AR

Ouachita County

05/05/03-ongoing

Mourning Dove

40(e)

Ingluviitis

AR

FL

Santa Rosa County

05/01/03-05/15/03

Great Blue Heron

20(e)

Trauma

NW

GA

Columbia County

01/01/03-02/07/03

Fox
Coyote
Yellow-rumped Warbler

5

Toxicosis: aldicarb suspect

SCW

GA

Gwinnett County

02/20/03-02/28/03

Cedar Waxwing

20(e)

Trauma

SCW

GA

Madison County

06/01/03-06/07/03

Northern Cardinal
Brown-headed Cowbird

8

Salmonellosis

SCW

ID

Caribou County

06/27/03-06/28/03

Canada Goose

5

Open

NW

ID

Ada County

06/26/03-06/27/03

Canada Goose

6

Toxicosis: diazinon

ID, NW

IL

Will County

06/01/03-07/01/03

Purple Martin

5(e)

Open

NW

IN

LaGrange County

06/01/03-07/01/03

Purple Martin

10(e)

Aspergillosis

NW

KS

Marshall County

06/30/03-07/26/03

Mourning Dove
Black-capped Chickadee

13

Parasitism: trichomoniasis

NW

LA

St Tammany Parish

04/18/03-04/27/03

Southern Leopard Frog

500(e)

Open

NW

MD

Harford County

01/01/02-ongoing

Bald Eagle
Osprey

21

Electrocution

NW

MD

Wicomico County

04/01/97-ongoing

Red-eared Slider Turtle
Painted Turtle

60(e)

Osteodystroph

NW

MN

Agassiz NWR

06/26/03-07/10/03

American White Pelican

8(e)

Trauma: Pouch Lacerations

NW

MS

Harrison County

01/15/03-03/27/03

Brown Pelican
Unidentified Merganser
Unidentified Gull

30

Open

NW

MT

Valley County

04/07/03-04/21/03

Red Crossbill

7(e)

Salmonellosis suspect

#

NC

Croatan National Forest

04/15/03-06/20/03

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

10

Trauma suspect

NW

ND

Stark County

05/05/03-05/10/03

Eared Grebe

25(e)

Exposure: hypothermia

NW

NE

Kearney County

05/20/03-07/24/03

American Robin
Unidentified Dove
Cedar Waxwing

60(e)

Open

NEB, NW

NV

Washoe County

05/27/03-06/15/03

Mourning Dove

6

Parasitism: trichomoniasis

NW

OH

Erie County

05/28/03-06/05/03

Double-crested Cormorant

100(e)

Drowning suspect

NW

OK

Near Tishomingo NWR

04/15/03-05/15/03

House Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Mourning Dove

15(e)

Salmonellosis

NW

SD

Brown County

05/25/03-06/11/03

Cedar Waxwing

200(e)

Toxicosis: cyanide suspect

NW

SD

Charles Mix County

02/01/03-02/10/03

Mallard
Canada Goose

23(e)

Avian cholera

NW

TN

Great Smoky Mountains NP

05/19/03-05/22/03

Eastern Red-spotted Newt
Unidentified Amphibian Larvae

2000(e)

Open

NW

TN

Chester County

02/04/03-04/02/03

Northern Cardinal
House Sparrow

20(e)

Salmonellosis

SCW

TN

Shelby County

05/19/03-06/06/03

Purple Martin

60(e)

Open

SCW

TX

Anahuac NWR

04/25/03-06/11/03

Mottled Duck

10(e)

Open

NW

TX

Lubbock County

05/12/03-06/30/03

Unidentified Sparrow
European Starling
Mourning Dove
American Robin
Blue Jay

100(e)

Starvation

NW

VA

Surry County

01/15/03-02/15/03

Brown Pelican

50(e)

Drowning

NW, SCW

WI

Upper Mississippi NWR

04/03/03-05/09/03

Lesser Scaup
American Coot
Bufflehead

700(e)

Parasitism: Cyathocotyle bushiensis

NW

WI

Winnebago County

04/05/03-05/30/03

American Coot
Redhead
Lesser Scaup

75(e)

Parasitism: Cyathocotyle bushiensis

NW

WY

Sublette County

06/25/03-07/15/03

Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow

100(e)

Emaciation

NW

WY

Sheridan County

03/01/03-05/20/03

Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin

100

Salmonellosis

NW

FL

St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge

12/19/02-07/15/03

Southern Leopard Frog

200(e)

Parasitism: Perkinsus-like
Organism

NW

OK

Tishomingo NWR

02/18/03-02/18/03

unidentified Grackle
European Starling
unidentified Junco

20

Open

NW

MS

Harrison County

03/19/03-06/01/03

Mississippi gopher Frog
Southern Leopard Frog

1,000(e)

Parasitism: Perkinsus-like
Organism

NW

GA, AL, AR, CO, CT, DE, FL, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV, WY

01/08/03-ongoing

Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Cardinal
Black-billed Magpie
Common Grackle

1,900(e)

Viral Infection: West Nile

NW, ST

FL

Volusia, Orange, Brevard, Martin, Palm Beach and Broward Counties

03/08/03-04/15/03

Northern Gannet
Unidentified Cormorant

2,500(e)

Emaciation

FL, NW

(e) = estimate; * = morbidity, not mortality; # = no specimens received in laboratory setting

Arkansas Livestock and Poultry (AR), Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCW), Idaho Game and Fish (ID), USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NW), Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FL), Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NEB), Various states diagnostic laboratories (ST). Written and compiled by Kathryn Converse/Rex Sohn - Western US, Grace McLaughlin – Eastern US, 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

Trematode-related mortality at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge.
Beginning in early April, lesser scaup and American coots were found dead and dying at Pool 7 (Lake Onalaska) of the upper Mississippi River. Mortality continued into early May. Total mortality on Lake Onalaska was estimated at 700 birds. Lesser scaup (570) and coots (125) were the species most affected, along with several buffleheads. One or both of two species of trematodes, Sphaeridiotrema globulus and Cyathocotyle bushiensis, were found in each bird examined. Crews conducted periodic monitoring trips on Pools 7 and 8 and found/collected an estimated 15-25% of the total number of sick/dead birds. Avian predators and scavengers, such as bald eagles, crows, and gulls, consumed many birds. Mortality caused by the same species of trematodes was reported in the same area during the Fall 2002 migration.

Additional mortality at Cade’s Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.
A sewage treatment plant at Cade’s Cove was the site of snapping turtle and American toad mortality in the winter and early spring of 2003. A third mortality event, involving several thousand unidentified amphibian larvae and several adult red-spotted newts occurred over several days in late May. Causes of the mortalities have not been determined, but investigations are continuing.

Cedar Waxwing Mortality in South Dakota.
In late May 2003 personnel of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks were contacted about Cedar Waxwing mortalities at several widely scattered locations in eastern South Dakota. A similar pattern of mortality in Cedar Waxwings had occurred in the area in 2002. Sick birds showed weakness, stupor, respiratory distress and sudden death. The observers noted a correlation between bird deaths and certain species of budding and flowering ornamental shrubs reported to contain high levels of cyanogenic glycosides. Necropsies at the South Dakota State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (SDVDL) and at the NWHC found all birds were in fair to excellent body condition without evidence of infectious disease. Analysis of tissues from the birds by NWHC found elevated, but not toxic levels of cyanide. Unfortunately the tissues had not been collected and preserved in a manner consistent with preservation of cyanide. Analysis by SDVDL of GI content from dead birds and plant samples collected at die-off sites showed high levels of cyanide. Plans are being formulated for the collection and submission of dead birds and nearby plant material using cyanide protocols in 2004.

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.