February 18, 2010

TOP STORIES


TWRA Confirms First Cases of White Nose Syndrome in Tennessee Bats

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has received confirmation that two bats have tested positive for White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a white fungus that is responsible for the deaths of thousands of bats in the Eastern United States.

This is the first record of White Nose Syndrome in Tennessee. The bats were hibernating in Worley’s cave in Sullivan County.

Three tri-colored bats were collected by the TWRA and submitted to the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) in Madison, Wis. for testing last week.

TN.gov Newsroom - news.tennesseeanytime.org
16 February 2010
Photo credit: S Daniels
Location: Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA - Map It




Hunter-Killed Elk Test Negative for CWD and Other Diseases

Samples taken from the 43 hunter-killed elk during the state's 2009 hunting season have all tested negative for chronic wasting disease (CWD), according to Dr. Walt Cottrell, the Pennsylvania Game Commission's wildlife veterinarian.

Samples also tested negative for brucellosis and tuberculosis.

Cottrell noted that the Game Commission still is awaiting the results of CWD testing for the hunter-killed deer samples collected during the 2009 rifle deer season.

PR Newswire - www.prnewswire.com (Source: Pennsylvania Game Commission)
17 February 2010




Reported Wildlife Mortality Events to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Updated

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 February 17, 2010 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.

USGS National Wildlife Health Center 17 February 2010 Area: United States




OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
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WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED PUBLICATIONS
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European Journal of Wildlife Research - February 2010
Volume 56, Number 1

Evolution of virulence when transmission occurs before disease
Biol Lett. 2010 Feb 10. [Epub ahead of print]
EE Osnas and AP Dobson

Protease-Sensitive Synthetic Prions
PLoS Pathog. 2010 Jan 22;6(1):e1000736. [free full-text available]
DW Colby et al.

Mercury-associated DNA hypomethylation in polar bear brains via the LUminometric Methylation Assay: a sensitive method to study epigenetics in wildlife
Mol Ecol. 2010 Jan;19(2):307-14. Epub 2009 Dec 3.
JR Pilsner et al.

Xenoestrogen exposure and effects in bluegill from the Reedy River, South Carolina, USA
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2010 Jan;58(1):165-75. Epub 2009 Jun 2.
PS Truman and P van den Hurk

MHC diversity and differential exposure to pathogens in kestrels (Aves: Falconidae)
Mol Ecol. 2010 Jan 14. [Epub ahead of print]
M Alcaide et al.