(e) = estimate; * = morbidity and mortality

Alaska Fish and Game Department (AK), Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZ), B.C. Ministry of Environment (BC), Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Center (CCW), Center for Disease Control (CDC), California Fish and Game Wildlife Investigations Lab (CFG), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN), USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NW), New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NY), Oregon Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife (OR), Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University (PA), Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCW), San Diego County Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (SDC), Environment Ministry Laboratory of Toronto (TOR), Wyoming Game and Fish (WY), Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WA), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI) , US Army, Fort Meade (USA), University of California Davis (UCD), US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

Written and compiled by Rex Sohn, Western US, Kathryn Converse, Central US, Emi Saito/Grace McLaughlin - Eastern US, NWHC. The Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report is available at http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov. To report mortality or receive information about this report, contact the above NWHC staff, e-mail: kathy_converse@usgs.gov., or for Hawaiian Islands contact Thierry Work. Phone: (608) 270-2400, FAX: (608) 270-2415 or write USGS National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, WI 53711.

Quarterly Mortality Reports

The following highlights wildlife mortality and morbidity events reported to the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) from July through September, 1996.

Forty eight epizootics were reported this quarter with botulism accounting for over half of the events.

The Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Center reported high botulism losses in the Canadian Provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan this summer with a combined total of over 230,000 waterfowl found dead. At Pakowki Lake (native for "bad water"), Alberta, almost 12,000 carcasses were collected. While this loss is significant, it pales when compared to the massive losses of the previous two years with over 100,000 and 31,000 waterfowl found dead. In Saskatchewan, during August and September, substantial botulism mortality occurred on the areas of Middle Quill (Mud) Lake, Chaplin Marsh and Old Wives Lake. At Middle Quill Lake, pintails comprised 50% of the 3,200 carcasses picked up. Botulism was recognized for the first time ever on Chaplin Marsh where 704 carcasses (primarily ducks) were picked up. A major outbreak occurred in late September on Old Wives Lake. Access to the lake was difficult, hindering collection and mortality estimates. Using limited transect sampling, the mortality was estimated to be about 100,000 birds, primarily dabbling ducks. In Manitoba, birds began dying on July 8th on a 22,000 acre wetland of Whitewater Lake. Intensive carcass collection was conducted until September 18; the 117,052 carcasses collected were comprised of over 75% ducks.

Botulism was also reported to NWHC from five national wildlife refuges (NWR) or wetland management districts (WMD) in North and South Dakota. Kulm WMD in southern North Dakota reported mortality at five sites in two counties and botulism was confirmed at four of the sites. Approximately 6,000 birds were collected at the five sites, primary dabbling ducks. Long Lake NWR Complex in Kidder and Burleigh counties, North Dakota reported mortality of 8,250 birds including waterfowl, coots, terns, gulls, and other waterbirds on four sites. At one site, Dewald Slough in Kidder County, presence of nesting western grebes that had died from schistosome flukes may have triggered the botulism event.

In California, Klamath Basin NWR reported botulism at White Lake; over 8,000 birds were picked up out of a population of over 1 million. A "botulism hospital" was set up and refuge personnel treated between 100 and 150 birds per week during the outbreak.

In addition to the typical avian botulism in California, Salton Sea NWR in southern California reported mortality in white and brown pelicans. By the end of the outbreak, 8,536 white pelicans, 1,129 brown pelicans and 4,444 waterbirds of other species had been picked up. Botulism type C was diagnosed in the pelicans and other birds (herons and egrets included). The occurrence of botulism in fish-eating birds is unusual and the source of the toxin is unclear. Sick and dead fish were collected from various sites in the Sea and research is ongoing.

Evidence of large scale mortality in nesting snow geese was noted for a second year on breeding grounds at the Egg River Nesting Colony, Banks Island, Northwest Territories. NWHC researchers on site for a avian cholera project, estimated this year's mortality to be at least 5,500 snow geese out of a population of over 500,000. Bones from remaining carcasses were cultured and found to be positive for Pasteurella multicida bacteria, the causative agent for avian cholera.

In February, an oil spill occurred off the coast of St. Paul Island in the Pribilof Islands of Alaska affecting between two and ten thousand birds; 156 birds were rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Oil "fingerprinting" confirmed the source of the oil to be from an injured ship which had required U.S Coast Guard assistance on February 16th. King Eiders comprised 1,038 of the 1,146 birds collected. On July 12, the legal case was settled and the entire fine will be paid into the North American Wetlands Conservation Act Fund.

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.