In the Spotlight- Revisiting a Disease Investigation

From the Disease Investigation Archives

Widespread Common Murre Mortality in Alaska in 2004
Photo courtesy of NOAA Ocean Explorer

In late March, 2004 USFWS biologists reported mortality of common murres along the south central Alaska coast. Estimating mortality in wide-ranging pelagic birds is a very inexact undertaking but their estimate was 1,000 to 2,000 dead murres at that time. The USFWS organized beach surveys to collect suitable specimens and attempt to quantify the mortality.

The NWHC received common murres and one common loon carcass from two National Wildlife Refuges and the Alaska Sea Life Center. The observations of emaciation and possible heavy GI parasitism, and traumatic injuries in murres from one Refuge, were consistent with those made by pathologists examining bird submitted for rehabilitation at the Alaska Sea Life Center. Diagnostic investigation at the NWHC have not identified any significant toxicological or infectious disease agents in the specimens submitted. The NWH Epizootic Database contains records of indicates 19 epizootics in common murres since 1982 along the Pacific coast from Alaska to central California. Estimated mortality in these events ranged from 9 birds to 11,000 birds with one large scale epizootic of 120,000 murres along the south central Alaska coast in the spring of 1993. The primary diagnoses were emaciation in 9 epizootics, open in 8 epizootics and petroleum toxicosis in 2 epizootics.

Source: USGS National Wildlife Health Center Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report, January 2004 to March 2004


View More Disease Cases Involving the Common Murre on a Map

The Epizoo Data Viewer summarizes information on mortality events (epizootics) in wildlife gathered by members of the Field Investigations Team at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Complete data from 1975 to 2003 are included, as well as some data from earlier years.


To explore the Epizoo map begin by:

1. Follow the link to the map here
2. Click the 'Query' button in the top navigation bar
3. In the 'Species' drop-down box select 'Murre, Common' to view case reports
   
   

Know of Another Interesting Past Disease Investigation?

If you know about an interesting past disease investigation, please consider forwarding a brief description with supporting web links to where readers can learn about the case details. Email this information to us at wdin@usgs.gov and we'll share it here on the Digest with your colleagues.