(e) = estimate, * = morbidity and mortality

New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NY), Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SC), USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NW), Louisiana State University (LSU), Maryland Department of Agriculture (MD).

Written and compiled by Kathryn Converse/Rex Sohn - Western US, Grace McLaughlin - Eastern US and Christine Lemanski, 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, or for Hawaiian Islands contact Thierry Work. Phone: (608) 270-2400, FAX: (608) 270-2415 or e-mail: kathy_converse@usgs.gov. USGS National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, WI 53711.

Quarterly Mortality Reports

Continuing mortalities associated with Lake Erie.
For the fourth consecutive year, there were a variety of mortality reports associated with Lake Erie. Starting in May 2002, approximately a dozen common map turtles died in a small area of Presque Isle Bay, Pennsylvania. Some turtles submitted to NWHC had severe, fibrinous, necrotizing enteritis; no etiologic agent was identified. In late June, there were reports of more than 10,000 dead mudpuppies (Necturus sp.) along the southern shore of Lake Erie in New York; 1-3 mudpuppies, up to 30 cm in length, found per meter of shoreline. Residents along the north shore of Lake Erie in Ontario Canada, reported hundreds of dead mudpuppies. About 32 km west of this mortality, the Canadian Wildlife Service observed a few gulls showing signs of botulism on a nesting island. Mudpuppy remains have been found in gull digestive tracts. Radiotelemetry studies support the possibility that gulls could have made foraging flights greater than the distance between these mudpuppy events and their nesting colony. Also in late June, up to 3000 dead ring-billed gulls were reported in a colony of 10,000 birds in New York. Botulism type E toxin was detected via mouse assay in gulls from this colony. Estimates ranging from 10 to the 100's of rock bass, small mouth bass, carp, suckers, perch, gobies, catfish, bullheads, and sheepshead were observed dead along the Lake Erie shore at locations in Pennsylvania and New York throughout this time period. There was also one report of dead sheepshead in the far western portion of Lake Erie, near Sandusky, Ohio. No cause of mortality has been determined for the mudpuppy and fish kills, some of which may be related to oxygen depleting conditions. Other possible intoxications include microcystins and type E botulism. Researchers, diagnosticians, biologists, and managers in Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio are maintaining frequent contact regarding these mortalities.

California Brown Pelican Mortalities along the Southern California Coast
From mid-April until the end of June 2002, US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and wildlife rehabilitators reported mortality of brown pelicans on the southern California coast. Personnel from Wild Rescue in Malibu, California reported the recovery of 131 dead and 32 live brown pelicans and small numbers of other fish-eating seabirds along the coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego. This avian mortality event coincided with significant mortality in seals, sea otters and dolphins along the same stretch of coast. The suspected etiologic agent for marine mammal and fish-eating bird mortalities was domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin produced by plankton that is ingested and concentrated by small marine fish and crustaceans. Four brown pelicans were submitted to the NWHC for diagnostic evaluation; two pelicans had no significant gross pathological lesions and two had fibrinous laryngitis and pulmonary hemorrhage or abscesses. Samples from two pelicans sent to the NOAA National Ocean Services Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina were positive for domoic acid based on a receptor-binding assay. Receptor-binding assay results for the remaining two birds and quantitative results for domoic acid from liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry are pending.

Songbird Mortality in Utah.
Wildlife biologists from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Division of Wildlife Resources in Utah reported songbird mortality in May and early June near bird feeders at several widely scattered suburban and rural sites in eastern and southern Utah. NWHC received birds from three mortality events involving pine siskins, Cassin's finches, house finches, evening grosbeaks, and a yellow-breasted chat. Salmonellosis was diagnosed in birds from two locations based on gross pathological lesions and positive bacterial cultures. The specimens submitted from the third event were not suitable for examination.

Famphur mortality in Idaho.
On January 30, 2001 the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) was notified of a mass mortality of birds of mixed species along Indian Creek in Caldwell, Idaho. Approximately 150 carcasses were picked up initially including 80% mallards, 15% pintails, 5% widgeons, 8 - 10 pigeons, and 1 red-tailed hawk. Initial investigations performed by the IDFG Wildlife Health Laboratory suggested the involvement of an organophosphate or carbamate pesticide as a cause of death. Subsequent testing by the University of Idaho Toxicology Laboratory identified the presence of famphur (Warbex) in specimens. The famphur poisoning resulted from an unintentional contamination of some grain. Frozen carcasses were submitted to the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) for diagnostic evaluation on February 21, 2002. All birds evaluated (2 mallards, 1 pintail and 1 Red-tailed hawk) were in good body condition. The ducks had large quantities of corn in the upper GI tract, while the hawk had meat and black feathers in the proventriculus. Brain cholinesterase activity levels for the 4 birds were depressed from 73% to 83% below normal levels with no reversal after incubation suggesting the presence of an organophosphate pesticide. Additional testing will be done on upper gastrointestinal contents of birds submitted to NWHC.

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.