Wildlife Disease News Digest

Readers: Dump CWD Eradication
Wisconsin State Journal - www.madison.com
24 Oct 2007
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press
Area: Wisconsin United States

Past time to end disastrous CWD policy

Never in my many years as a Wisconsin outdoorsman have I seen such a "head in the sand " mentality displayed by the Department of Natural Resources as their CWD eradication efforts. When this was discovered more than five years ago, they meant well but panicked and charted a course of action that now is unmistakenly a failure. They have spent over $30 million, and what have we got to show for it? An image that deer are no more worthy than rats in a dump.

Common sense tells us every species has diseases. To try to eradicate it is crazy. Science has proved CWD does not pass to humans, so why keep alienating the hunters and landowners with silly rules and regulations? Bringing the tradition back will bring the hunters back, which will bring the harvest back to manageable levels. Sounds too easy, right? If we don 't try it, how will we know?

>>>FULL ARTICLE

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Specialists in Infectious Disease and Global Health Convene at Philadelphia Meeting [Press Release]
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Posted by www.eurekalert.org)
23 Oct 2007
Area: United States

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's 56th Annual Meeting Nov. 4-8 in Philadelphia

Nearly 2,500 physicians and scientists from institutions around the world such as the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health will meet at the 56th American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s Annual Meeting on Nov. 4-8, in Philadelphia to discuss the latest research on infectious diseases and bioterrorist and global health threats.

>>>FULL PRESS RELEASE

Project to Study Death of Migratory Birds at Chilika
The Hindu - www.hindu.com
25 Oct 2007
Area: Orissa India

Alarmed over the sudden increase in the deaths of migratory birds in the last two years at the famous Chilika lake - where the yearly guests have started arriving - the State Forest Department is contemplating a detailed study on the unfortunate development. Coimbatore-based 'Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History' (SACON) has submitted a proposal to the Wildlife Division of the Forest Department for surveillance of waterfowl at Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside the lake, a senior official said on Thurday.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Frog Deformities Linked to Fertilizer Runoff
The Daily Cardinal - www.dailycardinal.com
25 Oct 2007
K Masterson
Area: United States

Nutrients kick off a series of events leading to mutated frogs

Fertilizer runoff may be fostering parasite populations and causing an increase in frog deformities, a University of Colorado study published in September suggested. Deformed frogs first started attracting attention in 1995 when Minnesota schoolchildren found a number of frogs with missing or extra limbs. While theories abound as to possible causes for the malformations, Pieter Johnson of the University of Colorado at Boulder and his team discovered that excess nitrogen and phosphorus initiated a series of events leading to deformed frogs. Johnson’s lab tests demonstrated a chain of effects that resulted in an increase in parasites which interfere with normal frog development.

Their study showed that increases in nitrogen and phosphorus lead to increased algae production, a food source for water snail populations. The snails, which feed on the algae, serve as hosts for microscopic parasites known as trematodes. Ultimately, these parasites are released from the snails and infect tadpoles’ cells causing cysts to form. These cysts lead to malformations as the frogs develop, including missing or extra limbs. “If there are more snails, the parasites are more likely to find a snail,” Johnson said in an interview with New Scientist.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

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