Wildlife Disease News Digest

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Characterization of low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses isolated from wild birds in Mongolia 2005 through 2007
7th Space - 7thspace.com
05 Nov 2009

Since the emergence of H5N1 high pathogenicity (HP) avian influenza virus (AIV) in Asia, numerous efforts worldwide have focused on elucidating the relative roles of wild birds and domestic poultry movement in virus dissemination.

In accordance with this a surveillance program for AIV in wild birds was conducted in Mongolia from 2005-2007.

. . . Conclusions: Detection and/or isolation of AIV infection in numerous wild bird species, including 2 which have not been previously described as hosts, reinforces the wide host range of AIV within avian species.

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article

Characterization of low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses isolated from wild birds in Mongolia 2005 through 2007. Virology Journal. 2009; 6: 190.

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Caribbean, Gulf spared widespread coral damage
Associated Press - www.ap.org
05 Nov 2009
D McFadden

Lower-than-feared sea temperatures this summer gave a break to fragile coral reefs across the Caribbean and the central Gulf of Mexico that were damaged in recent years, scientists said Thursday.

Unusually warm water in recent years has caused the animals that make up coral to expel the colorful algae they live with, creating a bleached color. If the problem persists, the coral itself dies — killing the environment where many fish and other marine organisms live.

"We dodged a bullet this year. The good news is that temperatures didn't get quite warm enough for there to be a large-scale bleaching problem," said C. Mark Eakin, coordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coral Reef Watch network.

>>> FULL ARTICLE

State officials: Ducks found near Lynden died of fungal disease
The News Tribune - www.thenewstribune.com
04 Nov 2009
I Dills

Location: Lynden, Whatcom County, Washington, USA - Map It

More than 250 ducks found dead last week near Lynden appeared to have died from a fungal disease after eating moldy grain.

Kristin Mansfield, a veterinarian with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, said necropsies conducted on some of the ducks showed clear signs of aspergillosis, a fungal infection that can cause pneumonia in birds.

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Foxes, skunks spreading bat rabies variant in Arizona

JAVMA News - www.avma.org
15 Nov 2009
G Cima
Photo courtesy of USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Location: Arizona, USA - Map It

Foxes and skunks in northern Arizona are spreading an adapted version of a rabies virus variant associated with bats.

The state is also enduring a second consecutive record year for rabies cases in animals.

More than 200 animals in the state tested positive for rabies in the first nine months of 2009, including dozens of foxes and skunks that were infected with a bat virus variant that has adapted and spread among those terrestrial mammals. By contrast, only 176 rabid animals were discovered in all of 2008.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Reported Wildlife Mortality Events to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Updated
USGS National Wildlife Health Center
03 Nov 2009
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 May 31, 2007 [change this date to current date] 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