Has the Great Barrier Reef got a future?
Science Alert - www.sciencealert.com.au
25 Mar 2008
JE Vernon
Photo courtesy of Associated Press
Area: Australia
Once I would have thought that a ridiculous question. Yet today, if we assemble all the best science we have, the answer can at best be “maybe”. It may seem preposterous that the greatest coral reef in the world – the biggest structure made by life on Earth – could be seriously (I mean genuinely seriously) threatened by climate change. The question itself is probably already relegated in your mind to a ‘here-we-go-again’ catch-bag of greenie diatribe about the state of our planet. This view is understandable given that even a decade ago, there were many scientists who had not yet come to grips with the full implications of climate change.
Very likely you have a feeling that dire predictions about anything almost always turn out to be exaggerations. What you really think is: OK, where there’s smoke there’s fire, so there’s probably something in this to be worried about, somewhere. But, it won’t be as bad as those doom-sayers are predicting. When I started writing “A Reef in Time”, I knew that climate change was likely to have serious consequences for coral reefs, but even I was shocked to the core by what all the best science that existed was saying.
Epidemics, economics and extinction
Science Alert - www.sciencealert.com.au
20 Mar 2008
DM Watson
Area: Australia
The arrival of horse flu provides an instructive case-study into the threats posed by animal borne-disease—Australia’s vulnerability to them and the strength and scale of response required to deal with them. As with emergency medicine, the speed of response is critical—in many cases, a delayed response is often too late to make any difference. Rather than being a chance occurrence, epidemiologists and veterinary researchers have been anticipating epidemics like this, so the events of recent months provide a useful opportunity to gauge our preparedness. In particular it is useful to contrast the response to horse-flu in Australia with the reaction to other animal-borne diseases, notably the facial-tumour disease affecting Tasmanian Devils.
Are threats of economic and ecological disaster treated differently, and what are the short and long-term repercussions for Australia if we get it wrong? Twelve years ago, reports emerged of an unknown disease affecting Tasmanian Devils, leading to the growth of large tumours on their face and upper body. In addition to disfiguring the animals, the disease is both fatal and incurable, infected animals dying within several months of first showing symptoms. Biologists were quick to realise the implications of this epidemic, warning of potential ecological disaster if immediate action wasn’t taken.
Troubled waters hit Yellowstone
Denver Post - www.denverpost.com
22 Mar 2008
C Meyers
Photo courtesy of Trout Unlimited
Area: Wyoming, Montana United States
There's trouble in Paradise. Literally. Early results from studies of whirling disease infection in populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout indicate an extreme level of susceptibility that spells trouble for one of the nation's most treasured trout locations. Nowhere is the concern greater than in Paradise Valley, the spectacularly scenic and fish-fertile reach of the Yellowstone River where it flows from Yellowstone National Park downstream to Livingston, Mont. Early research reveals that the disease fatal to young trout has made its way into two-thirds of the tributaries that provide the bulk of reproduction for this internationally famous fishing area.
For Colorado anglers who love fishing for Yellowstone cutthroat, both in and outside the park, this news is not good. Worse, lab testing has shown the Yellowstone cutthroat to be six to seven times more susceptible to the malady than rainbow trout. "What concerns me is the susceptibility level," said Dick Vincent, whirling disease research coordinator with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. "That's scary. If they're going to be bothered by such a small exposure, we're in a lot of trouble." The worry began some time ago farther upstream in Yellowstone Lake, where this celebrated native trout suffers a double-edged attack.
CDC contracts will seed large biosurveillance networks
Government Health IT - www.govhealthit.com
20 Mar 2008
N Ferris
Area: United States
The biosurveillance networks funded this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will cover large areas of two states and a third region covering portions of three states. CDC is investing $38 million over five years. More than half the money will go to New York, where the state health department and the New York City health department will work with county health departments and six regional health information networks to establish a network for spotting disease outbreaks or bioterrorism incidents and for tracking cases of contagious diseases. Lori Evans, deputy New York State health commissioner in charge of the Office of Health Information Technology Transformation, said the Empire State is building a statewide health information network.
The CDC grant will support development of a universal public health node on that network, she said. The statewide health information network, in turn, will link to the Nationwide Health Information Network. The New York eHealth Collaborative is participating in the program to create trial implementations of the NHIN. Besides collecting public health data from health care providers, Evans said the network will help public health authorities understand better how to reduce the incidence of diseases such as asthma, tuberculosis and influenza. It also will keep authorities informed of hospital bed availability and the status of other resources in the event of an emergency.
Area: Australia
Once I would have thought that a ridiculous question. Yet today, if we assemble all the best science we have, the answer can at best be “maybe”. It may seem preposterous that the greatest coral reef in the world – the biggest structure made by life on Earth – could be seriously (I mean genuinely seriously) threatened by climate change. The question itself is probably already relegated in your mind to a ‘here-we-go-again’ catch-bag of greenie diatribe about the state of our planet. This view is understandable given that even a decade ago, there were many scientists who had not yet come to grips with the full implications of climate change.
Very likely you have a feeling that dire predictions about anything almost always turn out to be exaggerations. What you really think is: OK, where there’s smoke there’s fire, so there’s probably something in this to be worried about, somewhere. But, it won’t be as bad as those doom-sayers are predicting. When I started writing “A Reef in Time”, I knew that climate change was likely to have serious consequences for coral reefs, but even I was shocked to the core by what all the best science that existed was saying.
Related News
Epidemics, economics and extinction
Science Alert - www.sciencealert.com.au
20 Mar 2008
DM Watson
Area: Australia
The arrival of horse flu provides an instructive case-study into the threats posed by animal borne-disease—Australia’s vulnerability to them and the strength and scale of response required to deal with them. As with emergency medicine, the speed of response is critical—in many cases, a delayed response is often too late to make any difference. Rather than being a chance occurrence, epidemiologists and veterinary researchers have been anticipating epidemics like this, so the events of recent months provide a useful opportunity to gauge our preparedness. In particular it is useful to contrast the response to horse-flu in Australia with the reaction to other animal-borne diseases, notably the facial-tumour disease affecting Tasmanian Devils.
Are threats of economic and ecological disaster treated differently, and what are the short and long-term repercussions for Australia if we get it wrong? Twelve years ago, reports emerged of an unknown disease affecting Tasmanian Devils, leading to the growth of large tumours on their face and upper body. In addition to disfiguring the animals, the disease is both fatal and incurable, infected animals dying within several months of first showing symptoms. Biologists were quick to realise the implications of this epidemic, warning of potential ecological disaster if immediate action wasn’t taken.
Troubled waters hit YellowstoneDenver Post - www.denverpost.com
22 Mar 2008
C Meyers
Photo courtesy of Trout Unlimited
Area: Wyoming, Montana United States
There's trouble in Paradise. Literally. Early results from studies of whirling disease infection in populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout indicate an extreme level of susceptibility that spells trouble for one of the nation's most treasured trout locations. Nowhere is the concern greater than in Paradise Valley, the spectacularly scenic and fish-fertile reach of the Yellowstone River where it flows from Yellowstone National Park downstream to Livingston, Mont. Early research reveals that the disease fatal to young trout has made its way into two-thirds of the tributaries that provide the bulk of reproduction for this internationally famous fishing area.
For Colorado anglers who love fishing for Yellowstone cutthroat, both in and outside the park, this news is not good. Worse, lab testing has shown the Yellowstone cutthroat to be six to seven times more susceptible to the malady than rainbow trout. "What concerns me is the susceptibility level," said Dick Vincent, whirling disease research coordinator with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. "That's scary. If they're going to be bothered by such a small exposure, we're in a lot of trouble." The worry began some time ago farther upstream in Yellowstone Lake, where this celebrated native trout suffers a double-edged attack.
CDC contracts will seed large biosurveillance networks
Government Health IT - www.govhealthit.com
20 Mar 2008
N Ferris
Area: United States
The biosurveillance networks funded this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will cover large areas of two states and a third region covering portions of three states. CDC is investing $38 million over five years. More than half the money will go to New York, where the state health department and the New York City health department will work with county health departments and six regional health information networks to establish a network for spotting disease outbreaks or bioterrorism incidents and for tracking cases of contagious diseases. Lori Evans, deputy New York State health commissioner in charge of the Office of Health Information Technology Transformation, said the Empire State is building a statewide health information network.
The CDC grant will support development of a universal public health node on that network, she said. The statewide health information network, in turn, will link to the Nationwide Health Information Network. The New York eHealth Collaborative is participating in the program to create trial implementations of the NHIN. Besides collecting public health data from health care providers, Evans said the network will help public health authorities understand better how to reduce the incidence of diseases such as asthma, tuberculosis and influenza. It also will keep authorities informed of hospital bed availability and the status of other resources in the event of an emergency.
Berkshire Eagle - www.berkshireeagle.com
22 Mar 2008
BD Del La Mater
Photo courtesy of Associated Press
Area: Massachusetts United States
An ailment that has stumped scientists and has killed thousands of bats in New York and Vermont is now afflicting bats in Berkshire County and other parts of Massachusetts. The mysterious sickness has been dubbed "white-nose syndrome" due to one of the symptoms that can be spotted with the eye — white, powdery fungus coating a bat's nose. Tom French, assistant director of the endangered species program at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, visited Berkshire County caves in Cheshire, Sheffield and Egremont and two in Chester (Hampden County) within the last three weeks. Outside each of the caves, dead bats were found on the ground.
. . . French said the condition has stumped biologists and has international bat experts worried. It's unknown whether the deaths are being caused by a bacteria, disease or toxin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's disease laboratory in Wisconsin is testing dead bats pulled from Massachusetts caves. Labs in California and Florida are also testing for clues. Wildlife officials from Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Pennsylvania have been holding weekly conference calls to keep everyone updated "This is unprecedented," French said. "International scientists have never seen anything like this before."
>>>FULL ARTICLE
Related News
>>>Agency IDs infected bat cave
>>>Plenty of mystery surrounding diseased bats
>>>Bat illness could spread to Granite State
>>>Could it be something in the air?
Related News
>>>Agency IDs infected bat cave
>>>Plenty of mystery surrounding diseased bats
>>>Bat illness could spread to Granite State
>>>Could it be something in the air?
Devils not killed by chemicals
Science Alert (Source: Australia Policy Online)
25 Mar 2008
Area: Australia
The 'Save the Tasmanian Devil Program' of the Tasmanian Government commissioned an independent review of a small study of chemical residues in 23 devils affected with Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) and 22 unaffected devils. Depending on cost and sample size, chemicals were measured in either 8 or 16 DFTD positive (+ve) and DFTD negative (–ve) animals. A range of persistent chemicals were measured. Most animals had detectable residues in their fat or liver of: dioxins, dibenzofurans, PCBs, brominated diphenyl ethers, arsenic, cadmium and lead. No residues were found for 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate). Two of 32 had DDE. One had mercury. No detectable residues were found for a further 27 herbicides and pesticides.
OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Anger Over Culling of Yellowstone’s Bison- Killing deer is NOT the solution
- Tests, Quarantines & Permits to be Required for MN Cattle Imports
- WSU regents approve new school for animal-human health research
- ProMED-mail Lassa fever - Nigeria: (Ebonyi) - Archive Number 20080323.1100
- Bighorns facing smaller habitat
- Fishing Line Like A Noose For Birds
- Progress slow in fight against fever ticks
- Testing reveals rabid raccoon
- Rabid Bat Confirmed In Tyler Today
- Turkey quarantines village after bird flu confirmed
- Guy Carl: NOAA offers explanation for ongoing salmon decline
WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Emerging Infectious Diseases - April 2008
Volume 14, Number 4 [free-text available for all articles]
Includes these articles:
Wild Ducks as Vectors of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1)
Rapid Typing of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Strains with a Differential ELISA
Rabies Virus in Raccoons, Ohio, 2004
West Nile Virus in Birds, Argentina
Examining the hemagglutinin subtype diversity among wild duck-origin influenza A viruses using ethanol-fixed cloacal swabs and a novel RT-PCR method
Virology. 2008 Feb 27 [Epub ahead of print][online abstract only]
R Wang et al
Mass wildlife mortality due to cyanobacteria in the Donana National Park, Spain
Vet Rec. 2008 Mar 8;162(10):317-8. [no online abstract available]
V Lopez-Rodas et al.
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