In the Spotlight – Upcoming Wildlife Health Related Meetings

Upcoming Wildlife Health Related Meetings

IWRC Symposium: Rescue and Rehabilitation
Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
November 9-12, 2011

Scheduled symposium events include book signings, wildlife films, a reception, a banquet and more.

>>> Conference Site

The Wildlife Society 18th Annual Conference
Waikoloa Village, Hawaii, USA
November 5-10, 2011

The conference's Plenary Session will focus on ways in which natural-resource agencies can work with a variety of public and private groups to more-effectively conserve North America’s unparalleled wildlife resources. In addition, the challenge of invasive species is critical to The Wildlife Society's mission and so a second general session has also been added to specifically address the issue of invasives.

>>> Conference Site

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America 32nd Annual Meeting
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
November 13 - 17, 2011

>>> Conference Site

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.

>>>TO CALENDAR

For those who use RSS readers, like Google Reader or Bloglines, WDIN also provides the RSS feed, 'Upcoming Meetings and Event'. Subscribers are notified of upcoming meetings over the next four months. You can subscribe here. Non-RSS users might find this link useful too. Click on the subscription link anytime and get the same list of upcoming meetings.


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.org and we will add it.

Today's Wildlife Disease News Stories

TOP STORIES

Tularemia outbreak likely in Emporia

An individual in Emporia found eight dead rabbits in his yard over a period of time and contacted Wildlife and Parks. He collected the ninth animal, a squirrel, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) sent it to the Southeast Cooperative for Wildlife Disease Study.

According to Mark Ruder of the University of Georgia, a necropsy, Florescent Antibody Test and bacterial culture were initiated. The initial necropsy showed lesions on the liver and other organs consistent with Tularemia, a disease of animals and humans caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. No human deaths have occurred in Lyon County. The Florescent Antibody Test came up positive for Tularemia. However, this test is known to have occasional false positives. The initial bacterial test also points to Tularemia.

… All testing has been stopped and it is likely that the cultures and tissue samples will be incinerated. The Office of Biosafety at the University of Georgia will not allow testing to continue and a decision is now being made as to whether or not the specimens should be forwarded to the Centers For Disease and Prevention(CDC). The Georgia lab is not set up for dealing with Tularemia so any subsequent testing will likely involve Kansas State University. SCWDS is in contact with the CDC. The KDHE has also been notified.

The Emporia Gazette - www.emporiagazette.com
28 Sept 2011
Location: Emporia, Kansas, USA - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Scientists find frog genes that provide immunity to extinction plague

Scientists with Cornell have discovered genetics that may provide immunity to frogs in face of the killer amphibian-disease chytridiomycosis. This plague, which is spreading to amphibian populations worldwide, is responsible for a number of frog species' recent extinction. But now researchers report in a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that they are one step closer to understanding why some frog populations are able to fend off the disease, while others succumb with lightning-speed. In time, the results may lead to breeding strategies in captivity that could produce immune populations.

Researchers collected lowland leopard frogs (Lithobates yavapaiensis) from five populations in Arizona. In the lab they tested the frogs with chytridiomycosis, which is caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Three of the populations died, but two populations withstood the infection. Investigating the populations, researchers found that a particular genetic code within the frogs' major histocompatibility complex (MHC) may be key.

MHC is a protein in all vertebrates that alerts the body's immune system to disease; lead researcher, Ann Savage, explained to the BBC that MHC was like a 'gatekeeper' for immunity. However MHC is only capable of recognizing certain diseases: those it doesn't catch run amok. Capable of recognizing chytridiomycosis and fending it off, the surviving frogs had different genetic signatures than those who perished.

Monga Bay - www.mongabay.com
27 Sept 2011
J Hance

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Little Tassie devils carry hope of species

Devil Ark, a project spearheaded by the Australian Reptile Park, officially opened at Barrington Tops last week and is the largest conservation breeding program for the devil on mainland Australia.

The brainchild of Reptile Park owner John Weigel, Devil Ark aims to save the marsupial from the highly contagious devil facial tumour disease which is threatening the species’ existence. While the project is still in its infancy, it isn’t the only thing at Devil Ark that is, with the unique site now home to an estimated 20 baby devils.

“It’s hard because the animals are in big free range enclosures and living in wombat holes and burrows and once they have their young we don’t like to trap their young to have a look at them, but the reality is there are probably about 20,” Mr Weigel said. The plan is to have 360 devils by the end of 2015 and so according to Mr Weigel they are on track, thanks to the Central Coast’s help.

Express Advocate - www.expressadvocate.com
28 Sept 2011

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo courtesy of The Guardian

• DNR says equine encephalitis outbreak expands
• Anthrax, Elephant - India: Kerala (suspected) (Kerala, India - Map It )
• Endangered dolphins near extinction
• Role of fish farms in wild salmon infections poorly studied, Cohen panel told
• NOAA: Gulf shrimpers top killer of tea turtles in U.S. in 2005

Wildlifel Disease Journal Digest

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Plague and Climate: Scales Matter
PLoS Pathog. 2011; 7(9): e1002160. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002160
T Ben Ari et al.

The Pattern of Influenza Virus Attachment Varies among Wild Bird Species
PLoS ONE. 2011; 6(9): e24155. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024155
E Jourdain et al.

The Fecal Viral Flora of California Sea Lions
The Journal of Virology. 2011 Oct; 85(19): 9909-9917. doi:10.1128/JVI.05026-11
L Linlin et al.

West Nile Virus Vector Competency of Culex quinquefasciatus Mosquitoes in the Galapagos Islands
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Sep;85(3):426-33.
G Eastwood et al.

Veterinary syndromic surveillance: Current initiatives and potential for development
Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2011 Aug 01; 101(1-2): Pages 1-17
FC Dorea et al.

Conceptualising the technical relationship of animal disease surveillance to intervention and mitigation as a basis for economic analysis
BMC Health Serv Res. 2011 Sep 19;11(1):225. [Epub ahead of print]
B Hasler et al.

Influenza-a viruses in ducks in northwestern Minnesota: fine scale spatial and temporal variation in prevalence and subtype diversity
PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24010. Epub 2011 Sep 13.
BR Wilcox et al.

Genetic analyses of avian influenza viruses in Mongolia, 2007 to 2009, and their relationships with Korean isolates from domestic poultry and wild birds
Poult Sci. 2011 Oct;90(10):2229-42.
HM Kang et al.

Articles citations courtesy of Australian Wildlife Health Network

Goose haemorrhagic hepatitis caused by a new subtype duck hepatitis type 1 virus
Vet Microbiol. 2011 Sep 28;152(3-4):280-3. Epub 2011 May 14.
M Liu et al.

Tungiasis in a free-ranging jaguar (Panthera onca) population in Brazil
Parasitol Res. 2011 Aug 24. [Epub ahead of print] . doi:10.1007/s00436-011-2625-8
CE Widmer and FC Azevedo

National Zoo Biosecurity Manual [pdf]
March 2011

Animal Health Surveillance Quarterly Report - 1 April to 30 June 2011 [pdf]
Volume 16, Issue 2
Australian Wildlife Health Network - p. 7 - 9
Aquatic Animal Health - p. 9

Today's Wildlife Disease News Stories

TOP STORIES

Disease hinders reintroduction of water voles

The semi-aquatic mammals are vulnerable to infection by a range of diseases that also infect humans, including giardia, cryptosporidium and leptospirosis.

Researchers found that the diseases seem to be more prevalent amongst the rodents that have been released into the wild as part of reintroduction projects. In some cases reintroduced water voles were found to be nearly seven times as susceptible to diseases such as leptospirosis than existing resident populations.

Biologists from the Wildlife Conservation Unit at Oxford University, who wrote the report for the People's Trust for Endangered Species, believe this extra burden of disease is hampering efforts to restore populations of water voles in parts of the country.

The Telegraph - www.telegraph.co.uk
25 Sept 2011
R Gray

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Red squirrel could be extinct in two decades as numbers fall by 50% in last 50 years (and hedgehogs aren't far behind)

The red squirrel faces extinction in the next two decades as its population has dropped by half in the past 50 years, warn researchers.

Efforts through wildlife biodiversity action plans to save British mammals have failed to halt the decline in numbers of red squirrels, as well as hedgehogs, Scottish wildcats and dormice.

Red squirrel populations have been hit by invasive grey squirrels, which compete with reds for food and carry a disease which is fatal to their native cousins.

… The omens for the red squirrel have also not been helped by the discovery in Scotland in 2005 of the squirrel pox virus, carried by grey squirrels.

The disease had previously been confined to England, where it has been one of the causes of the huge reduction in the number of red squirrels.

The Daily Mail - www.dailymail.co.uk
25 Sept 2011
C Parsons

>>> FULL ARTICLE

UCLA Scientists Find H1N1 Flu Virus Prevalent In Animals In Africa

UCLA life scientists and their colleagues have discovered the first evidence of the H1N1 virus in animals in Africa. In one village in northern Cameroon, a staggering 89 percent of the pigs studied had been exposed to the H1N1 virus, commonly known as the swine flu.

"I was amazed that virtually every pig in this village was exposed," said Thomas B. Smith, director of UCLA's Center for Tropical Research and the senior author of the research. "Africa is ground zero for a new pandemic. Many people are in poor health there, and disease can spread very rapidly without authorities knowing about it."

H1N1 triggered a human pandemic in the spring of 2009, infecting people in more than 200 countries. In the U.S., it led to an estimated 60 million illnesses, 270,000 hospitalizations and 12,500 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The virus, known scientifically as Influenza A (H1N1), is made up of genetic elements of swine, avian and human influenza viruses. The pigs in Cameroon, the researchers say, were infected by humans.

"The pigs were running wild in that area," said lead author Kevin Njabo, a researcher in UCLA's department of ecology and evolutionary biology and associate director of the Center for Tropical Research. "I was shocked when we found out it was H1N1. Any virus in any part of the world can reach another continent within days by air travel."

Imperial Valley News - www.imperialvalleynews.com
25 Sept 2011

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo courtesy of The Guardian

• Brandon emus die in 1st Vt. case of EEE (Brandon, Vermont, USA - Map It )
• Trace amounts of crude oil harm fish
• Invasive species menace Florida ecosystem (Florida, USA)
• DNA confirms existence of NZ bird thought extinct (New Zealand)
• Nebraska asks hunters to look for deer diseases (Nebraska, USA)

West Nile Virus

• Crow with West Nile Virus found on West Point campus (West Point, New York, USA - Map It )

Today's Wildlife Disease News Stories

TOP STORIES

Hooks, parasites, fungi - and the fishes struggle on

A fungal disease and a parasite are making fish sick at a central Queensland harbour, biosecurity authorities say.

Fishing in Gladstone's harbour has been banned for three weeks, after fish were found with sores and cloudy eyes.

Fisheries Queensland general manager of habitat and assessment John Robertson said initial test results identified two conditions: red-spot disease and a parasite.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Dr Robertson said red-spot disease is endemic in Queensland and usually occurs either during winter months when the immunity of the fish is lower, or following the first heavy rainfall of the wet season.

... Dr Robertson said more research was needed into the parasite, which affected the eye of the fish.

"We now know that this parasite is what has been causing the cloudy eyes in some barramundi in the area," he said.

Brisbane Times - www.brisbanetimes.com.au
23 Sept 2011
Location: Gladstone, Queensland, Australia - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Whale, calf wash up on Cape Lookout

An adult pygmy sperm whale that washed up along Cape Lookout National Seashore this week died and her calf had to be euthanized, but there was at least one positive outcome with the latest marine mammal stranding along Carteret County.

“We learn from each stranding event,” said Dr. Vicky Thayer, coordinator for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network for the central area of North Carolina.

The information gathered helps determine why they may have died or what may have contributed to the stranding.

… The adult whale, which measured about 9.5 feet, had already died and the calf, which was about 3 feet, was still alive but appeared weak, he said.

Thayer said it appears the adult whale had an illness, and a necropsy — or animal autopsy — was done to help determine the cause of death.

ENC Today - www.enctoday.com
23 Sept 2011
Location: Cape Lookout, North Carolina, USA - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo courtesy of The Guardian

Avian Botulism

• Botulism outbreak at Aurora parks cited in duck deaths (Aurora, Colorado, USA)
• Avian Botulism puzzles Great Lakes scientists

West Nile Virus

• West Nile found near Red Bluff (Red Bluff, California, USA - Map It )
• West Nile Virus Found in Dead Squirrel (Calabasas, California, USA - Map It )

It Ain't All Bad News

• Australia bracing for whale baby boom

In the Spotlight - A Bulletin on Universal Precautions for the Management of Bat White-nose Syndrome

USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Wildlife Health Bulletin - Universal Precautions for the Management of Bat White-nose Syndrome

...Infectious diseases such as WNS spread rapidly when a pathogen can persist in the environment without the need for host organisms, abundantly reproduce itself, and readily infect large numbers of animals. Regardless of the infectious agent (fungus, bacterium, or virus), standard procedures known as universal precautions can be implemented to reduce disease transmission and spread (Thrusfield, 2005; USDA National Animal Health Emergency Management System Guidelines: Biosecurity).

These standard disease management procedures as applied to WNS include decontamination procedures, equipment restrictions, and limitation of access to contaminated environments. The primary objective for implementing universal precautions is to prevent human-assisted movements of pathogens to unaffected locations.

... A variation to the recommendation to implement management actions (decontamination procedures, equipment restrictions, and site closures) across all habitats suitable for maintaining viable WNS fungus is to develop a targeted or zoned disease management program.

However, instituting management actions only at locations known to be contaminated by the WNS fungus may increase risk for disease spread, because: 1) there is currently no diagnostic method to rapidly and routinely screen environmental samples (e.g., cave soil) to identify contaminated sites (Lindner et al, 2010); and 2) identifying contaminated sites based solely upon the observation of sick bats is unreliable. Furthermore, as the WNS fungus has been found in environmental samples collected in caves and mines where WNS occurs (Puechmaille et al, 2011; Blehert et al, 2011), universal precautions indicate that presence of fungus must now be assumed unless absence can be proven.

Decontamination procedures, equipment restrictions, and site closures are currently in place to reduce the potential for humans to transfer the WNS fungus. These guidelines are based upon scientific standards routinely employed for the management of animal diseases and represent a responsible approach to minimize risk to important natural resources.

We cannot yet rapidly screen sites for the presence of WNS fungus when visibly infected bats are absent, we cannot safely and effectively treat wild bats for WNS, we cannot decontaminate fragile cave ecosystems upon which bats rely, nor can we limit the natural movements of bats. Modifying human activity by implementing decontamination procedures, equipment restrictions, and site closures are the options currently available for managing the spread of WNS; these procedures will be reviewed as indicated by additional scientific findings.

>>> READ ENTIRE WILDLIFE HEALTH BULLETIN

White-Nose Syndrome Resources
Photo courtesy of US Fish and Wildlife Service; Credit: Ryan von Linden/New York Department of Environmental Conservation

Fish and Wildlife Service – WNS Web Page

• WNS National Plan [21-page report as pdf]

• WNS National Plan: Questions and Answers [2-page pdf document]
  
• Decontamination Protocols for Researchers [26-slide ppt]

• WNS Maps

• Images from WNS Survey Activities

• Comprehensive List of Resource Links

• Research Projects

National Wildlife Health Center – WNS Web Page

• WNS Health Bulletins

Wildlife Disease Information Node

• Collection of White-Nose Syndrome Journal Articles

What Other Essential WNS Resources Should Every Wildlife Professional Know About?

Know of an invaluable WNS resource (e.g. manual, website, map or image gallery) that every wildlife professional should be aware of? Send the title and a link (if available) of this indispensable resource to us at digest@wdin.org, and we will share it with your colleagues on the Digest.

Today's Wildlife Disease News Stories

TOP STORIES


Mallards dying in Lake Forest lakes

In the last two weeks, more than 30 dead or dying ducks have been found at ponds and lakes around the city.

Residents of the Lake I and Lake II communities have reported finding hen and drake mallards floating in the lakes there and flopping on nearby grass. Dead ducks also have been found at Village Pond Park and nearby at the Forest Gardens Mobile Home Park. Officials from Orange County Animal Care have picked up some of the dead birds, and residents have tried to save some birds by taking them to the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach.

... Debbie McGuire, wildlife director at the center, said the birds are definitely under the influence of a toxin and are being treated as fast as they are coming in. Most have healthy, plump bodies but are becoming paralyzed.

... McGuire said one of the dead ducks will need to be sent for necropsy to a lab on the East Coast to determine exactly what is killing the birds. The center is overwhelmed with hundreds of sea birds with toxin-related poisoning and is low on funds, so it might take longer to get the necropsy done, she said.

Orange County Register News - www.ocregister.com
19 Sep 2011
Location: Orange County, California, USA - Map It

Photo courtesy of R Palmisano, The Orange County Register

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Thousand of white bass turn up dead in Arkansas River

Wildlife officials have discovered thousands of dead fish along the Arkansas River in Little Rock and were still counting carcasses on Tuesday, a day after an angler reported seeing dozens of dead white bass.

"We are on the river trying to determine the extent of the fish kill," said Keith Stephens, public information coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Wildlife investigators said the dead fish were mainly white bass, which are common in the river, and were between 5 and 8 inches long. Most were found near the foot of the Two Rivers Bridge, an 80-foot pedestrian bridge that opened in July.

An Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology official said toxins had not been eliminated as a potential cause and that oxygen levels had tested normal so far. Other test results for disease and parasites could take a month to conclude.

Reuters - www.reuters.com
20 Sep 2011
S Parker
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas, USA - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

ProMed Archive No. 20110919.2851: Avian influenza: Netherlands (DR) LPAI, swan, Request for Information

A mild (low pathogenic) variant of avian influenza has been detected in a bird trading business in Zuidwolde (Drenthe). The mild bird flu was found in 83 swans destined for export.

The swans, routinely kept "in the wild," are caught before being traded. Low pathogenic avian influenza is very common in wild birds. It is, therefore, not surprising that the swans were found infected; their contamination came to light because they had to undergo testing prior to export.

ProMed - www.promedmail.org
15 Sep 2011
Location: Zuidwolde, Netherlands - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Other Avian Influenza News
>>> Bird flu batters South African ostrich farms
>>> Bird flu in India: Government steps in to curb outbreak

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 Sep 21, 2011 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
21 Sep 2011
Location:USA

>>> Updated Wildlife Mortality Event Table

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
Photo courtesy of The Guardian

• Tracking equipment could be harming wild birds, experts warn [Postmortem study of red kites has aroused suspicions that radio transmitters be damaging their health and welfare]

• 2 Cass County deer diagnosed with viral disease [EHD] [Location: Cass County, Michigan, USA - Map It ]

• Newsmaker: Jonathan L. Lustgartenn [Veterinarian student wins UN of Penn Student Inspiration Award]

• Tasmanian devils - scientists working to save devils from deadly disease

• An accident leads Yale scientists to tick-borne disease in Russia [newly identified tick-borne illness][cited paper HERE]

• DYING OFF: Bat populations continue to drop across region [Location: New Hampshire, USA]

• Zoo will study connections between animal, human health [St. Louis Zoo, Missouri, USA]

• Bid to save squirrels from deadly disease [squirrelpox virus][United Kingdom]

• 10 More Dead Birds Found Infected With West Nile Virus [Location: Costa County, California, USA, Lafayette - Map It , Walnut Creek - Map It , Pleasant Hill - Map It , Concord - Map It ]

It Ain't All Bad News

• Frogs win fight against disease [Chytridiomycosis and Armoured Mist Frogs]

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Zoological institution participation in a West Nile virus surveillance system: Implications for public health
Public Health. 2011 Sep;125(9):592-9. Epub 2011 Jul 19.
E Pultorak et al.

Climate change & infectious disease: is the future here?
Environ Health Perspect. 2011 Sep 1;119(9):a394-7.
CM Cooney

Recent advances in the study of avian malaria: an overview with an emphasis on the distribution of Plasmodium spp in Brazil
Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2011 Aug;106 Suppl 1:3-11.
EM Braga

Waterborne infectivity of the Ranavirus frog virus 3 in Xenopus laevis
Virology. 2011 Sep 1;417(2):410-7. Epub 2011 Jul 23.
J Robert et al.

Maryland One Health Bulletin - September 14, 2011 [pdf]
Volume 01, Issue 14

Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine - September 2011
Volume 42, Issue 3

Characterisation of a highly pathogenic H5N1 clade 2.3.2 influenza virus isolated from swans in Shanghai, China
Virus Genes. 2011 Sep 9. [Epub ahead of print]
G Zhao et al.

Rapid PCR-Based Molecular Pathotyping of H5 and H7 Avian Influenza Viruses
J Clin Micro. 2011; [Epub ahead of print]
M Leijon et al.

Organization of Fish and Wildlife Information Management - September 2011 [pdf]
Fall Issue

West Nile virus: North American experience
Integrative Zoology. 2011 [Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1111/j.1749-4877.2011.00251.x
EK Hofmeister

European Journal of Wildlife Research - October 2011
Volume 57, Number 05

Participatory epidemiology: Approaches, methods, experiences
The Veterinary Journal. 2011; Epub ahead of print
A Catley et al.

Wildtool, a flexible, first-line risk assessment system for wildlife-borne pathogens
European Journal of Wildlife Research. 2011 Oct; 57(5): 1065-1075. doi: 10.1007/s10344-011-0520-3
P Tavernier, et al.

Collision Mortality Has No Discernible Effect on Population Trends of North American Birds
PLoS ONE. 2011; 6(9): e24708. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024708
TW Arnold and RM Zink

The Pattern of Influenza Virus Attachment Varies among Wild Bird Species
PLoS ONE. 2011; 6(9): e24155. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024155
E Jourdain et al.

Understanding the ecological drivers of avian influenza virus infection in wildfowl: a continental-scale study across Africa
Proc Biol Sci. 2011 Sep 14. [Epub ahead of print]
N Gaidet et al.

Evidence for distinct CWD strains in experimental CWD in ferrets
J Gen Virol. 2011 Sep 14. [Epub ahead of print]
MR Perrott et al.

Limited Susceptibility of Pigeons Experimentally Inoculated with H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses
J Vet Med Sci. 2011 Sep 16. [Epub ahead of print]
Y Yamamoto et al.

Anticipating the Species Jump: Surveillance for Emerging Viral Threats
Zoonoses Public Health. 2011 Sep 14. doi: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2011.01439.x. [Epub ahead of print]
ML Flanagan et al.


Top Stories - News Briefs

• Biodiversity helps dilute infectious disease, reduce its severity
• Dozen New Frogs, Plus Three 'Extinct' Ones, Found [India]
• Monroe safe from deadly deer disease; Northampton tests positive [New Jersey, USA]

No News Updates Today - Slow News Cycle

No Updates Today

Due to the slow news cycle, the Digest is not posting updates today.

In the meantime, keep sending us news! We depend on our readers to inform us if the Digest is missing important wildlife disease issues. Our news search process is automated and sometimes news items get missed.

Email your news reports to us at digest@wdin.org. Uncertain about the kind of news items we accept? See our News Selection Policy.

Thank you for your continued support,
The Digest Team

Today's Wildlife Disease News Stories

TOP STORIES

Cats in Savoy test positive for 'rabbit fever'

Three cats from two households in Savoy have tested positive for tularemia, or "rabbit fever," an infectious disease that has been relatively rare in Illinois.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District said the cats were diagnosed in July and September at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

The three cases could indicate an increased concern for the disease in the area, health officials warned.

Tularemia is caused by a bacteria found in animals, especially rodents, rabbits and hares, and cats may become infected by preying on those animals or through tick exposure, according to the health district.

The News Gazette - www.news-gazette.com
14 Sept 2011
Location: Savoy, Illinois, USA - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

New Threat Closes in On Iconic Galápagos Wildlife [West Nile Virus]

Renewed vigilance over the biosecurity of the Galápagos Islands is needed, based on new research on the risk posed by West Nile virus. Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the University of Leeds and the New York State Department of Health, together with the Galápagos National Park Service and University of Guayaquil, have been studying the disease threat posed by Islands' mosquito populations. They have discovered that a species of these biting insects is capable of transmitting West Nile virus, a potentially dangerous disease for the archipelago's unique wildlife.

West Nile virus (WNV) most commonly affects birds, but can infect mammals, including humans, and reptiles. Previous studies of West Nile virus impact in the USA have linked the virus to declines in several bird populations, demonstrating the high risk it poses to the Galápagos' endemic species. The virus recently invaded South America, but has yet to reach the Galápagos.

Recent studies on tourist boats and planes have shown that the mosquito species Culex quinquefasciatus (also known as the Southern house mosquito) is hitching a ride onto the Galápagos on airliners. Culex species are well-known vectors of WNV elsewhere in the world, so their presence on the Islands has caused concern amongst the scientific community.

Science Daily - www.sciencedaily.com
16 Sept 2011

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Salmon shark found dead on Seacliff State Beach: Juvenile shark suffered from bacterial encephalitis

A juvenile salmon shark found stranded on Seacliff State Beach on Sunday, likely died from an infection that is commonly found in young salmon sharks, according to preliminary tests performed by the Californian Department of Fish and Game.

The meter-long shark was found by early-morning beach visitors who notified Park Ranger John Gunnik. Sean Van Sommeran of the Santa Cruz-based Pelagic Shark research Foundation then worked with Gunnik to pack the shark in ice packs and ship it via FedEx to a Fish and Game laboratory in Southern California.

… "We always want to make sure there isn't a pollution event that is causing the deaths," he said. Thursday, William Cox of the Fish and Game Department confirmed preliminary lab tests showed the shark was infected with bacterial encephalitis, a common cause of death for young salmon sharks.

According to researchers, every year about a dozen salmon sharks are found on California shores and more often than not they are found to have the same infection, which can disorient the sharks.

Santa Cruz Sentinel
15 Sept 2011
Location: Seacliff State Beach, California, USA - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Bird eggs poisoned by toxins

Toxic industrial pollutants contaminate bird eggs in Australia's major eastern cities at levels seven to nine times higher than those in inland areas, a new study has found.

The findings raise questions about potential impacts on bird breeding success and about the accumulation of such toxins in their predators higher up the food chain.

Researchers at the Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre at UNSW tested for pollution levels in eggs of Australian white ibis sampled in and around Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane and Melbourne and compared them with eggs from the same species at four rural wetlands in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

The tests revealed widespread contamination from a range of environmentally hazardous man-made pollutants – including DDT, dioxins and PCBs - released as a result of the use of pesticides, flame retardants and cooling agents and by industrial incineration.

"The good news is that pollutant levels found in Australian ibis eggs are not as bad as in other parts of the world," says researcher Camila Ridoutt, an Honours student in environmental science and author of the study. On average, they were lower than levels from major urban cities such as United States and China, although the difference varied from only 1 per cent lower for dioxins to more than 100 per cent lower for PCBs.

Science Alert - www.sciencealert.com.au
16 Sept 2011

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

• Preventing Pandemic: The Wildlife Forensics of New and Emerging Diseases
• Distemper outbreak in O.S. raccoon population (Ocean Springs, Mississipi, USA - Map It )
• Fishermen are beached whale on the beach of Maranhão (Ponta de Aracagi, Brazil - Map It )

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease

• UPDATE: Bernards Deer Apparently Disease Stricken (Bernards, New Jersey, USA - Map It )
• Game commission: Virus killed farmed Pa. deer (Danielsville, Pennsylvania, USA - Map It )

West Nile Virus

• More West Nile mosquitoes found in Poconos this year than in last decade (Poconos, Pennsylvania, USA)
• Bird Tests Positive for West Nile in Vilas County (Vilas County, Wisconsin, USA - Map It )

It Ain't All Bad News

• New Species of Dolphin Discovered in Australia

In the Spotlight : Wildlife Health Newsmaker Interview with Dr. James N. Mills

Wildlife Disease News Digest
In the Spotlight


Wildlife Health Newsmaker Interview with Dr. James N. Mills




Who are you?

James N. Mills, Ph.D., Editor, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (WildlifeDisease@gmail.com)
Retired Chief, Medical Ecology Unit, Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Adjunct Professor, Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University
Member, Scientific Committee, DIVERSITAS EcoHealth Cross-cutting Network
Chair, DIVERSITAS EcoHealth, Biodiversity and Emerging Disease working group

What are you working on now?

• As its Editor, I advocate, represent, and provide leadership for the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, including conducting workshops on writing and publication for scientists and graduate students of wildlife disease in Latin American Countries. The Journal is experiencing a period of rapid global evolution as evidenced by the near-doubling of total numbers of submitted manuscripts and quadrupling of manuscripts from non-North American countries in the last three years.

• As a senior scientific advisor and consultant to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Agriculture, and other federal agencies, I am serving as a consultant and on working groups involving zoonotic disease, climate change, and vaccine studies. I am also providing expert testimony concerning zoonotic pathogens.

• I am actively working with nongovernmental organizations that advance the translation of research findings to practice; for example organizing and co-chairing a special session on Biodiversity Loss and the Emergence of Infectious Disease for “Planet Under Pressure,” in March, 2012, London.

• I am providing lectures and training on zoonotic and vector-borne disease topics and wildlife disease research and safety in national and international forums. In November I will give a keynote presentation on climate change and emerging zoonotic diseases for the symposium “Strategies for Zoonoses Prevention under Climate Change” in Taipei, Taiwan.

• I am mentoring a soon-to-graduate Ph.D. student studying Disease Ecology at Emory University, and serving on dissertation committees for several other Ph.D. students.

• I continue to collaborate in ongoing research projects in several countries (e.g, Colombia, Brazil, Peru) and to publish original scientific articles in wildlife and zoonotic disease ecology.

How does your work benefit wildlife disease research?

Promulgation of research results in the scientific literature is the primary means by which knowledge grows and discoveries are applied. The Journal of Wildlife Diseases is the premier international journal for Wildlife Disease research.

Just as wildlife biodiversity increases toward the topics, so does the diversity of wildlife pathogens. Especially as human encroachment of formerly pristine tropical habitats increases, the tropics will be the primary sources of emerging wildlife and zoonotic diseases. Yet the developing countries of the tropics represent the areas that receive the least research and are least understood.

I believe that our efforts toward internationalization of the Wildlife Disease Association, encouragement of publication by scientists from less represented countries and making the Journal available, free of charge, to scientists from countries in the lowest economic tiers will contribute to more research and greater understanding of wildlife diseases in those areas of the world that are least studied.

What do you see as the most significant challenge for wildlife health professionals today working in the field of wildlife diseases?

For too many years scientists in different disciplines (veterinary science, ecology, public health, conservation) have worked toward overlapping goals without collaboration and published in their own literature. This has resulted in inefficiencies and duplication of effort.

Multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional, collaborative research projects may be the only way to understand the increasingly complex wildlife disease issues brought about by climate change coupled with expanding human perturbation of natural habitats.

>>> READ FULL INTERVIEW