January 9, 2012

Today's Wildlife Disease News Stories

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ProMED Archive# 20120104.0021: Avian influenza: China (Hong Kong) H5N1

Black-headed gulls test positive for H5 virus

A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (3 Jan 2012) that 2 dead black-headed gulls found in Tuen Mun and Lantau have tested positive for the H5 avian influenza virus in preliminary testing, adding that further confirmatory tests are being conducted.

The 1st gull was collected at EcoPark, 133 Lung Mun Road, Tuen Mun, on 30 Dec 2011 while the 2nd one was found at a drain near Sha Lo Wan Soccer Pitch, Lantau, on 1 Jan 2012.

ProMED Mail - promedmail.org
03 Jan 2012
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Location: Hong Kong, China - Map It



More Avian Influenza News


Bald Eagles Dying Of Lead Poisoning


On a frozen Washington County field partially covered in snow, bald eagle number 11-694 was found motionless and barely breathing.

The landowner placed it in a box and brought it to Carlos Avery Wildlife Area where the mature eagle was quickly taken to the Gabbert Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.

“This was an acute lead poisoning. This bird didn’t live more than a few days after it ingested this poison,” said Dr. Pat Redig, co-founder of the Raptor Center.

...In fact, of the 29 bald eagles admitted last year, only one survived the lead poisoning to be released back into the wild.

CBS Minnesota - minnesota.cbslocal.com
03 Jan 2012
Location: Washington Cty, Minnesota, USA - Map It


Another outbreak of coral disease hits the reefs of Kane'ohe Bay, O'ahu

In March 2010 an outbreak of a disease called acute Montipora White Syndrome (MWS) was discovered affecting coral reefs in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu.... It was estimated that over 100 colonies of rice coral (Montipora capitata) died during that initial outbreak.

The disease has reappeared and is killing corals in Kaneohe Bay. The current outbreak has already affected 198 colonies and a rapid response team led by Dr. Greta Aeby (HIMB) has been activated to document the outbreak.

...Aeby observes that coral disease outbreaks were predicted to occur more frequently on reefs from chronic human stressors and global climate change, she states "it appears that these predictions are becoming a reality for the reefs of Kaneohe Bay.

EurekAlert - www.eurekalert.org
05 Jan 2012
Location: Hawaii, USA - Map It



OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo courtesy of The Guardian's feature The Week in Wildlife
More on Fish Disease in Canada
More on marine animal deaths in Gladstone, Australia
Year of the Bat!