USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report January 2001 to March 2001 |
Reported State |
Location |
Dates |
Species |
Mortality |
Diagnosis |
Reported By |
AR |
Arkansas Co., Little Sierra Duck Club |
01/09/01-01/16/01 |
American Coot, Unidentified Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, Gadwall |
206 (e) |
Aviancholera |
SC |
AR |
Baxter Co., Mountain Home |
03/14/01-03/30/01 |
Common Grackle |
20 (e) |
Toxicosis: organophosphorus cmpd. suspect |
NW |
CA |
Kings Co., Lake Success |
02/05/01-02/06/01 |
American Coot, Canada Goose, Pied-billed Grebe, American Wigeon, Double-crested Cormorant |
260 (e) |
Avian cholera |
CA |
CA |
Klamath Basin NWR |
02/01/01-04/15/01 |
Snow Goose, Ross' Goose, White-fronted Goose, American Coot, Unidentified Duck |
1,879 |
Avian cholera |
NW |
CA |
Los Angeles, Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties |
01/22/01-03/15/01 |
Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, House Finch |
25 (e) |
Salmonellosis |
NW |
CA |
Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR |
01/01/01-03/01/01 |
Ruddy Duck |
22 |
Bacterial infection: Riemerella anatipestifer |
NW |
CA |
Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR |
03/05/01-04/15/01 |
Ruddy Duck, Ring-billed Gull, American White Pelican, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler |
442 |
Avian cholera |
NW |
CO |
Jefferson Co., Crown Hill Open Space Park & Kendrick Lake |
02/01/01-03/01/01 |
Canada Goose |
100 (e) |
Open |
CO |
FL |
Monroe Co., Everglades NP |
02/02/01-02/02/01 |
Turkey Vulture |
100 (e) |
Drowning |
NW |
FL |
Monroe County, Various locations |
12/31/00-ongoing |
Brown Pelican, Common Loon, Great Blue Heron |
250 (e) |
Open |
NW |
GA |
Effingham Co., Springfield |
01/13/01-01/13/01 |
American Robin |
10 |
Toxicosis: Chlorpyrifos |
SC |
GA |
Morgan Co., Madison |
01/22/01-01/23/01 |
Common Grackle |
15 |
Toxicosis: diazinon |
SC |
IA |
Black Hawk Co., Waterloo |
12/24/00-01/02/01 |
Mallard |
67 |
Aspergillosis |
NW |
ID |
Caribou Co., Smoky Canyon |
07/18/00-08/10/00 |
Tiger Salamander |
2 |
Viral infection: Iridovirus |
NW |
ID |
Jefferson Co., Mud Lake |
03/18/01-03/26/01 |
Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, Canada Goose, Unidentified Gull, American Wigeon |
22 |
Avian cholera |
NW |
LA |
Cameron County |
01/06/01-01/15/01 |
Snow Goose, White-fronted Goose |
18 |
Avian cholera |
NW |
LA |
Several Counties |
01/26/01-02/02/01 |
Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird |
600 (e) |
Salmonellosis, Toxicosis: organophosphoruscmpd. suspect |
NW,LU |
NM |
Bosque del Apache NWR |
11/01/00-02/28/01 |
Snow Goose, Mallard, Sandhill Crane, American Coot, Northern Pintail |
1,848 |
Avian cholera |
BA |
OH |
Toledo, Maumee River |
01/11/01-01/15/01 |
American Black Duck, Mallard, Canvasback |
250 (e) |
Open |
NW |
OK |
Tillman Co., Hackberry Flat WMA |
01/02/01-02/14/01 |
Mallard, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Canada Goose |
2,100 (e) |
Mycotoxicosis suspect |
NW,OW |
OR |
Lincoln Co., near Toledo |
02/05/01-02/13/01 |
Hooded Merganser, Beaver, Mallard, Unidentified Kingfisher, Lesser Scaup |
11* |
Toxicosis: petroleum (oil): |
NW |
SC |
Dorchester County |
12/14/00-12/14/00 |
Common Grackle |
17 |
Toxicosis: carbamate suspect |
SC |
TX |
Aransas, Kendall, Harris,& Wood Counties |
02/03/01-03/01/01 |
Brown-headed Cowbird, Pine Siskin, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch |
43 (e) |
Salmonellosis suspect |
TX,HZ |
TX |
Kenedy Co., King Ranch |
01/09/01-01/17/01 |
White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Unidentified Grackle, Northern Pintail, American Coot |
958 |
Avian cholera |
NW |
TX |
Laguna Atascosa Lake |
01/10/00-02/10/00 |
Snow Goose, Green-winged Teal, American Avocet, Sandhill Crane |
200 (e) |
Open |
NW |
TX |
Nueces Co., Gulf beach |
01/28/01-03/15/01 |
Double-crestedCormorant |
100 (e) |
Salmonellosis |
NW |
TX |
Terrell, Dimmit & Briscoe Counties |
03/15/01-03/19/01 |
Mourning Dove |
800 (e) |
Open |
NW |
VA |
Frederick County Park |
02/25/01-03/25/01 |
Mallard, Canada Goose, American Crow, European Starling, Unidentified Blackbird |
35 (e) |
Toxicosis: CHE inhibiting compound |
NW |
VT |
Bennington Co., Lake Parin |
12/25/00-01/03/01 |
Canada Goose |
30 |
Open |
NW |
WA |
Whatcom County |
11/15/00-02/28/01 |
Trumpeter Swan |
260 (e) |
Lead poisoning |
WA |
WI |
Brown, Dane & Rock Counties |
12/01/00-03/01/01 |
HouseSparrow |
70 (e) |
Salmonellosis(S. typhimurium) |
WI |
WI |
Milwaukee Co., Lake Michigan |
03/18/01-04/28/01 |
Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup, Herring Gull, Canada Goose |
39 |
Parasitism: Sphaeridiotrema, Cyathocotyle bushiensis |
NW, WI |
Updates and Corrections: |
Reported State |
Location |
Dates |
Species |
Mortality |
Diagnosis |
Reported By |
AR |
Clark Co., De Gray Lake |
11/27/00-02/01/01 |
American Coot |
5 |
Avian vacuolar myelinopathy |
SC |
CA |
Sacramento NWR Complex |
11/01/00-03/26/01 |
Snow Goose, American Coot, Ross' Goose, American Wigeon, White-fronted Goose |
1,109 |
Avian cholera |
NW |
CA |
San Joaquin River NWR |
12/07/00-01/16/01 |
Ruddy Duck, Northern Shoveler, Canada (Aleutian) Goose |
200 |
Avian cholera |
NW |
CO |
Park Co., near Guffey |
08/19/96-08/30/96 |
Tiger Salamander |
100 (e) |
Viral infection suspect: Iridovirus |
NW |
GA |
Lincoln Co., J. Strom Thurmond Lake |
11/13/00-03/30/01 |
American Coot, Bald Eagle, Canada Goose, Killdeer |
125 |
Avian vacuolar myelinopathy |
SC |
MI |
Monroe Co., West Sister Island |
10/12/00-10/15/00 |
Double-crested Cormorant |
7 |
Emaciation, Parasitism |
NW |
NC |
Moore Co., Woodlake |
11/04/00-03/01/01 |
American Coot, Canada Goose |
250 (e) |
Avian vacuolar myelinopathy |
NW, SC |
NJ |
Edwin B. Forsythe NWR |
11/09/00-02/01/01 |
AtlanticBrant |
1,400 (e) |
Open |
NW, NJ |
SC |
McCormick Co., Lake Murray; Edgefield Co., J. Strom Thurmond Lake |
11/13/00-02/15/01 |
Bald Eagle, Canada Goose, Great-horned Owl, American Coot, Killdeer |
25 (e) |
Avian vacuolar myelinopathy |
NW, SC |
(e) = estimate, * = morbidity and mortality
Bosque del Apache NWR (BA), California Fish & Game (CA), Colorado Division of Wildlife (CO), Houston Zoo (HZ), Louisiana State University (LU), National Wildlife Health Center (NW), New Jersey Dept. of Fish & Wildlife (NJ), Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation (OW), Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SC), Texas Park & Wildlife Dept. (TX), Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife (WA), Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources (WI).
Written and compiled by Kimberli Miller, Kathryn Converse and Audra Schrader, National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC). The Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report is also available on the Internet at http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/. To report mortality or if you would like specific information on these mortalities, contact one of the following NWHC staff: Western US Kathryn Converse; Eastern US--Kimberli Miller; Hawaiian Islands--Thierry Work. Phone (608) 270-2400, FAX (608) 270-2415 or E-mail kathy_converse@usgs.gov. National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, WI 53711.
|
Quarterly Mortality Reports |
Atlantic Brant in New Jersey. Atlantic brant mortality, first noted at Edwin B. Forsyth NWR in New Jersey in November 2000, occurred again in mid January 2001, along the coast near Atlantic City. Over 700 brant were collected during each wave of mortality for a total of over 1400 birds. Necropsy observations during both events included tissue hemorrhage and lung edema. Attempts by a variety of methods, including electron microscopy, failed to detect viral or bacterial etiologic agents including West Nile virus, duck plague, Newcastle disease and avian influenza. Tests for botulinum toxins and rodenticides were negative and brain acetylcholinesterase activity was within normal limits. Multiple state and federal agencies collaborated on the diagnostic and field response to this event. Media interest was very high.
Morbidity and Mortality in Florida. Brown pelican morbidity and mortality was first noted in the Marquesas Keys, Florida in late December and continued intermittently through March. Affected birds appeared lethargic with droopy heads, had difficulty flying and swimming or were unable to move at all. There were no consistent necropsy findings in the several pelicans necropsied at the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), no significant bacteria or viruses were isolated and tests for avian botulism type C and E were negative. However, two birds had moderate brain acetylcholinesterase activity depression (39% and 51%) and toxicology analysis will be pursued. Mortalities in loggerhead turtles have also occurred in southern Florida with nearly 150 sick and dead turtles found since September. Marine animal specialists have been working to determine the cause of this turtle mortality. A link between the pelican die-off and loggerhead deaths has not been established.
Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy. Avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) occurred in various locations during 2000, with the majority of cases occurring at Woodlake in North Carolina and J. Strom Thurmond/Clark's Hill Lake on the Georgia-South Carolina border. Each year there seems to be a change in the epizootiology of this disease. The Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) documented the first loss of several bald eagles from AVM outside of Arkansas at J. Strom Thurmond/Clark's Hill Lake as well as AVM in several new species including 2 great horned owls, 1 killdeer and 3 Canada geese. Wildlife Disease Specialists from SCWDS and NWHC conducted a field investigation at the site in late November 2000. Based on diagnostic and research work to date, the cause of AVM is thought to be due to either a naturally occurring or man-made chemical. NWHC research with sentinel birds in North Carolina has shown that the occurrence of AVM is site specific and has a fairly rapid onset. A variety of agencies will continue research efforts to determine the cause of this disease and route of exposure.
Avian Cholera in Arkansas. Over 200 American coots died over a 2-week period in early January in Arkansas County, Arkansas. SCWDS confirmed the mortality was due to avian cholera. This is the first record of avian cholera mortality in Arkansas in either the NWHC or SCWDS databases.
Louisiana Mortality. Cowbird and blackbird mortality was noted in January and February 2001, over an extensive area of southern Louisiana. Salmonellosis was diagnosed by Louisiana State University. An estimated 100 cowbirds and blackbirds found dead and dying on a golf course in East Baton Rouge Parrish appear to be unrelated mortalities as brain acetylcholinesterase activity was found to be significantly depressed in several birds examined at NWHC. This is suggestive of recent exposure to an organophosphate compound.
For additional information please contact Dr. Scott Wright,
USGS National Wildlife Health Center - Disease Investigations Branch Chief, at 608-270-2460 or
Paul Slota, USGS National Wildlife Health Center - Support Services
Branch Chief at 608-270-2420.
|
|
|