state ....”

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Eastern Ky. Site Reviewed for Lab
WKYT.com (Posted by Animal Lab News)
18 Apr 2007
Area: Kentucky, USA

A team of federal inspectors will visit a 150-acre site in eastern Kentucky that has been proposed as the new home for a national lab that would handle deadly animal diseases. The planned $450 million lab will replace the 50-year-old animal disease center on Plum Island in New York. The Kentucky site is on farmland about 10 miles northwest of Somerset.

The Pulaski County, Kentucky inspection is one of 17 planned site visits by a team from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A list of finalists will be completed by June. A winner is expected to be announced in October of 2008, with design and construction beginning between 2010 and 2014.

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Final Epidemiology Report into Avian Influenza Outbreak in Suffolk Published [News Release]
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
19 Apr 2007
Area: Suffolk, England

Defra has today published the final epidemiology report into the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in Suffolk confirmed in February. The report sets out the findings of the National Emergency Epidemiology Group who have been investigating the outbreak in close consultation with the European Commission and the Hungarian Authorities.

The final report is a detailed analysis of all possible ways the virus could have arrived in Holton, Suffolk. No specific proven source has been found. The report concludes that the most plausible explanation is that infection was most likely introduced to Britain via the importation of turkey meat from Hungary. Such meat could have originated from a sub-clinically infected turkey flock in Hungary which had been infected from a wild bird source which had also infected the two goose farms in Hungary.

The investigation in conjunction with the Hungarian authorities has found no evidence of undisclosed infection in Hungary and the possibility of infection going undetected in turkeys is considered to be a rare event.

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