Wildlife Disease News Digest

TOP STORIES

Ohio finds 200 dead geese, others sick along Lake Erie

At least 200 geese have died for unknown reasons along the southwestern shores of Lake Erie while others are struggling to hold their heads up, stay upright and fly, Ohio officials said on Friday.

No cause has been diagnosed. Some of the dead birds have been sent to a national wildlife laboratory in Wisconsin for testing.

Many sick birds have been sent to rehabilitation facilities.

Reuters - www.reuters.com
18 Feb 2011
Location: Lake Erie, Ohio, USA - Map It

>>FULL ARTICLE

Gulf Coast dolphin death toll rises to nearly 60

The death toll of dolphins found washed ashore along the U.S. Gulf Coast since last month climbed to nearly 60 on Thursday, as puzzled scientists clamored to determine what was killing the marine mammals.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the alarming cluster of recent dolphin deaths "an unusual mortality event," agency spokeswoman Blair Mase told Reuters.

"Because of this declaration, many resources are expected to be allocated to investigating this phenomenon," she said.

Reuters - www.reuters.com
24 Feb 2011
L Coleman
Location: USA, Gulf Coast, Alabama - Map It, Mississippi - Map It, Louisiana - Map It

[Followup]

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Blue-green algae affecting reproductive health

Algal blooms that occur in rivers and waterways have been found to produce a previously unrecognized estrogen-like compound that adversely affects fish, plants and humans by disrupting the normal activity of reproductive hormones.

University of Tennessee researchers, led by biotechnologist Theodore Henry, compared groups of larval zebrafish exposed to blue-green algae (Microcystis) cells with those exposed to only the well-studied toxin they produce.

They found that only the fish in contact with the blue-green algal cells tested positive for a well known estrogenic biomarker.

Scienceagogo.com - www.scienceagogo.com
18 Feb 2011
K Melville

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Coral 'whisperers' diagnose reef pollution woes

ROBERT RICHMOND never meant to go to court. Yet there he was before a judge on the Micronesian island of Yap in the Pacific Ocean.

The coral forensics expert at the University of Hawaii was testifying in a case brought by Yap's tribal elders against the owner of the Kyowa Violet cargo ship, which in 2002 had slammed into a reef just outside Yap's main harbour, spewing 200,000 litres of oil into the lagoon.

The elders had turned to Richmond to find out whether the spill had damaged the reef even in areas that were not visibly oiled.

NewScientist - www.newscientist.com
S Van Gilder Cook
24 Feb 2011
Photo credit: Carlos Villoch/SplashdownDirect

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Update: Reward total rises as more swans found dead

THE reward to flush out the callous gunman who shot dead eight swans has risen from £5,500 to £10,500.

Three people have stumped up the cash between them after being disgusted by the shootings.

As reported, three dead swans were found covered in blood in a field off Totney Drove near Blackford by a passing motorist on Monday morning.

Weekly News - www.burnhamandhighbridgeweeklynews.co.uk
28 Feb 2011
Location: Blackford, Summerset, England - Map It

>>>FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS