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A New Virus is Attacking North America’s Wild Turkey Populations
Hunters chasing down their Thanksgiving gobblers may not be able to detect virus from sight alone
As Thanksgiving nears and gravy-drenched pieces of hot turkey induce culinary daydreams, wildlife biologists are trying to connect the dots on a virus that has started to infect North America’s wild turkey population.
Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus, known as LPDV, has been present in domestic turkeys in Europe and Israel for decades, but in the last few years, biologists have started confirming cases in wild turkeys in the eastern United States. Some of the infected birds have lesions on their head and feet, although many of the sick fowl are not symptomatic, making their identification difficult.
...Efforts are currently underway to screen these birds and figure out the prevalence of the virus. Early indications are that LPDV is common in this test group of turkeys, but many unknowns remain. For example, Brown said pinpointing where these infected turkeys reside is difficult. The best he could estimate was “throughout the eastern US.”
Earth Island
25 Nov 2013
Location: Eastern United States
Woylie decline linked to parasitic infection
BLOOD parasites called Trypanosoma have been implicated in the population decline of a critically endangered marsupial.
A collaboration between Murdoch University and the Department of Parks and Wildlife, has identifyed Trypanosoma as one of the possible causes behind the rapid decline of the woylie (Bettongia pencillata).
Trypanosoma, largely considered to be non-pathonagetic to wildlife, can become pathogenic in times of stress, gestation, poor nutrition and co-infections.
This study is the first to investigate and correlate the presence of Australian trypanosomes with tissue damage in marsupial hosts, detailing their capacity to invade cells in the vertebrate host.
Science Network Western Australia
06 December 2013
Sarah Curran-Ragan
Cited Article
Adriana Botero et al. Trypanosomes genetic diversity, polyparasitism and the population decline of the critically endangered Australian marsupial, the brush tailed bettong or woylie (Bettongia penicillata). International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife. 2013 Dec; 2: 77–89
Loss of wetland biodiversity increases disease risk in frogs
Amphibians in species-poor wetlands have a higher risk of becoming infected with a virulent parasite than those in wetlands with a rich diversity of species, according to a Purdue University finding that sheds light on how biodiversity moderates the transmission of infectious diseases.
In wetlands with a wide variety of both amphibian and parasite species, Pacific chorus frogs are far less likely to become infected with Ribeiroia ondatrae, a trematode that causes limb malformations in frogs and newts.
"The loss of species diversity has major implications for how harmful and deadly diseases are transmitted in nature," said Jason Hoverman, an assistant professor of vertebrate ecology. "While the risk of getting infected with this trematode is largely a factor of how many trematodes are present in the community, we found that disease transmission is also impacted by the number of host species and other parasite species in the system."
The study addresses a paradox of disease ecology: In highly diverse communities, potential hosts are less likely to become infected with harmful pathogens, even though these communities contain more parasites overall. In complex wetland systems, frogs may carry a greater number of parasites, but hosts and parasites work in tandem to prevent infections by the most virulent pathogens. Reducing parasite diversity as well as host diversity greatly increases a frog's risk of contracting a crippling parasite such as Ribeiroia ondatrae.
The implications of losing biodiversity go beyond wetlands, Hoverman said.
Purdue University
03 Dec 2013
Cited Article
Pieter T. J. Johnson, Daniel L. Preston, Jason T. Hoverman, and Bryan E. LaFonte
PNAS. 2013 Oct 15; 110(42): 16916-16921. [Epub ahead of print 2013 Sep 2013 September 30, 2013] doi: 10.1073/pnas.1310557110
Golden eagles with mange
The Wildlife Investigations Lab has been involved in the investigation of three cases of severe mite infestation, or mange, affecting subadult golden eagles in central California. Two cases were reported to WIL by SPCA for Monterey County in December 2012 and August 2013, while a third case was reported by biologists with the East Bay Regional Park District, also in August 2013. The eagles had significant feather loss and crusting of the skin on their head, neck, legs, and lower abdomen.
Severe mite infestation is unusual in birds and especially uncommon in adult birds. The degree of feather loss and infestation exhibited by these golden eagles has not been previously documented.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Investigation Lab
06 Dec 2013
Location: View location of reports in California, USA on Global Wildlife Disease News Map 
OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH NEWS STORIES
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- UCSB researcher shows microplastic transfers chemicals, impacting health: Study demonstrates plastic ingestion delivers pollutants and additives into animal tissue
- Updated: Los Gatos Woman Finds Dead Mountain Lion [Los Gatos, California, USA - Map It ]
- Latest facilities in disease diagnostic laboratory Kohima [India]
- Rainfall to Blame for Decline in Arctic Peregrines [Cited Article HERE]
- Vt. Fish & Wildlife collecting blood samples from deer, moose to test for EEE virus [Vermont, USA]
- Wisconsin DNR upgrades online chronic wasting disease map [USA] [Find CWD maps HERE]
- Deer disease impacts expected to be short-lived in Foothills, Watauga not hit hard [hemorrhagic disease][Texas, USA]
- Third minke whale found dead on UK shores [View location of reports in the United Kingdom on the Global Wildlife Disease News Map ]
- Virus killing bottlenose dolphins may be jumping species, report says [The virus was detected in two pygmy sperm whales and three humpback whales that were stranded in Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia - View locations on Global Wildlife Disease News Map ]
- Latest dolphin death probed; is fatal virus spreading to whales? [Keansburg, New Jersey, USA - Map It ]
- Beached pygmy sperm whale on Treasure Coast [Stuart, Florida, USA - Map It ]
- Large study shows pollution impact on coral reefs—and offers solution
- New research could lead to "revolution" in bovine TB control
US Fish and Wildlife Service Knowledge and Learning Resources [View all Current and Live Webinars]
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