Lake Andes Duck Plague In January 1973, more than 40 percent of the 100,000 mallards died while wintering at the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota . This devastating die-off, the largest ever recorded due to duck plague, was the single most significant event driving the creation of the National Wildlife Health Center. Some scientists speculate the waterfowl surviving the Lake Andes die-offs became disease carriers, and subsequently infected other waterfowl populations, contributing to the recent emerging characteristics of this disease. However, because duck plague is difficult to detect in birds that have survived exposure to it, this conclusion remains speculatory. For more information about this historic die-off event, contact Paul Slota, (608) 270-2400. |
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