February 28, 2007

Dead Ducks are Tested
Airdrie Echo
28 Feb 2007
B Hogemann

More than 80 dead mallards were found near Nose Creek at Country Hills Boulevard last week, but ongoing Alberta Sustainable Resource Development test results have confirmed that there is no evidence of the H5N1 avian bird flu strain.
According to Dave Ealey, a spokesperson for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, the birds were found to have avian cholera, a bacterial disease which has been seen before in this area.

"It’s not the avian flu that people have concerns about," Ealey said. "It’s not a type of strain that typically affects mammals. "While we have found some avian bird flu in these birds," he added, "it’s the sort of flu we expect to find in these birds. It’s a virus that these birds carry that doesn’t (cause) a lot of problems for the birds." Of the 80 birds sent in for testing, only 41 were suitable, although most of the birds found were in good body condition.




Officials Urge Controlled Hunt in Parks
The Washington Times
28 Feb 2007
A Hudson

Key Democratic lawmakers are pushing legislation to allow hunting to cull elk herds and control a deadly animal disease inside national parks visited by millions of tourists a year. Rep. Mark Udall of Colorado introduced the legislation in the House last week to allow hunting in the Rocky Mountain National Park in his state, and Sen. Byron L. Dorgan of North Dakota will put forth a bill this week to allow hunting in his state's Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The lawmakers' plans are opposed by some who say hunting should be allowed on some federal lands but not in public parks.

"Three million park visitors don't want to be ducking bullets," said one National Park Service official who asked to remain anonymous. "Hunting should be allowed in forests and wildlife refuges, not in parks populated by millions of visitors." The National Park Service says it can no longer rely on relocating herds to other states to control the population because it could spread chronic wasting disease -- a transmissible neurological condition afflicting deer and elk that is similar to mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep.




House Curbs Wildlife Bill Before Passing It
The Associated Press (Posted by Charleston Daily Mail)
27 Feb 2007

The House of Delegates set limits on a proposed ban on baiting or feeding wildlife where the state Division of Natural Resources fears a possible disease outbreak. The House passed legislation to the Senate that would make it illegal to bait or feed in areas where DNR seeks to quarantine deer suspected of carrying chronic wasting disease. But the rules bill (HB2670) had also proposed to forbid the practice in DNR containment zones targeting other wildlife diseases, including bovine tuberculosis and avian influenza.

With two absences, delegates voted 64-33 to remove that language. "We were hoping to keep the language the way it was,'' DNR spokesman Hoy Murphy said Monday. "We really need to keep control of CWD, and we need this for these others too.'' DNR has been trying to control the spread of chronic wasting disease in Hampshire County, where 10 infected deer have been killed since September 2005. A threat to West Virginia's $233 million hunting industry, the disease attacks the brains of infected deer and elk.




Anglers Worried That Whirling Disease Is Spreading
kutv.com
27 Feb 2007
Photo Courtesy of kutv.com

The whirling-disease parasite has been found in Duchesne River, raising concerns that it eventually could reach Strawberry Reservoir, a popular place to catch trout. The Duchesne River and Rock Creek in Duchesne County, where whirling disease has been discovered in trout, are not naturally linked to the reservoir in Wasatch County. But Central Utah Project pipelines provide a connection between the water bodies. “It is imperative that we do what we can to protect every fishery from whirling disease, but it could impact Strawberry more than many of the others,” said Roger Wilson, sport-fishing coordinator at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

The disease causes fish to spin and deforms them, causing them to eventually starve to death. There is no known risk to humans who eat infected fish. Strawberry Reservoir, 65 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, has a reputation for producing large trout. “We have been working to get the natural reproduction going to keep the fishery as healthy as possible and this could hurt,” said Jim Carter, president of Strawberry Anglers Coalition.

at Wednesday, February 28, 2007 0 comments

February 27, 2007

Poultry Farms Play Crucial Role in RP Battle vs. Avian Influenza
The Manila Times
27 Feb 2007
K Jalbuena
Area: Philippines

The poultry industry remains the biggest risk factor in the spread of avian influenza and the best protective measure is to encourage culling by providing financial incentives to breeders, World Health Organization officials said on Monday. “About two years ago, there was great concern raised about the possibility of the transmission of the avian influenza virus through the migratory birds,” Peter Cordingley, spokesman of the World Health Organization–Western Pacific Region, said at a roundtable with The Manila Times. “However, experience has shown that the real risk is through infected poultry,” he said. “In countries where there are new outbreaks of the disease, it tends to be traced back to smuggled infected poultry.”

Dr. Jean Olive, WHO-country representative for the Philippines, said countries that do not have a large native poultry population tend to increase stock by importing birds—usually day old chicks—from countries with a large population. “If these chicks come from a country where there is bird flu and one of those chicks happens to be infected, it can infect others,” Olive said. According to the WHO, the highly virulent H5N1 strain of avian influenza has largely been found in three types of migratory birds—geese, swans and ducks. Except for ducks, the migratory route of these birds does not go through the Philippines.





N.D. Elk War Reaches Congress
The Minot Daily News
27 Feb 2007
K Fundingsland
Area: North Dakota, USA

The rapidly changing battlefront in North Dakota’s elk war has reached all the way to Washington, D.C. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., introduced legislation Monday that would allow the National Park Service to use qualified volunteer hunters to thin the elk herd that has outgrown the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The issue moved into the national spotlight last week when the North Dakota Game and Fish Department withdrew from the evaluation process concerning alternative measures to reduce the elk herd as proposed by TRNP. Game and Fish director Terry Steinwand objected to the park’s refusal to consider public hunting as a possible solution.

Ironically, one of the TRNP alternatives called for “hired sharpshooters riding in helicopters.” According to the written proposal, the sharpshooter teams would consist of “qualified federal employees or contractors.” Upon learning of the TRNP plan during a visit to Bismarck last week, Dorgan said “local hunters in pickup trucks” could accomplish the same thing. Gov. John Hoeven also quickly sided with the Game and Fish Department, calling Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and urging him to consult with U.S. Park Service officials regarding the refusal to consider using local hunters to alleviate the overpopulation of elk in TRNP.





Unexplained Illnesses, Deaths Suggest Something’s Fishy in Bay, Rivers
The Bay Journal
Issue: Mar 2007
K Blankenship
Area: Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay and its watershed seem to be tough places to be a fish.

Just consider:

  • The majority of adult striped bass in the Bay are infected with mycobacteriosis, a chronic wasting disease.

  • Many menhaden in low-salinity areas are afflicted with ulcerative lesions caused by the fungal pathogen, Aphanomyces invadans, which may be lethal.

  • Cancerous tumors have been found in brown bullhead catfish and mummichog.
    While the cancers have been found primarily in highly contaminated areas, such as the Elizabeth and Anacostia rivers, some have also turned up in the South River, an area not associated with particularly high contaminant levels.

  • Unexplained fish kills have plagued parts of the Potomac drainage since 2002, primarily in the Shenandoah watershed. During some events, as many as 80 percent of the adult smallmouth bass and redbreast sunfish have died.







E. Coli Bacteria Migrating Between Humans, Chimps in Ugandan Park
University of Illinois at Urbana (Posted by medicalnewstoday.com)
26 Feb 2007
Area: Uganda

Scientists from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana have found that people employed in chimpanzee-focused research and tourism in a park in western Uganda are exchanging gastrointestinal bacteria - specifically Escherichia coli - with local chimpanzee populations. And some of the E. coli strains migrating to chimps are resistant to antibiotics used by humans in Uganda. Their study will appear in the April 2007 issue of Biological Conservation and is available now on the journal's Web site. Other studies have found bacterial exchanges between humans and non-human primates - particularly in areas where the animals are known to frequent garbage piles near human settlements.

But this is the first study to document the exchange of E. coli between humans and chimps in a protected wildlife area. It is also the first to find antibiotic-resistant strains in chimpanzees in Africa. "Antibiotic resistance has traditionally been associated with two factors: indiscriminate and over-prescription of antibiotics by physicians in the developed world and the inclusion of antibiotics in animal feed in the developed world," said Tony L. Goldberg, a professor of veterinary pathobiology and the principal investigator of the study. The new findings, Goldberg said, show that over-the-counter sales of antibiotics for human consumption can also have an impact on wildlife.





Journal Articles of Interest
Assessment of Mercury Concentrations in Small Mammals Collected Near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA [Free Full-Text Available]
Environ Toxicol. 2006 Dec;21(6):583-9
SL Gerstenberger

Cross-Reactive Neuraminidase Antibodies Afford Partial Protection Against H5N1 in Mice and Are Present in Unexposed Humans [Free Full-Text Available]
PLoS Med. 2007 Feb 13;4(2):e59 [Epub ahead of print]
MR Sandbulte et al.

Resistance to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Transgenic Mice Expressing a Naturally Occurring Allelic Variant of Deer Prion Protein [Online Abstract Only]
J Virol. 2007 Feb 21; [Epub ahead of print]
K Meade-White et al.

at Tuesday, February 27, 2007 0 comments

February 26, 2007

Changing Weather Affecting Birds, Pests
Chattanooga Times Free Press
23 Feb 2007
P Sohn
Area: Tennessee

Bird researchers are reporting changes in migration patterns, something scientists are linking to climate change. Dr. Grace McLaughlin, a wildlife disease specialist with the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center, said the birds -- cued to flight by day lengths rather than temperatures -- are dropping in at the usual refreshment stations along their travel routes only to find the cupboards bare. Earlier springs and mild winters have prompted earlier insect larva hatch times, she said, and the stressed, hungry birds must move on or die. "That's a concern," she said.

Such stresses and changes typically have occurred over thousands of years, but now the changes are happening in 50-year intervals, and some species may not be able to keep up, she said. Kevin Calhoon, senior aviculturist at the Tennessee Aquarium, said the American goldfinch is a species that seems to be moving its migration pattern north. "People appreciate what they can see," Mr. Calhoon said. But there is significance beyond just missing the beauty of the goldfinch, he said. "Sometimes we don't know why some animals and species are here until they are gone, and we look around and say, 'boy, all these bugs are bad.'




GAO to Examine Bison Management: $13M Deal to Open Land North of Yellowstone has Never Been Implemented
The Billings Gazette
23 Feb 2007
M Stark
Area: Wyoming and Montana, USA


The U.S. Government Accountability Office is in the early stages of investigating several issues related to the management of Yellowstone National Park bison. The investigation was sought by Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-W.Va., chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources. Rahall asked the GAO for a review of the Interagency Bison Management Plan, an agreement approved in 2000 that governs the handling of bison that leave Yellowstone and enter Montana. The plan is supposed to reduce the risk of spreading brucellosis between bison and cattle while maintaining a healthy bison population.

Rahall, in a letter to the GAO, said the 7-year-old plan hasn't progressed beyond its initial phase. "What is evident, however, is that bison continue to be slaughtered with federal support and cooperation," he wrote. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., also sent a letter asking the GAO to look at bison management issues, including a 1999 deal between the federal government and the Church Universal and Triumphant. The $13 million deal, which was supposed to open thousands of acres north of Yellowstone where bison would be tolerated, has languished for years and was never implemented.





Tejon Ranch Switch to Lead-Free Ammunition Will Help Condors: But Tejon’s Planned Cities Will Devastate the Bird’s Habitat [Press Release]
Center for Biological Diversity
23 Feb 2007
Area: California, USA

Tejon Ranch Corporation announced today that non-lead ammunition will be required for all hunting and predator control on the 270,000-acre Tejon Ranch starting this fall, to protect the endangered California condors who forage in critical condor habitat on the ranch. The switch to non-lead ammunition will reduce the threat of lead poisoning, which is the leading cause of death for reintroduced condors, still teetering on the brink of extinction. “We applaud Tejon Ranch’s decision to get the lead out for condors, and if the state’s largest private landholder can go lead-free, then the rest of California should be able to follow suit,” said Jeff Miller with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Unfortunately, the urban-sprawl developments planned for Tejon Ranch are also a gun to the head of condor recovery efforts.


If Tejon pulls the trigger on these developments the resulting habitat destruction and disturbance could prove just as lethal to condors as any bullet.” The move to lead-free ammunition provides a significant conservation benefit for condors and ratchets up the pressure on the state of California to regulate lead bullets in condor habitat and stop lead poisoning. The Center is part of a coalition of health and conservation organizations, hunters and American Indians that filed a lawsuit against the state last fall for continuing to allow hunting with toxic lead ammunition. Safe, reliable bullets and shot made from copper and other materials are widely available for hunting and perform as well or better than lead ammunition.





Mite Infestation Attacking Squirrels
Evansville Courier & Press
25 Feb 2007
L Caplan

I've had some reports on "bald" squirrels showing up in the Tri-State recently. The squirrels appear to be losing fur over various parts of their body. These squirrels most likely have mange, which is caused by one of two types of mites. These mites cause itchy rashes, and the infested animal literally scratches off its fur.

Some of these mange mites will attack only squirrels and related species, but others can also attack pets and humans. There's also a chance that this could be caused by a fungal infection. Although mange itself isn't a fatal condition, furless squirrels will not be able to keep warm during cold snaps and are likely to freeze to death. There's not much we can do to help infested squirrels.





Federal Workers Collecting Information on Raccoons
The Tribune-Democrat
25 Feb 2007
J Gorden
Area: Pennsylvania, USA

The federal Department of Agriculture is locked in a critical battle to stem the spread of rabies, and Laurel Summit between Somerset and Westmoreland counties is Ground Zero. “The western edge of Somerset County is just where the line stops,” explained Craig Swope, wildlife biologist and district supervisor at the Bolivar office of Wildlife Services, a division of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Since summer, federal workers have been trapping raccoons in Somerset and Westmoreland counties, ear-tagging them, and fitting them with radio collars to gain information that could help in the fight. “We’ve got animals with collars on in the valley where Johnstown is, on Laurel Ridge, and in the valley where Ligonier is,” Swope said.

“We’re looking at the possibility of using natural barriers – high mountains, high altitude – to impede the flow of rabies.” Swope explained that rabies exists all across Pennsylvania and other eastern states, but is scarce in Ohio and has not yet spread to the Midwest. Cambria, Somerset and Westmoreland counties are considered the frontier in the battle against the disease, he said, so each fall, Wildlife Services scatters rabies vaccine by air in forested areas west of Johnstown and by vehicle in more urban areas. The vaccine is contained in packets designed to be eaten by wildlife, especially raccoons.






Journal Article(s) of Interest
Opportunities and Obstacles to Collecting Wildlife Disease Data for Public Health Purposes: Results of a Pilot Study on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. [Online Abstract Only]
Can Vet J. 2007 Jan;48(1):83-7, 89-90.
T Stitt et al.

The Role of Feral Mammals on Wildlife Infectious Disease Prevalence in Two Nature Reserves within Mexico City Limits. [Online Abstract Only]
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2005 Sep;36(3):479-84.
G Suzan and G Ceballos

at Monday, February 26, 2007 0 comments

February 23, 2007

Rare Loon Deaths in New Hampshire Faze Scientists
Reuters (Posted by Yahoo News)
20 Feb 2007
B Early
Photo Courtesy: Reuters
Area: New Hampshire

Scientists are struggling to explain the rare death of 17 loons in New Hampshire, saying warm weather may have confused the threatened species of bird which typically heads to the ocean for winter. Twenty-two male and female Great Northern Divers, known as Common Loons, were found on Saturday and Sunday on Lake Winnipesaukee, many them covered in snow from wind gusts with their heads tucked into their wings to keep warm.

Biologists are unclear why the loons congregated on the ice deep in New Hampshire when they normally migrate to open water such as the ocean in winter. The five that survived were transported to the ocean and released. "This is the first time I ever have seen this," said senior biologist and executive director of the Loon Preservation Committee, Harry Vogel. "It's unprecedented."



Upgraded OIE Animal Health Database Available
JAVMA News – Global Issues
01 Mar 2007 Issue

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has launched the World Animal Health Information Database, available at www.oie.int/wahid. The database provides access to all data within the OIE's World Animal Health Information System. It replaces and substantially extends the former online interface named Handistatus II System, which compiled data from 1996-2004.

The WAHID is a milestone in the organization's efforts to improve the transparency, efficiency, and speed with which animal health information is disseminated around the world. "(The) WAHID is designed to provide high-quality animal diseases information to all stakeholders, including veterinary services, international organizations, trading partners, academics, the media, and public," said Dr. Karim Ben Jebara, head of the OIE Animal Health Information Department. "All can access and monitor with (OIE) the evolution of animal diseases in one or several countries or regions of the world."



More New Cases of Chronic Wasting Disease In Alberta
Corus Radio
22 Feb 2007

Chronic wasting disease has turned up in Alberta's wild deer further north and west than before, and the province is taking action. Four diseased animals were found after testing of the fall hunting samples. That means 17 cases have been confirmed in the province since 2005.






Scientists Seek Rescue for Thousands of Threatened Frog Species
AFP (posted by Yahoo News)
17 Feb 2007
R Glier
Photo Courtesy: AFP

Scientists have called for a Noah's Ark-type rescue for thousands of frog species they say could face the same fate as the now-extinct dinosaurs unless drastic measures are taken swiftly. "Nearly one-third to one-half of 6,000 species are threatened with extinction," says Kevin Zipple, one of the scientists asking zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens worldwide to take in frogs and care for them until a fungus that threatens to wipe them out can be eliminated.

"It is the greatest species conservation challenge in the history of humanity," said Zipple, of the "Amphibian Ark" project, named after the biblical "Noah's Ark" that saved the world's animals from a massive deluge. "We haven't seen a crisis like this since the dinosaurs," he said at a gathering of scientists from eight countries who set the program in motion in Atlanta, Georgia this week.


Ten Years from Extinction
Mercury
23 Feb 2007
Mercury (Author M Paine)

Tasmanian devils could be extinct in just 10 years, researchers at a University of Tasmania forum in Hobart said yesterday.

Devil scientists overwhelmingly believed the last wild devil would die in under 20 years without major action.That would spell the end for marsupials like bettongs and eastern-barred bandicoots. "There was very strong consensus that if we don't do something, extinction will happen on mainland Tasmania," said Professor of Wildlife Research Hamish McCallum, senior scientist with the Devil Facial Tumour Disease program. "We have a very narrow window of opportunity.

"We've heard that at Freycinet, two different scientists have determined extinction is likely in five to 15 years. And in three or four years the disease is likely to hit the West Coast. From then, it would just be a countdown, maybe 10 to 15 years."





Journal Articles of Interest
Surveillance of Influenza A Virus in Migratory Waterfowl in Northern Europe
Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Mar; 13 (3): Epub ahead of print
A Wallensten and et al.

Temperature Drops and the Onset of Severe Avian Influenza A H5N1 Virus Outbreaks
PLoS One. 2007; 2(2): e191
Liu, C. M. et al.

The Potential of Oral Vaccines for Disease Control in Wildlife Species.
Vet J. 2006 Nov 17; [Epub ahead of print]
ML Cross and et al.

at Friday, February 23, 2007 0 comments

February 22, 2007

"Regulations Force USDA to Halt Elk Transfer"
WKRN
21 Feb 2007
Area: Tennessee

A move to bring more elk to Tennessee has been put on hold. Wildlife officials had hoped to nearly double the size of elk already in Tennessee this winter but the USDA has to put a stop to the plan . Greg Wathen is the Chief of Wildlife for the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. He and others in the agency are disappointed to hear the USDA will not let them bring more elk to Tennessee. The agency had hoped to import more than 150 elk from Canada, something it did in 2000 when more than 50 elk came to Tennessee from Elk Island in Alberta.

Wathen said, “Back in 2000 and 2001 we had gotten elk from Elk Island National Park under an agreement we had with agriculture so we asked them to extend that agreement so we could bring elk in from that location.” According to Wathen, the agreement was made and the plan was put into motion. He said, right now, there are more than 130 elk in Canada waiting to come to Tennessee. Due to new regulations regarding transmission of disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the elk in Canada could not come because they were not from a captive herd.





With Wolves, Wyoming Keeps Shooting Self in Foot
New West
21 Feb 2007
Todd Wilkinson
Area: Wyoming

It was during the latter half of the 1980s in a conference room at Snow King Resort in Jackson Hole. The topic was restoring gray wolves to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and to a wider swath of the intermountain West. Ronald Reagan was in the White House and William Penn Mott,Jr., Reagan’s director of the National Park Service, made a trip to Wyoming to talk about why wolves deserved a second chance. Western lawmakers didn’t know what to do about the elderly Mr. Mott who proved to be more wiley than themselves.

Privately, behind the scenes, they furiously made calls to the president’s staff, demanding that Reagan fire the small old man with snow-white hair for speaking what they claimed was cultural blasphemy. Part of the (short) oral tradition of their kin folk in the West was based upon demonizing wolves; it united them against a common bogeyman. Reagan refused to capitulate to those who wanted Mott muzzled or ushered down the road into a nursing home, in part because he knew Mott from their days working together in California. Reagan tapped Mott to look after the country’s national parks because he trusted Mott would speak the FACTS.





Calgary Bird Deaths Prompt Investigation
Sun Media (Posted by cnews.canoe.ca)
21 Feb 2007
Tarina White
Area: Alberta

Wildlife experts are examining another 50 ducks found dead along the Bow River on Wednesday, bringing the total number of dead birds discovered this week to 115. Test results won’t be available to confirm the cause of death until later this week, but the likely culprit is a bacteria or viral infection, said Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer Paul Lypyczuk. He stressed it’s not likely the H5N1 strain of avian bird flu that’s been responsible for bird deaths and mass culls in other parts of the world. “There’s no reason for the public to be concerned,” Lypyczuk said.

Robyn Roper, a wildlife biologist with the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation, said the dead ducks and some dead Canadian geese have been spotted along the Bow River from Nose Hill to the off-leash dog park at Southland Dr. The public reported 65 dead ducks — mostly of the Mallard variety — on Monday. Lypyczuk said the rapid spread of disease isn’t uncommon among birds during the winter months when large areas of their habitat freezes, forcing them to live in closer proximity. “When we have concentrated groups of animals, it’s a breeding ground for diseases, infections (and) bacteria,” he said.





Stowaway Shellfish Could Damage Delta: Boaters Key to Keeping Tiny Quagga Out of California Waters
Contra Costa Times (Posted by insidebayarea.com)
20 Feb 2007
Denis Cuff
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Herod, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Area: California

SOS to California boaters: Watch for a stowaway shellfish that could wreak havoc to the state's environment and economy if you let it sneak aboard. The health of California's Delta environment and water delivery system could be in jeopardy. A month after California detected its first quagga mussels in Lake Havasu near the Arizona border, state officials said they need recreational boaters' help to prevent the species from spreading throughout fresh waters statewide. An unsuspecting boater likely delivered the non-native mussel to California after failing to adequately clean and dry a boat that had visited the infested Great Lakes.

"It's not the state of California that can keep the quagga out," said Troy Swauger, a spokesman for a new state emergency task force on the quagga. "It's the boaters that are key to stopping it from spreading further than it already has." Quagga can attach to boat hulls and survive for days out of water. The shellfish may survive longer if they are in water in a boat compartment.





Fish and Game Votes Against Bill to Eliminate Deer Baiting
UnionLeader.com
22 Feb 2007
Paula Tracy
Area: New Hampshire

Fish and Game Commission voted to enter into rule making and public hearings yesterday on a number of proposed changes to the state's deer hunting season for 2007. It voted 7-2 to oppose a bill which would eliminate deer baiting. Steve Weber, director of the wildlife division, put forth a series of ideas and proposals from the staff and from groups. They included the creation of a youth hunt in Wildlife Management Unit M in the southeast, reducing the length of the deer hunt in the far northern part of the state and dividing Wildlife Management Unit D into two deer management districts.

Unit D is from Orford north along the Connecticut River to Groveton. Rockingham County Commissioner Steve Nottonson suggested the month of January to introduce new hunters to the sport and to winter survival skills in the southeast, where not much snow is on the ground. Weber said he doesn't think it's a good idea to have a buck and doe hunt simultaneously during that period and noted a concern for a decline in population and pregnant does if it is to be either-sex hunting. Commissioner Sharon Guaraldi asked Weber if the commission were to go out to public hearing on a proposed month-long youth hunt and if it found public sentiment against such a long length, would it be easier to reduce it than hold a hearing on a week and expand it?


at Thursday, February 22, 2007 0 comments

February 21, 2007

Genetically Distinct Devils Give New Hope
The Australian
22 Feb 2007
M Denholm
Photo Courtesy of The New Zealand Herald

The landmark discovery of a small group of genetically distinct Tasmanian devils could save the species from extinction. Cytogeneticist Anne Maree Pearse has discovered that about 5 per cent of devils have a genetic make-up that, after a breeding program, could produce offspring less susceptible to cancers. A unique infectious cancer, the fatal devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), has wiped out more than 40 per cent of wild devils.

Ms Pearse said yesterday her discovery, if backed by peer review, could lead to a breeding program to produce genetically superior devils. These devils could then form a population to give the species "a whole new start" should DFTD destroy the rest of the species. "Then, in a worst-case scenario of the devils becoming extinct, we may be able to have a group of devils that are a different strain but a lot healthier than the ones we have out there at the moment who are suffering," she said.




Sharpshooters Cull Deer in NW Minnesota to Curb Bovine TB Spread
The Associated Press (posted by IN-FORUM)
21 Feb 2007

Sharpshooters are culling deer in northwestern Minnesota to try to stop the spread of bovine tuberculosis to cattle. Six sharpshooters with the U.S.-D-A began killing deer yesterday in an area east of Thief River Falls. More sharpshooters are scheduled to arrive this week.

D-N-R wildlife health program coordinator Michelle Powell says the culling likely will continue through March. She estimates that hundreds of deer will be shot. The deer are being killed in an area where an outbreak of bovine T-B has infected both cattle and wild deer.




Study Provides No Evidence to Justify Badger Culling
icWales.co.uk
20 Feb 2007
S Dube

A survey of bovine tuberculosis in badgers has proved a strong link with the disease in cattle across Wales. But the Welsh Assembly Government's final report on the Veterinary Laboratories Agency's survey of badgers found dead in Wales between October 2005 and May last year has proved nothing else. Instead, the study of 727 badgers has sparked another round of sniping between the farmers' unions and the Badger Trust. The study shows more badgers suffer from bTB in the areas where farmers say the epidemic is worst among their cattle.

The unions say this shows badgers are transmitting it to cattle. The Badger Trust insists it is the other way round. The findings have been passed to the Assembly's TB Action Group, chaired by Deputy Rural Affairs Minister Tamsin Dunwoody, for their consideration. The survey, announced in December 2005, aimed to establish whether badgers were carrying bTB and initial results were published in September last year.




Come On You Reds
The Sun
19 Feb 2007

Britain's native red squirrels have been declining since grey ones arrived from America in the 1800s. Now they face their biggest threat – squirrel pox. The Wildlife Ark Trust is trying to develop a vaccine against the deadly disease, which only affects reds. Here the charity’s patron, golfing legend Peter Alliss, explains why urgent action is needed.

Squirrel pox will wipe out our red squirrel population in the near future unless the problem is tackled NOW. The disease ravages and kills beautiful, healthy red squirrels. Painful lesions develop and spread over their bodies from the skin around the eyes and nose. Some reds die from secondary infections contracted through the raw skin.


Laboratory Stays Vigilant in Fight Against Devastating Animal Diseases
Orlando Sentinal
18 Feb 2007
M Pino

Bird flu. Foot-and-mouth disease. Mad cow. Like enemies lurking on the border, foreign animal diseases could take a terrible toll on Florida's animal industry -- and by extension, its economy -- should they unleash here. By conducting thousands of tests a month, the Kissimmee Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, and a smaller state lab in Live Oak, stand guard for such outbreaks. The labs are home to animal detectives whose work is similar to that performed for humans by a health department and a medical examiner's office.

Last year the two labs, part of the state Department of Agriculture, conducted more than 400,000 tests for a variety of diseases, including one of worldwide concern these days -- avian influenza. Bird flu generated about 1,000 tests a month for the Kissimmee lab in 2006. "We know it is a big responsibility," said interim Bureau Chief Jim Maxwell, a veterinarian and fourth-generation Floridian from Green Cove Springs.

at Wednesday, February 21, 2007 0 comments

February 20, 2007

Mysterious Duck Deaths Spread: Dead Ducks Turn Up in Several Wastewater Treatment Plants
TheDenverChannel.com
16 Feb 2007
Area: Colorado

The number of mysterious duck deaths is higher and more widespread than first thought and the problem is not just limited to the Metro wastewater treatment plant, 7NEWS first reported. A document from the Colorado Department of Health shows that not only have dead ducks turned up at the metro Denver plant, but also along the South Platte River. Wastewater treatment plants in Thornton, South Adams County, Westminster, Northglenn, and Littleton-Englewood have also reported a higher than normal number of duck deaths. Dead ducks have also been found at the Sunfish Lake near The Breakers apartments in Denver, officials said.

But at this point, nobody knows why. "No one remembers ducks dying in these kinds of numbers," said Steve Frank with Metro Wastewater District. The problem first showed up at the Metro wastewater treatment plant. Employees found more than 400 ducks dying from hypothermia but don't know what caused it. Plant operators have scrambled to figure out why and have come up empty.





Avian Influena (36): Russia (Krasnodar), Wild Ducks, Suspected - Archive Number 20070218.0617
International Society for Infectious Diseases - ProMED-mail
18 Feb 2007
Area: Russia

Bird flu appears to have spread to another part of Russia, as authorities try to contain an outbreak around Moscow. About 3000 wild ducks have been destroyed near the Black Sea city of Anapa after a number were found dead. Separately, experts are carrying out tests at a 4th location near the capital. A veterinary official said it is almost certain the deadly H5N1 strain is the cause, as in the 3 earlier cases.

Strict measures have been put in place to combat the spread of the disease. It is understood the chickens involved in all 4 cases were bought at a market close to the main motorway encircling Moscow. No human cases of bird flu have been recorded in Russia yet. People who had been in contact with the dead birds were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure but showed no signs of any illness.





Deer Hunters Close to Record
The Badger Herald
20 Feb 2007
Douglas Schuette
Area: Wisconsin

With nearly 500,000 deer killed, the 2006 deer-hunting season recorded the third highest harvest in Wisconsin history, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Of Wisconsin’s five deer management regions, the Northern Forest region recorded the largest harvest, though DNR spokesperson Keith Warnke said the region is also the largest and has the highest total number of deer. Warnke added that Buffalo County, in west-central Wisconsin, recorded a harvest of 20,000 deer, an average of 20 deer per square mile. “It’s pretty hard to grumble about numbers like that,” Warnke said.

The record harvest came amid a two-year trial moratorium on gun hunting in October, imposed in response to overlapping seasons between bow and gun hunters. Registered gun hunters in Wisconsin in 2006 totaled nearly 650,000 people, compared to 643,000 in 2005, Warnke said. Registered bow hunters also increased slightly from 247,000 in 2005 to more than 250,000 in 2006. The October gun season moratorium was enacted subject to change based on the ratio of antlerless to antlered deer recorded each year.





Experts Tackle the Devil's Tumour
BBC News
20 Feb 2007
Area: Tasmania

Scientists are meeting in Australia's island state of Tasmania to find ways of tackling a disease threatening one of its most unusual animals.

Over the past decade, tens of thousands of Tasmanian devils have been killed by Devil Facial Tumour Disease. The diseased animals develop facial tumours, which can grow so large that they prevent feeding. Scientists fear the devils - which are a symbol for Tasmania - could become extinct if action is not taken. Tasmania's other famous animal, the thylacine or Tasmanian tiger, died out in the 1930s.

Hamish McCallum, professor of wildlife research at the University of Tasmania's School of Zoology, said the disease is having a devastating effect on the devils. "In all the populations that have been infected, they've declined dramatically - often by up to 90% - and they continue to decline," he told the BBC's World Today. "I think there is a substantial risk that unless we do something, the populations may be extinct over a time frame of 10 to 15 years - or may be even shorter than that." But he said the Tasmanian people were "quite determined" not to let their largest surviving marsupial carnivore die out.





Bird Deaths Continue; Cause Still Uncertain
Daily Pilot
16 Feb 2007
Alicia Robinson
Area: California

Early tests indicate that a toxin that comes from algae may be poisoning the birds found near Santa Ana River mouth.

The subheadline on Friday's story, "Bird deaths continue; cause still uncertain," should have said a toxin killed one bird. It's unclear whether others were poisoned by domoic acid. A Feb. 10 story, "Nest is up to ospreys," should have said Jeff Stoddard is a state Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist. A rash of dead and dying birds found around the Santa Ana River mouth since Feb. 4 may have slowed, though several more birds were discovered Thursday. Animal care workers at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach have seen 53 birds in the last 12 days, either suffering seizures or killed.

A dead California gull and a live heron and killdeer were found Thursday, bringing the total birds brought in alive to 12, though most have since died, said Lisa Birkle, the center's assistant wildlife director. The birds have been found between the Newport and Huntington piers. When no birds had been found early Thursday, "We were pretty excited that things were going to gear down," Birkle said. Preliminary test results from a dead bird showed it may have been poisoned by domoic acid, which comes from algae.


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February 16, 2007

Cornell Scientists Find Quick Test to Detect Deadly Fish Virus
Associated Press (Posted by Newsday Inc.)
15 Feb 2007

A new test will help scientists quickly detect a fast-spreading aquatic virus that threatens the Great Lakes fishing industry, according to its developers at Cornell University. Current tests for the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus involve culturing cells and can take up to a month. The new technique, which measures viral genetic material, takes only 24 hours to identify the virus, said Paul Bowser, a Cornell professor of aquatic animal medicine.

"Earlier detection of the virus will provide us with a powerful research and diagnostic tool that will greatly aid in efforts to limit the impact of VHSV," Bowser said Thursday. The researchers hope to have the technique validated by the end of 2007.



EPA and DOJ Reach Agreement With WCI Steel on Wildlife Protection; $620,000 Penalty Assessed
PRNewswire-USNewswire (Posted by EARTHtimes.com)
15 Feb 2007
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 5
Area: Ohio, USA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Justice have reached an agreement with WCI Steel Inc., Warren, Ohio, on measures to protect migratory birds and other wildlife from oily waste found in impoundments (ponds, sludge containment areas or lagoons) on its property. The company will also pay a $620,000 penalty through a related bankruptcy proceeding.

The consent decree resolves a 2002 order that required WCI to remove oily waste from, and permanently stop managing oily waste at, 11 impoundments. For some of the impoundments WCI was given the option of installing netting. The order was based in part on inspections by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and EPA. The inspectors found 34 dead birds and bats at the site.



U.S. Wild-Bird Survey Finds no Evidence of H5N1
Reuters (Posted by Scientific America)
15 Feb 2007
M Fox
Area: United States

Tests on nearly 75,000 wild ducks, gulls and other birds have turned up no sign of dangerous H5N1 avian influenza in the United States, a federal agency said on Thursday. “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," Hon Ip of the U.S. Geological Survey said in an e-mail posted to an infectious-disease message group.

"As of today, 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," said Ip, who works at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The tests did turn up several samples of a low-pathogenic H5N1 virus, which is not particularly dangerous to either birds or to people, the USGS reports on its Web site at http://wildlifedisease.nbii.gov/ai/. Canada has run similar surveys and found no dangerous bird flu.




Maryland Safe from CWD ... So Far
The Examiner
CB Pfeiffer
16 Feb 2007
Area: Maryland, USA

Chronic Wasting Disease is a disease that we don’t have (yet) and don’t want (ever) in our deer population. It’s related to other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (such as mad cow disease), fancy words for a disease that makes Swiss cheese of the brain, causes white-tailed deer and other cervids (elk, moose, mule deer, etc.) to drool, stand like a wobbly fawn with lowered head, lose muscle tone and ultimately waste away and die.

Earlier this week, John W. Howard, superintendent of the Antietam National Battlefield, held a public meeting to discuss CWD and possible preventions and solutions for Maryland. CWD has been found in Slanesville, W.Va., 60 miles across the Potomac River from Cumberland. The National Park Service has a protocol that CWD within a certain distance of any of their properties requires action. The incident in Hampshire County met this protocol. The meeting itself was short, perhaps with more choir to sing than congregation to listen.

>>> FULL ARTICLE

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Parasite Infects 80,000 MD. Trout: 'Whirling Disease' Forces Killings at Hatcheries and Lowers Spring Stocks
The Baltimore Sun
15 Feb 2007
T Pelton
Area: Maryland

A parasite that deforms the spines and skulls of trout - making them swim in circles often until they die - has infected 80,000 fish in two hatcheries in Western Maryland, state officials said yesterday. The "whirling disease," which has devastated trout populations in Western states, has also been found downstream from the two Maryland hatcheries, in the North Branch of the Potomac River, said Bob Lunsford, director of freshwater fisheries for Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

“We are testing all of the places that we know have wild trout populations so we can get a handle on how widespread this parasite is," Lunsford said. State officials killed the 80,000 infected fish at the Bear Creek Rearing Station near Accident and in another privately owned hatchery used by the state in southern Garrett County.

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Group Will Look into Elk-Ranching Rules
Mail Tribune, Inc.
Feb 15 2007
M Freeman
Area: Oregon, USA

Brenda Ross believes the captive elk ranch she runs outside of Molalla is a tourist attraction and living biology lesson that should be experienced before it literally gets regulated to death. For $5 apiece, visitors get an up-front view of as many as 68 elk her family bought from a rural Central Point rancher two years ago. They learn how antlers grow and shed, what an ivory tooth is and why a bull will show you his.

"Most people never get a chance to see elk," Ross says. "Here, they can see an elk up close, take pictures, even smell them." A coalition of hunting and animal-rights groups have sought to close down operations like the Ross' in five years or phase them out through attrition, saying fears of disease spread and possible problems if the elk escape outweigh their potential values here. Representatives from Oregon's 16 licensed elk ranches and their opponents will spend most of 2007 helping craft future restrictions on their operations and whether the industry will be phased out in Oregon.



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February 15, 2007

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.


>>>FULL PRESS RELEASE

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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 Disease
Minnesota 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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February 14, 2007

Virus in the Frame for Prion Diseases
NewScientist.com
12 Feb 2007
D McKenzie

Viruses, not prions, may be at the root of diseases such as scrapie, BSE and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), researchers say. If true, the new theory could revolutionise our understanding of these so-called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and potentially lead to new ways of treating them. The widely accepted theory of what causes infectious prion diseases – such as vCJD, scrapie and “mad cow disease” – is that deformed proteins called prions corrupt other brain proteins, eventually clogging and destroying brain cells.

However, this theory has not been definitively proven. Laura Manuelidis at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, US, has insisted for years that tiny virus-like particles observed in TSE-infected brains may be the culprits. But such brains are degenerating, so the particles had been dismissed as general debris. When Manuelidis studied cultures of neural cells infected with two particular strains of scrapie and CJD, she found that these virus-like particles were clustered in regular arrays within the cells – in a pattern that viruses regularly form in cells – and she saw no apparent prions in the cells.




DNR to Reduce Deer Herd
Thief River Falls Times
13 Feb 2007
Photo Courtesy of Record-Eagle

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a public meeting Thursday to outline plans to reduce the risk of bovine tuberculosis (TB) spreading to wild deer and cattle in northwestern Minnesota. The disease, discovered at a cattle farm near Skime in 2005, has infected seven cattle herds in the area. Bovine TB was confirmed in two wild deer in 2005 and five additional deer tested presumed positive last fall. The public meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15 in the Wannaska Elementary School gymnasium.

“Bovine TB is a progressive, chronic bacterial disease that affects primarily cattle, but also deer. The disease compromises the immune system and can lead to death from related causes,” said Dr. Michelle Powell, DNR wildlife health program coordinator. “Another result of this disease is that cattle producers across the state face major economic hardships from mandatory testing of cattle and restrictions on cattle movement.”





Mysterious Toxin Kills Nearly 3 Dozen O.C. Birds
CBS
13 Feb 2007
Photo Courtesy of CBS

A toxic substance has killed nearly three dozen shore birds at the mouth of the Santa Ana River, some after suffering seizures. Some 25 dead birds have been brought to Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach within the past week, but the center's Lisa Birkle said many dead birds may have been disposed of elsewhere. Five birds were brought in this morning. Twelve others were brought in alive, and of those, three are still alive, she said.

"It's been going on about a week but it peaked yesterday," Birkle said. The birds were found along the shore at the mouth of the Santa Ana River, which forms the boundary between Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, Birkle said. The birds exhibited symptoms of neurological problems and hypothermia and suffered seizures, Birkle said. What is perplexing is that the different types of birds, which include grebes, avocets and cormorants, "don't share food and feeding techniques," Birkle said.




Bird Flu is Linked to Global Trade in Poultry: Migrating Birds No Longer Seen as Culprit in Outbreak
International Herald Tribune
12 Feb 2007
E Rosenthal
Photo Courtesy of NewScientist.com

Most of the scattered bird flu outbreaks so far this year probably can be traced to illegal or improper trade in poultry, scientists believe. This probably includes recent outbreaks in Nigeria and Egypt as well as the large outbreak on a turkey farm in England. Last winter, wild migrating birds were deemed the primary culprit in the bird flu infestations that hopscotched across Europe and Africa. Dead swans and ducks were found in many countries, including Austria, France and Italy.

"Many of us at the outset underestimated the role of trade," said Samuel Jutzi, director of Animal Production and Health at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. "The virus is behaving rather differently than last year — it's rather enigmatic." No outbreaks have been attributed to wild birds so far this season and not a single infected wild bird has been detected in Europe or Africa, despite a heightened surveillance system devised in the wake of the crisis last year.




Tests: CWD Numbers Steady
Rapid City Journal
13 Feb 2007
K Woster

The most recent tests for chronic wasting disease among deer and elk populations in the Black Hills show the continued presence of the fatal brain disorder but no sign that it is increasing or spreading rapidly, a state biologist said Monday. Steve Griffin, a wildlife biologist with the state Game, Fish & Parks Department in Rapid City, said there was nothing alarming in the 10 cases of CWD confirmed out of more than 2,500 elk and deer tested since last July.

The annual total of detected CWD cases in South Dakota has varied from seven to 14 cases since the first case was found in 2001. "Right now, we're not showing that it's really expanding very much in South Dakota," Griffin said. "It's in the population. But we're not seeing a great expansion of the disease, in area or prevalence rates." Since testing began in 1997, GF&P has confirmed 57 cases of CWD in free-ranging deer and elk. That total includes 39 deer and 18 elk.




Illegal Wildlife Trade in China Creates Ripples
The International News
14 Feb 2007

Amid the bustling shopping malls and electronics outlets of the southern Chinese boomtown of Shenzhen is a crowded food market believed by locals to sell the freshest produce in town. Feathers fly among cages of live poultry and baskets of frogs maintain a croaking din, while goats, snakes and rabbits jostle for space in cramped stalls next to seafood sellers offering everything from crabs and fish to turtles displayed in buckets of water.

In a quiet corner of the damp and slippery market, however, some unusual animals are on sale. Wild pigs and a group of fat cats lay lazily in their cages, apparently unconcerned by the stall owners who hover idly nearby reading newspapers. Deeper inside the market, the wildlife on offer becomes even more unusual: Chinese muntjacs, small deer with dark red-brown fur popular in claypot stews, huddle in dark corners.

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February 13, 2007

USDA Halts Plan to Import Canadian Elk: TWRA Sought 160 Animals for State
Commercialappeal.com
13 Feb 2007
Bryan Brasher
Area: Tennessee

Tennessee's controversial plan to import 160 live elk from Canada has received a fatal blow from the United States Department of Agriculture. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency had hoped to bring the animals in by ground transportation as early as this month from Elk Island National Park in Alberta. But late last week, USDA officials refused to approve the necessary permits, citing multiple disease concerns. "We have sent a letter to the Tennessee Governor's Office, notifying them that we could not allow this shipment of elk to be brought into the country," said Andrea McNally of USDA.

"The Canadian Food Inspection Agency was not able to certify that this herd is free of tuberculosis -- which is one of our standard requirements." McNally said the USDA also requires thorough disease-testing records for each animal brought into the country, beginning at that animal's birth. Canadian officials could not provide those records -- and likely will never be able to for the herd in question. "There's certainly a chance that Tennessee could look elsewhere and try to get some animals from another herd," McNally said.





Disease Killing Geese Not a Threat: Humans Safe from Sickness
Iowa City Press-Citizen
13 Feb 2007
Brian Morelli
Area: Iowa

Johnson County residents and their pets should not be alarmed by reports of dead and sick Canada geese, a local Department of Natural Resources spokesman said Monday. Joe Wilkinson said his DNR colleague, Tim Thompson, has been receiving calls since Friday. He has collected three dead geese and two sick geese along the Iowa River in Coralville and just south of Iowa City. "It's not a disease that transfers to humans.

It's not a disease that transfers to other animals," Wilkinson said. "(An animal) won't be harmed by eating it." Thompson has sent samples to a wildlife lab in Wisconsin to determine the cause of the deaths and illnesses, and he hopes to get results by the end of the week, Wilkinson said. Wilkinson said the symptoms -- listlessness, drooping necks, bills pointed skyward -- are consistent with an ingested fungus called aspergillosis.





Outdoors Almanac: Northwest Deer Culling to Begin
StarTribune.com
12 Feb 2007
Doug Smith
Area: Minnesota

Federal sharpshooters will begin killing deer in a 135-square-mile area of northwestern Minnesota next week. The drastic action is an attempt to reduce the spread of bovine tuberculosis in both the wild deer herd and domestic cattle herds in that region. Bovine TB has been found in seven cattle herds and two wild deer in the area. State officials are seeking cooperation from local residents, because the deer culling must occur on both private and public lands, said Michelle Power, Department of Natural Resources wildlife health program coordinator.

"This is a short-term sacrifice," she said. "Reducing the number of wild deer infected with bovine TB now, while the problem is in only a few deer in a localized area, will protect the long-term health of Minnesota's deer population and minimize the risk of deer-to-deer or deer-to-cattle transmission of the disease." Officials will be going door-to-door this week providing detailed information about the deer herd-reduction plan. And a public meeting is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Wannaska Elementary School in Wannaska, about 15 miles south of Roseau.





Nebraska Officials Investigate Reports of Rabid Wild Pigs
Southwest Nebraska News
12 Feb 2007
Area: Nebraska

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has informed the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) of an investigation of pseudorabies in wild pigs in the Genoa area. The two agencies are working closely together to share vital information. Wild pigs, believed to be hybrids of domestic hogs and Eurasian wild boars, were killed in Nance County by the Commission, according to Sam Wilson, the agency's furbearer program manager. Tests at the University of Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory revealed a positive result of pseudorabies.

Removal efforts continue in the area, and any observations of wild pigs should be immediately reported to the Commission at (402) 471-5174. "We are working to prevent the spread of the disease in order to protect the economic and agricultural interest of the state," said Dr. Dennis Hughes, State Veterinarian. Pseudorabies, which is not considered a health threat to humans, is a contagious viral disease of animals that primarily affects swine. It is transmitted through nasal and oral secretions, food, water and the environment. Other animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, dogs and cats can also be infected.


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February 12, 2007

Initiative to Fight Illegal Wildlife Trade Launched
The Standard
12 Feb 2007
W Ojanji

A new global initiative to fight the Sh700 billion illegal trade in wildlife has been launched in Nairobi. The initiative, the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT), aims at countering the poachers, smugglers and dealers whose activities threaten the existence of endangered animals like the rhino and the elephant in Kenya and the tiger in Asia. CAWT — an alliance of governments, conservationists, industry and scientists — plans to boost wildlife enforcement, create consumer awareness and reduce consumer demand for illegally traded wildlife. Through CAWT, customs officials would be trained on identification of illegal animal products.

Assistant secretary of the US Department of State Claudia McMurray said lack of awareness is fuelling the illegal trade. "Most of the consumers, the general public and most of the law enforcers cannot tell what is illegal from what is legal." The coalition also intends to catalyse political support to end the illegal trade that is threatening human health, as trafficking contributed to the spread of deadly diseases such as Ebola, Sars and the bird flu. Kenya earns about 50 billion from tourism revenues yearly.





Brucellosis Less Prevalent in New Study
The Associated Press (Posted by billingsgazette.net)
09 Feb 2007
Area: Wyoming

Biologists recently detected fewer cases of brucellosis exposure in elk in the Buffalo Valley north of here than they did a year ago. But they say there are too many research uncertainties to draw clear conclusions from either set of results. Researchers captured 41 adult female elk and fitted them with radio collars. They also implanted transmitters to monitor where calving occurs or where calves are aborted.

The researchers got 39 suitable blood samples to test for exposure to brucellosis, a bacterial disease that can cause elk to abort their calves and can spread to cattle. Of those 39 samples, two came back positive for brucellosis exposure. That was a rate of 5 percent, down from 20 percent a year ago. "This is why we don't make broad assumptions on a single year's data," said Terry Kreeger, a wildlife veterinarian for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.





How Badger Culling Creates Conditions for Spread of Bovine TB
Innovations Report
12 Feb 2007
Area: UK

A stable social structure may help control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB) among badgers, ecologists have found. The findings – published online in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Animal Ecology – have important implications for the role of badger culling as part of the strategy to control bovine TB in the UK.

According to the authors from the Central Science Laboratory and the Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegético in Spain: “The evidence suggests that movement of individuals between groups may be instrumental in driving disease dynamics at the population level, and adds further support to the contention that the social disruption of badger populations, for example by culling, is likely to promote disease spread.” Data for the study came from an undisturbed high-density badger population in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, that has been intensively studied by ecologists for more than 15 years.

The authors analysed almost 9,000 trapping records involving 1,859 different badgers between 1990 and 2004. Each time a badger was trapped it was sexed, weighed and samples of blood, sputum, urine and faeces were taken before it was released. They found that TB rates were lowest when there was the least movement of individual badgers between groups.


>>>FULL ARTICLE

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USDA to Distribute Oral Rabies Vaccine in Florida [Press Release]
USDA (Posted by thehorse.com)
09 Feb 2007
Area: Florida

Wildlife Services, a program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, will distribute oral rabies vaccine baits across portions of west central Florida beginning on, or about Feb. 14, to prevent the spread of raccoon rabies. Baits containing oral rabies vaccine will be distributed over rural areas using low-flying twin-engine aircraft and helicopters while hand baiting will occur in populated regions using ground-based vehicles. The projected four-week program will target raccoons and result in the distribution of approximately 540,000 baits covering roughly 2,950 square miles across six counties.

Since 2002, USDA has been cooperating with the Florida Departments of Health and Agriculture and Consumer Services, in addition to the counties of Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter to vaccinate raccoons where this variant of rabies threatens wildlife populations and pets, as well as public health and safety. Baits are made of fishmeal polymer and are packaged in one-inch square cubes surrounding a sachet containing the vaccine. Humans and pets cannot get rabies from coming into contact with the baits but are asked to leave the baits undisturbed should they encounter them. This vaccine has been shown to be safe in more than 60 different species of animals, including domestic dogs and cats.





Bird Flu Sparked by Market Trade, Not Wildlife: UN
The Associated Press (Posted by globeandmail.com)
09 Feb 2007
E Lederer
Photo courtesy of K Wigglesworth/AP Photo

Experts suspect the current spread of bird flu in Asia, Africa and Europe is mainly a result of trade in infected live birds rather than transmission through wild birds, the U.N. official co-ordinating the global fight against avian influenza said Friday. Dr. David Nabarro said investigators looking into the cause of a bird flu outbreak at a commercial turkey farm in Britain are now focusing on a possible link with the transfer of partly processed birds from a farm in southeastern Hungary where there was an outbreak last month. Britain's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said preliminary inquiries indicated the strain of H5N1 bird flu found at the British farm was identical to the strain found last month in Hungary.

Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw said the government was investigating whether there were “bio-security breaches” at the British farm, owned by Bernard Matthews PLC, Europe's biggest turkey producer. Movement of poultry — either live or dead — from an area where H5N1 bird flu had been found violates U.N. guidelines, Dr. Nabarro said. The U.N. bird flu chief said the recent upsurge in H5N1 bird flu outbreaks around the world is not a surprise, explaining that there have been seasonal spikes in each of the past few years.


at Monday, February 12, 2007 0 comments
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