December 31, 2010

Digest Intermission

The Digest will take a brief interlude this New Year's Eve. Complete postings will resume next Monday, January 3. The Digest staff wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. See you in the new year!

Consider making it your New Year's resolution to forward wildlife health related news stories to us at the Digest. We welcome your submissions! It takes just seconds to help. Email the URLs of your news article suggestions to digest@wdin.org. Your wildlife health community thanks you.

at Friday, December 31, 2010
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December 30, 2010

TOP STORIES

Dead Teal Ducks With Bird Flu Strain Found In South Korea

South Korea's farm ministry said Tuesday that it has found 20 dead spectacled teal ducks, apparently affected by the virulent strain of bird flu, and have taken emergency decontamination measures, Yonhap news agency reported.

The discovery of the dead birds in Haenam 430 kilometres south of Seoul is the third such finding this month and is raising concerns among local poultry farmers.

The dead birds were found to be carrying the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza, but this does not mean South Korea was affected by the disease since no domestically raised ducks and chickens have become sick, officials said.

BERNAMA - www.bernama.com.my
29 Dec 2010
Location: Haenam, Cholla-namdo, South Korea - Map It


Related News [Follow-up Story]


Manatees in Mobile Bay, Pascagoula River die in cold weather

A manatee found in Mobile Bay died en route to the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport on Christmas, and another manatee was found dead along the Pascagoula River in Moss Point on Tuesday.

Moby Solangi, IMMS director, said crews from the Moss Point Police Department were helping his staff load the manatee onto the trailer. A necropsy will be performed today to try to determine the cause of the manatee’s death.

He thinks the cold weather could be to blame.

Sun Herald - www.sunherald.com
28 Dec 2010
Photo credit: L Sladky/Associate Press


Related News


OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo credit: O Humphreys/PA
Follow-up News
White-nose Syndrome

at Thursday, December 30, 2010

December 29, 2010

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest



Browse complete Digest publication library here.


Chronic Wasting Disease Update - Report No. 99 [pdf]
USGS National Wildlife Health Center and B Richards
13 Dec 2010
 
Detection of West Nile Virus in Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) Parasitizing Juvenile American White Pelicans
Journal of Medical Entomology. 2010; 47(6): 1205-1211
G Johnson et al.

National Wildlife Disease Program - The Carrier - September 2010 [pdf]
Volume 2, Issue 3

The Interaction of Ruminant PrPSc with Soils Is Influenced by Prion Source and Soil Type
Environ. Sci. Technol. 2010;44(22): 8503–8508
BC Maddison et al.



Marine Science Review - Blooms and biotoxins [pdf]
Volume 405

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management - November 2010
Volume 1, Issue 2

World Organization for Animal Health - OIE Bulletin - 2010 [pdf]
OIE working methods
Volume 3

Journal of Aquatic Animal Health - September 2010
Volume 22, Issue 3



Interactions between Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and its amphibian hosts: a review of pathogenesis and immunity
Microbes Infect. 2010 Oct 14. [Epub ahead of print]
J Voyles et al.

Rapid End-Point Quantitation of Prion Seeding Activity with Sensitivity Comparable to Bioassays
PLoS Pathog 6(12): e1001217.
JM et al.

Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre National Workshop for Wildlife Health Professionals [pdf]
One World One Health Session Report (1-19 pages)
February 24, 2010 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada


Top Stories - News Briefs

at Wednesday, December 29, 2010

December 28, 2010

TOP STORIES

Beak deformities spread through crow population

Formerly rare beak deformities are spreading rapidly among crows in southwestern B.C. and Puget Sound, according to researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The biologists observed an unusual concentration of crows with badly overgrown beaks in Alaska beginning a little over 10 years ago.

According to the scientists, a capture program in 2007 and 2008 revealed that more than 16 per cent of the Alaskan crow population was afflicted, "the highest rate of gross deformities ever recorded in a wild bird population."

Vancouver Sun - www.vancouversun.com
24 Dec 2010
R Shore
Location: British Columbia, Canada




Biologists head to bunkers to fight bat disease

Biologist Susi von Oettingen walked into the dark World War II-era military bunker and took out her flashlight.

Among the old pipes, wires and machinery parts, she saw some bats hanging from cracks in the cement walls and ceiling.

It was an unusual place for the bats to hibernate, different from a mine or cave. But something else was different, too: None of them had white-nose syndrome, a fungus that's killing bats across the country.

Google News - www.google.com/hostednews (Source: Associated Press)
25 Dec 2010


Related News



OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo credit: Guardian News 
Exotic Species
Florida Panther
Huh, That's Interesting!

at Tuesday, December 28, 2010

December 27, 2010

TOP STORIES

Wasting disease found in Frederick deer

Chronic wasting disease likely could threaten the region's deer population for years, according to the state agency studying the illness.

A 4-point buck killed in western Frederick County in late November tested positive for the disease, according to a news release the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The positive test marked only the second time the disease has appeared in a deer specimen in Virginia, according to the release. A hunter shot the buck near the West Virginia line, less than two miles from where Virginia's first case of CWD appeared last year, the agency reported.

The Northern Virginia Daily - www.nvdaily.com
A Bridges
22 Dec 2010
Photo credit: R Cooley/Northern Virginia Daily
Location: Frederick County, Virginia, USA - Map It



Corals 'Severely Slimed' After Oil Spill, Expedition Finds

. . . While German said the team was refraining from making any conclusions about the source of the brown goo before the analysis was complete, he said, "it doesn't look like it's part of the natural system."

The coral were "covered in brown goop that we haven't seen anywhere else," German said, describing the site as a "smoking gun" that may be representative of other impacted coral communities.

German said that the coral coated in brown goop was about 7 miles southwest of the spill site.

LiveScience - www.livescience.com
M Heger
22 Dec 2010
Photo credit: Lophelia II 2010/NOAA OER and BOEMRE
Location: Gulf of Mexico - Map It



Bees One of Many Pollinators Infected by Virus Implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder

Penn State researchers have found that native pollinators, like wild bees and wasps, are infected by the same viral diseases as honey bees and that these viruses are transmitted via pollen.

This multi-institutional study provides new insights into viral infections in native pollinators, suggesting that viral diseases may be key factors impacting pollinator populations.

. . . According to Diana Cox-Foster, co-author and professor of entomology at Penn State, pollinator populations have declined for various reasons, including ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses, which are emerging as a serious threat.

Science Daily - www.sciencedaily.com
22 Dec 2010
Photo credit: iStockphoto


Journal Article Cited


OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Follow-up News
Threatened Species
Photo credit: Maclennan/SCF

at Monday, December 27, 2010

December 24, 2010

Digest Intermission

Photo credit: J Withers/U.S. National Park Service
There will be no regularly scheduled News Digest today, Christmas Eve. The Digest will resume Monday, December 27. The staff of the Wildlife Disease Information Node wish you and yours a happy and safe holiday season.

Thank you for your support and continued readership of the News Digest. As always, we appreciate the wildlife health news you pass along to us. Upon review, we will post the news stories you submit to the greater Digest community. Email us your wildlife health related news articles at digest@wdin.org.

at Friday, December 24, 2010
Labels:

December 23, 2010

TOP STORIES

Genetic breakthrough in fight against honeybee killer

A breakthrough in the battle against a deadly mite responsible for decimating the honeybee population has been welcomed by conservation groups.

The varroa mite is the biggest killer of honeybees and has become resistant to medication developed to destroy it.

But now scientists have identified a genetic technique that could stop the mite in its tracks.

Guardian - www.guardian.co.uk
22 Dec 2010
Photo credit: AP


Related News


Hooded crane in Kagoshima confirmed as infected with avian flu

A hooded crane found in Japan's largest crane wintering place in Izumi Plains, Kagoshima Prefecture, was confirmed Tuesday as having been infected with an H5N1 strain of highly infectious avian influenza, the Environment Ministry said.

But the ministry said it is unclear whether the strain is highly lethal. The dead bird was being tested at Tottori University in Tottori Prefecture after it tested positive in a preliminary test.

Three others that are dead and tested positive in a preliminary test on Tuesday will be sent to the school for detailed tests.

Mainichi Daily News - mdn.mainichi.jp
22 Dec 2010
Location: Izumi-Takaono National Wildlife Protection Area, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan - Map It



Summary of 2010 Newcastle Disease virus outbreaks in wild birds in upper Midwest and the Northeast

This bulletin summarizes 2010 Newcastle Disease die-offs, compares this year’s outbreak with past outbreaks, and reports the first recorded finding of virulent Newcastle Disease virus (vNDV) in double-crested cormorants in Maryland, which expands the known geographic range of vNDV in wildlife.

This is the first time vNDV has been identified in double-crested cormorants in Maryland, which is a particular concern because of the high density of domestic poultry in this area.

In early September 2010, the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) issued a bulletin about virulent Newcastle Disease virus (vNDV) that was found in double-crested cormorants in the North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Saskatchewan.

USGS National Wildlife Health Center - www.nwhc.usgs.gov
20 Dec 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 December 21, 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
22 Dec 2010
Area: United States



WDA Student Awards Competition - 2011

Each year the Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) sponsors student awards competitions. At the 2011 WDA meeting in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (August 14-19, 2011), students are encouraged to compete for four awards.

  1. Wildlife Disease Association Graduate Student Research Recognition Award
    DEADLINE: Applications must be received no later than Friday, April 1, 2011.
  2. Wildlife Disease Association Graduate Student Scholarship
    DEADLINE: Applications must be received no later than Friday, April 1, 2011.
  3. Wildlife Disease Association Terry Amundson Student Presentation Award
    DEADLINE: Applications must be received no later than Friday, April 15, 2011.
  4. Wildlife Disease Association Student Poster Award
    DEADLINE: Applications must be received no later than Friday, April 15, 2011.

Additional information concerning application requirements and judging criteria are available on the WDA website at: http://www.wildlifedisease.org/Student_Awards.htm.



OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Prion News

Follow-up News
Huh, That's Interesting!
Photo credit: Forest elephant photo by Nicholas Georgiadis; Savanna elephant photo by A. Schaefer

at Thursday, December 23, 2010

December 22, 2010

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest



Browse complete Digest publication library here.


USGS National Wildlife Health Center -Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report
April 2010 to June 2010

Considerations for minimising the spread of infectious disease in Antarctic seabirds and seals
Polar Record. 2011; 47(1): 56-66
Wray Grimaldi et al.


Diseases of Aquatic Organisms - December 2010
Volume 93, Number 1

Impacts of biodiversity on the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases
Nature. 2010 Dec 2;468(7324):647-52.
F Keesing et al.

Veterinary Pathology - November 2010
Volume 47, Number 6



Importance of wildlife disease surveillance [pdf]
Human - Wildlife Interactions. 2010 Fall; 4(2):165–169
JL Belant and AR Deese

Marine Science Review - Pathogens and disease [pdf]
Volume 408

The Wildlifer - November 2010
Issue 368

Organization of Fish and Wildlife Information Managers (OFWIM) Newsletter- September 2010



Harmful algal bloom species and phosphate-processing effluent: Field and laboratory studies
Mar Pollut Bull. 2010 Dec 7. [Epub ahead of print]
M Garrett et al.

["Constanze": a trinational project on avian influenza in wild birds at Lake Constance][Article in German]
Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd. 2010 Nov;152(11):507-13.
I Brunhart et al.

Road mortality reduces survival and population growth rates of tammar wallabies on Garden Island, Western Australia
Wildlife Research. 2010; 37(7): 588-596
B Chambers and R Bencini


Top Stories - News Briefs

at Wednesday, December 22, 2010

December 21, 2010

TOP STORIES

Tottori avian flu hunt finds 23 dead birds

Tottori Prefectural Government experts found 23 dead birds Sunday in the city of Yonago during field studies conducted to look for abnormalities after a strain of the highly pathogenic avian flu virus was found in a dead swan.

The experts said they will send the birds to Tottori University in an effort to determine if they were infected with the deadly bird flu virus.

About 20 animal specialists from Tottori patrolled roads, stretches of coastline and other areas within a 10-km radius of a house in the city of Yonago where an infected swan was found, and within a 10 km radius of a poultry farm hit earlier by bird flu in the neighboring city of Yasugi in Shimane Prefecture, officials said.

Japan Times Online - search.japantimes.co.jp
20 Dec 2010
Photo credit: Kyodo Photo
Location: Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, Japan - Map It and Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Japan - Map It




More Pelicans Wash Up On Beaches

Another day, another group of pelicans are found dead on local beaches. A wildlife volunteer made a gruesome find Friday night.

Deborah Woody a volunteer for Possumwood Wildlife Sanctuary walked North Topsail beach for hours Friday night.

She discovered nine more pelican bodies. These nine add to the 120 birds that are believed to have died of unnatural causes in the last month.

WCTI Channel 12 News - www.wcti12.com
18 Dec 2010
S Ratliff
Location: North Topsail Beach, Hubert, North Carolina, USA - Map It




Feds culling elk as disease continues killing them

Government scientists are grappling with unchecked elk herds infected with a mysterious disease.

So as a third round of culling begins to try to reduce the size of the herd, National Park Service chief veterinarian Margaret Wild is taking the lead.

The dart gun she fires from a federal truck finds an easy target — a female foraging in a snow-dusted meadow in the park west of Estes Park, which hosts the densest elk population in the Rocky Mountain region.

Denver Post - www.denverpost.com
18 Dec 2010
B Finley
Photo credit: RJ Sangosti
Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA




Scientists ask feds for emergency protection of bats

Scientists and conservation groups are asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to immediately protect what was the most common bat species in the Northeast only five years ago.

The little brown bat is being ravaged by White Nose Syndrome, a fast-moving deadly illness named for a powdery white fungus that appears on bats nose, face and wings.

The disease has already killed more than a million bats in the U.S. and scientists say it could mean the extinction of little brown bats in the Northeast within 20 years.

Boston Globe - www.boston.com
20 Dec 2010
B Daley




OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

Primates
Photo credit: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty
Bovine Tuberculosis
Bighorn Sheep
It Ain't All Bad

at Tuesday, December 21, 2010

December 20, 2010

TOP STORIES

Poisoning drives vulture decline in Masai Mara, Kenya

Vulture populations in one of Africa's most important wildlife reserves have declined by 60%, say scientists. The researchers suggest that the decline of vultures in Kenya's Masai Mara is being driven by poisoning.

The US-based Peregrine Fund says farmers occasionally lace the bodies of dead cattle or goats with a toxic pesticide called furadan.

This appears to be aimed at carnivores that kill the livestock, but one carcass can poison up to 150 vultures.

BBC News - news.bbc.co.uk
V Gill
17 Dec 2010
Photo courtesy of BBC News
Location: Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya - Map It



Stranded Dolphin Transferred to Galveston

A bottle nose dolphin found stranded at the Padre Island National Seashore is in critical condition at a rehabilitation center in Galveston.

Buc-ee, a 7-year old male, was found stranded on Friday evening.

KZTV 10 News - www.kztv10.com
K Dean
13 Dec 2010
Photo courtesy of KZTV 10 News
Location: Padre Island National Seashore, Texas, USA - Map It



Unsupervised clustering of wildlife necropsy data for syndromic surveillance

The importance of wildlife disease surveillance is increasing, because wild animals are playing a growing role as sources of emerging infectious disease events in humans.

Syndromic surveillance methods have been developed as a complement to traditional health data analyses, to allow the early detection of unusual health events.

Early detection of these events in wildlife could help to protect the health of domestic animals or humans. This paper aims to define syndromes that could be used for the syndromic surveillance of wildlife health data.

7th Space - 7thspace.com
16 Dec 2010


Journal Article Cited


Basic Raptor Rehabilitation Workshop
Gabbert Raptor Center, St. Paul Campus
St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
May 03- 06, 2011

The Raptor Center, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of MN, is hosting its first ever “Basic Raptor Rehabilitation” workshop, May 3-6, 2011. This 4-day intensive workshop will include both didactic instruction as well as hands-on learning, and focus on the process of rehabilitation from the time of patient admission through to its release.

A six session on-line preparatory course accompanies the workshop and must be completed prior to attending. For additional information and registration instructions, please visit the Raptor Center website here at http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/about/VeterinaryEducation/basicraptorrehabilitationworkshop/home.html



OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo credit: S Willnow/AP

at Monday, December 20, 2010

December 17, 2010

In the Spotlight - OIE Global Conference on Wildlife

OIE Global Conference on Wildlife
“Animal Health and Biodiversity – Preparing for the Future”
Paris, France
23 - 25 February 2011

The OIE is pleased to announce the OIE Global Conference on Wildlife “Animal Health and Biodiversity – Preparing for the Future” to be held in Paris, France from 23 to 25 February 2011. Organised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), in collaboration with FAO and WHO, this solution-focused conference will address both benefits and challenges that are related to coordinated management approaches to the health risks at the wildlife/domestic animal and human ecosystems interface.

This high-profile meeting will be a unique opportunity to build the future in the context of globalisation and climate change taking into account the need to protect biodiversity worldwide. It will inform responsible parties and decision makers about the important links between the health of wildlife, domestic animals and people and their relations with the environment. The conference will bring together participants from both the public and private sectors to analyse the societal benefits, including public health and environment, to be gained from protecting the health of wildlife.

In addition to OIE Delegates and Wildlife Focal Points, professionals and policy makers engaged in natural resource management, animal and human health and economic development will be invited.

This Global Conference will also be open to all other participants who are interested in the topic and would like to attend.

Source:OIE Global Conference on Wildlife website



Learn about Other Upcoming Meetings and Conferences Using the WDIN Event Calendar

If you are interested in staying current on upcoming wildlife disease related meetings, visit the Wildlife Disease Information Node's searchable Event Calendar.

Users can browse month-by-month or search for specific meetings. Click on a meeting title and get information directly from the conference web site.


Is an Important Meeting Missing?

If you notice that our calendar is missing an important meeting, please email the meeting url to us at digest@wdin.gov and we will add it.

at Friday, December 17, 2010
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