Wildlife Disease News Digest

TOP STORIES

Port River dolphins 'scalded'

Experts say photographs taken by members of the public show the bottlenose dolphins have lost most of the skin on the upper parts of their sleek bodies.

The "serious burns" were first seen last week and reported to renown marine biologist and Port River dolphin expert Dr Mike Bossley who has studied photos sent to him.

He said dolphins can suffer severe sun burn if stranded on the beach or mudflat for extended periods but that scenario was unlikely in this instance because Wave and Tallula seldom leave the safety of the Port River estuary.

Adelaide Now - www.adelaidenow.com.au [submitted by the Australian Wildlife Health Network]
13 Apr 2010
D Robertson
Photo credit: Mike Bossley
Location: Port Adelaide River, South Australia - Map It

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Related News
Manatee found dead at Patuxent River shore - Calvert County, Maryland, USA - Map It

Baby Whale on Oregon Coast Died of Rope Entanglement - Sunset Beach, Seaside, Clatsop County, Oregon, USA - Map It

Bat-killing fungus confirmed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

A fungus that has decimated the bat population in the Northeast has now been detected in the Smokies, officials said Monday.

National Park Service spokesman Bob Miller said one little brown bat taken from hibernation at White Oaks Blowhole Cave tested positive for white-nose syndrome.

A news release from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park said the debilitating fungus was confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis.

Daily Times - www.thedailytimes.com
19 Apr 2010
Location: Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Blount County, Tennessee, USA - Map It

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Related News
WNS depresses cavers, leaves others puzzled

Satellite Technology Targets Disease Hotspots for Avian Influenza

Wildlife Trust, the global conservation health organization, recently launched a multi-organizational effort to map current outbreaks of influenza virus to demonstrate an escalated need for surveillance of not only wild animals, but also domestic agricultural species in Bangladesh.

The program commenced in March of this year and is the first-of-its-kind in Bangladesh with Wildlife Trust research scientist, Dr. Kurt Vandegrift, serving as the project's principal investigator.

The collaborative team of researchers is monitoring migration movements of Asian water birds to determine their potential role in the spread of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus.

World-Wire - www.world-wire.com
19 Apr 2010

>>>FULL PRESS RELEASE

Related News
>>>Scientists find chicken antibodies may help prevent H5N1 pandemic
>>>Despite Success Against Avian Flu, H5N1 Virus Remains Entrenched in 5 Countries

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 April 16, 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
19 Apr 2010
Area: United States

>>>Updated Wildlife Mortality Event Table

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo credit: Guardian - www.guardian.co.uk