Wildlife Disease News Digest

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It's Toad Vs. Fungus In The Marshes Of Wyoming
NPR Weekend Edition Saturday - www.npr.org
29 Aug 2009
M Messick
Photo credit: Joel Sartore/National Geographic via Getty Images

In southeast Wyoming's Mortenson Lake, there's a death match going on between the amphibian chytrid fungus and the Wyoming toad, one of the most endangered amphibians in the United States.

Observers had expected the fungus to kill off the species, but, while many toads have died, the population is slowly growing again.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Disease Threat May Change How Frogs Mate
ScienceDaily - www.sciencedaily.com (Source: Wiley - Blackwell)
31 Aug 2009

Dr Amber Teacher, studying a post-doctorate at Royal Holloway, University of London, has discovered evidence that a disease may be causing a behavioural change in frogs.

The research, published in the August edition of ‘Molecular Ecology’, has unearthed a surprising fact about our long-tongued friends: wild frogs in the UK may be changing their mating behaviour.

Dr Teacher conducted her research with colleagues from the Institute of Zoology and Queen Mary, University of London.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article
>>>Population genetic patterns suggest a behavioural change in wild common frogs (Rana temporaria) following disease outbreaks (Ranavirus). Molecular Ecology. 2009 Jun 29; 18(15): 3163 - 3172.

A second Woodland Park penguin dies; more are sick
Seattle Post Intellige
27 Aug 2009
S Sunde
Photo credit: Dennis Dow
Area: Woodland Park Zoo, King County, Seattle, Washington - Map It

The Woodland Park Zoo says an old penguin died this week, and complications from avian malaria are suspected.

The 21-year-old bird had been undergoing medical treatment, including a blood transfusion. Avian malaria is a parasitic blood disease that mosquitoes transmit.

Three other penguins show symptoms of malaria. But the zoo says those symptoms are less severe than the bird that died had.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Reported Wildlife Mortality Events to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Updated
USGS National Wildlife Health Center
31 Aug 2009
Area: United States

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 Aug 29, 2009 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.

>>>Updated Wildlife Mortality Event Table

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo credit: Scientific American