(e) = estimate, * = morbidity and mortality

Arkansas Fish & Game Commission (AR), Canadian Co-operative Wildlife Health Centre at University of Guelph (CC), Erie County Health Dept. (EH), Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources (MI), National Wildlife Health Center (NW), New Jersey Dept. of Fish & Wildlife (NJ), New York State Dept. Environmental Conservation (NY), Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SC), University of Florida Laboratory of Wildlife Disease Research (FL), Wisconsin Animal Health Lab (AH).

Written and compiled by Audra Schrader, Kathryn Converse, Kim Miller, Grace McLaughlin and Rex Sohn, 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 to obtain specific information on these mortalities, contact one of the following NWHC staff: Eastern US - Kimberli Miller; Western US - Kathryn Converse; 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

West Nile Virus. West Nile virus (WNV) dead bird surveillance is underway. USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) is continuing to provide WNV testing for several states. NWHC is primarily focusing on testing birds in the Corvidae family (crows, jays and magpies), and raptors. This is due to the high prevalence of WNV in these species in previous years.

The first positive case this year was reported by New Jersey and involved a crow collected in Bergen County, NJ on 30 April 2001. Through the end of June 2001, US states that have had birds/mammals test positive for WNV are CT, FL, GA, MD, NJ, NY and RI. Florida and Georgia are new locations for confirmed WNV cases. Current maps showing states that are participating in WNV surveillance and locations for positive WNV cases can be found on the Center for Integration of Natural Disaster Information (CINDI) website at http://cindi.usgs.gov/hazard/event/west_nile/west_nile.html#2001. Please also go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm for up-to-date information on WNV. For information on how to submit a bird for WNV testing in your state, please contact your local public health department or visit our website at http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/west_nile_virus/index.jsp. If you are unable to find the information you need, please call Kathryn Converse or Kimberli Miller at (608) 270-2400 for directions on how and where to submit a dead bird for WNV testing.

Amphibian Morbidity and Mortality. From late April to early June, there were 10 reports of morbidity and mortality in immature and adult amphibians. Mortality sites in six states ranged from vernal pools, seasonal and permanent ponds, kettle ponds, stock ponds to impoundments and affected a range of species of terrestrial and tree frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. Causes of illness or death varied as well and included suspect and confirmed iridovirus, chytrid fungus and yeast-like infections, trauma and parasitism.

California Least Terns. In mid-June 2001, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad California Field Office, reported the mortality of endangered California least tern chicks in several nesting colonies along the southern California coast. By late June, the mortality had increased to nearly 400 chicks. Tern biologists suggest the chick mortality could be due to infectious disease, predation, starvation due to food scarcity, disturbance by predators, or intoxication by naturally occurring marine biotoxins. The only significant finding in two chicks submitted to the NWHC was emaciation. An investigation of this event is ongoing and additional submissions are anticipated.

Avian Botulism at Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR. Avian botulism type C was confirmed at Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR in a herring gull collected 15 May 2001, and a brown pelican on 07 June 2001. To date, 31 dead birds have been collected. Twenty-four (80%) were pelicans with 21 (67%) endangered California brown pelicans. In addition to the pelican mortalities, 60 sick brown and 3 sick American white pelicans were retrieved and placed in rehabilitation. An estimated 3,895 pelicans were at risk during this quarter. During June, there were concurrent fish mortalities that included over 2.2 million tilapia, croaker and orange-mouth corvina.

Diazinon in Atlantic Brant. New Jersey Department of Fish & Wildlife reported a mortality event involving approximately 85 Atlantic brant. The event occurred 30 April 2001 - 5 May 2001, at the southern tip of New Jersey in Cape May County. Upon toxicological analysis, Diazinon, an organophosphate pesticide, was detected. The source of the poison is unknown. Nearby Cape May NWR was unaffected by the event and did not report any dead birds. The New York Wildlife Pathology Unit has documented at least 3 brant die-offs in New York due to diazinon from the late 1970's to mid 1990's.

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.