Wildlife Disease News Digest

TOP STORIES

Michigan's First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease Detected at Kent County Deer Breeding Facility [Press Release]
Michigan DNR - www.michigan.gov/dnr
25 Aug 2008
Area: Michigan United States - Map It

The Michigan departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Natural Resources (DNR) today confirmed the state's first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a three-year old white-tailed deer from a privately owned cervid (POC) facility in Kent County. The state has quarantined all POC facilities, prohibiting the movement of all - dead or alive - privately-owned deer, elk or moose. Officials do not yet know how the deer may have contracted the disease. To date, there is no evidence that CWD presents a risk to humans.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Burlington crow tests positive for West Nile virus
Burlington Post - www.burlingtonpost.com
25 Aug 2008
Area: Burlington, Ontario, Canada - Map It

The Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre in Guelph has confirmed that a dead crow, picked up by the Halton Region Health Department in the area of Appleby Line and Hwy. 407 on Aug. 16, has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNv). It is Burlington’s first positive bird for 2008. This year, five other birds have tested positive for the virus in Oakville, the majority of them south of the QEW. “These (Wnv) positive birds reinforce our prevention messaging,” said Dr. Bob Nosal, medical officer of health for Halton Region.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Related News
>>>West Nile Virus found in Josephine Co.

- Josephine County, Oregon, USA - Map It

Reported Wildlife Mortality Events to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Updated
USGS National Wildlife Health Center
26 Aug 2008
Area: United States

USGS and a network of partners across the country work on documenting wildlife mortality events in order to provide timely and accurate information on locations, species and causes of death. This information was updated on Aug 22, 2008 on the USGS National Wildlife Health Center web page, New and Ongoing Wildlife Mortality Events Nationwide. Quarterly Mortality Reports are also available from this page. These reports go back to 1995.

>>> Updated Wildlife Mortality Event Table

Insect-Borne Virus Found in Delaware White-Tailed Deer [Press Release]
DNREC - www.dnrec.delaware.gov
25 Aug 2008
Area: Delaware United States - Map It

The Division of Fish & Wildlife is reassuring Delaware residents and hunters that an insect-borne disease that has been killing white-tailed deer throughout North America does not affect humans and has little long-range ramifications for the health of the state’s deer herd. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), also known as “blue tongue,” is the most significant disease afflicting white-tailed deer in North America but is also the best known and most widely studied, having first been identified in 1955 with regular, almost annual outbreaks since. By Delaware standards, last year was an uncommonly severe year, with 132 EHD-related deer fatalities. “We recently received the first report of a suspected EHD deer casualty this year, so we want to begin educating hunters and the public about the disease.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Image courtesy of www.hawaiianatolls.org

PCB's

Avian Influenza

WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Evolutionary and Transmission Dynamics of Reassortant H5N1 Influenza Virus in Indonesia
PLoS Pathogens. 2008;4(8): e1000130 [free full-text available]
TT-Y Lam et al.

Pathology of Puumala Hantavirus Infection in Macaques
PLoS One. 2008; 3(8): e3035 [free full-text available]
T Sironen et al.

EcoHealth - Ahead of Print

Ciguatera Fish Poisoning in La Habana, Cuba: A Study of Local Social–Ecological Resilience
Lobomycosis in Bottlenose Dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) from the Indian River Lagoon, Florida: Estimation of Prevalence, Temporal Trends, and Spatial Distribution

>>> Access these and other ahead of print abstracts

Veterinary Parasitology - Ahead of Print