USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report July 2004 to September 2004 |
Reported State |
Location |
Dates |
Species |
Mortality |
Diagnosis |
Reported By |
AK |
False Pass |
07/01/04-07/18/04 |
Tufted Puffin; Pelagic Cormorant; Black-Legged Kittiwake |
1,000 (e) |
Open |
NW |
AK |
Kenai NWR |
07/01/04-07/24/04 |
Wood Frog |
25 |
Parasitism: Perkinsus-like organism |
NW |
AK |
Yukon Delta NWR |
07/01/04-07/05/04 |
Wood Frog |
3 |
Parasitism: Perkinsus-like organism |
NW |
AZ |
Pima County, Altar Valley |
05/01/04-06/15/04 |
Tiger Salamander |
4 (e) |
Open; Parasitism: Clinostomum sp. |
NW |
CA |
Alameda Naval Air Station |
06/04/04-07/25/04 |
California Least Tern |
159 (e) |
Open |
NW |
CA |
Delevan NWR and Sacramento NWR |
07/25/04-10/18/04 |
Shoveler; Mallard; Green-Winged Teal; American Wigeon; Pintail |
1,606 (e) |
Botulism type C |
NW |
CA |
Lower Klamath NWR |
07/20/04-09/16/04 |
Mallard; Pintail; Green-Winged Teal; Gadwall; American Coot |
9,226 |
Botulism type C |
NW |
CA |
Pacific coast |
07/01/04-09/01/04 |
California Brown Pelican |
53 |
Emaciation; Starvation |
NW, SWD |
CA |
Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR |
06/25/04-09/30/04 |
California Brown Pelican; Great Blue Heron; Caspian Tern; Eared Grebe; California Gull |
49 |
Botulism type C |
NW |
DE |
Kent County |
07/15/04-07/20/04 |
Barn Owl |
6 (e) |
Emaciation |
NW |
FL |
Manatee County |
07/01/04-ongoing |
Wood Stork; White Ibis; Roseate Spoonbill; Great Blue Heron; Unidentified Pelican |
20 (e) |
Open |
FL, NW, NFL |
GA |
Cobb County |
06/10/04-06/13/04 |
Domestic Duck |
11 |
Open |
SCW |
GA |
Hall County |
07/27/04-07/30/04 |
Mallard; Domestic Mallard |
5 |
Septicemia |
SCW |
GA |
Marion County |
06/10/04-06/23/04 |
Mourning Dove; European Starling;Brown-Headed Cowbird |
22 (e) |
Salmonellosis Salmonellosis suspect |
SCW |
IA |
Jackson County |
06/28/04-07/05/04 |
Little Brown Bat; Big Brown Bat |
50 (e) |
Open |
IA |
IL |
Multiple Counties |
07/20/04-ongoing |
White-Tailed Deer |
34 (e) |
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease |
IL |
LA |
Iberia County |
08/15/04-08/27/04 |
Wood Duck |
13 |
Avian pox suspect |
LA |
MA |
Barnstable County |
08/08/04-08/25/04 |
Common Tern |
20 (e) |
Viral Infection: NOS Salmonellosis |
NW |
MA |
Monomoy NWR |
07/21/04-08/25/04 |
Common Tern; Laughing Gull; Great Black-Backed Gull; Roseate Tern |
2,575 (e) |
Viral Infection: NOS Salmonellosis |
NW |
MD |
Talbot County |
09/23/04-ongoing |
Unidentified Sandpiper; Mallard; Shoveler; Lesser Yellowlegs; Green-Winged Teal |
250 (e) |
Botulism type C |
MD, NW |
ME |
Seal Island NWR |
07/28/04-08/25/04 |
Common Tern; Arctic Tern |
40 (e) |
Viral Infection: NOS |
NW |
MS |
Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR |
09/24/04-09/27/04 |
Mississippi Sandhill Crane |
4 |
Open |
NFL, NW |
MT |
Medicine Lake NWR |
07/02/04-08/16/04 |
American White Pelican; American Coot; Shoveler; California Gull; Western Grebe |
200 (e) |
Viral Infection: West Nile; Salmonellosis; Botulism type C |
NW |
ND |
Logan County, Kulm WMD |
07/15/04-08/11/04 |
Franklin's Gull |
75 (e) |
Open |
NW |
ND |
McIntosh County |
09/11/04-10/20/04 |
Shoveler Unidentified Gull Mallard Gadwall American White Pelican |
100 (e) |
Botulism type C |
NW |
ND |
Logan County |
07/01/04-08/12/04 |
Ring-Billed Gull; Franklin's Gull; Canada Goose; Unidentified Shorebird; Double-Crested Cormorant |
2,300 (e) |
Salmonellosis; Open |
NW |
NM |
Bernalillo County |
08/23/04-08/30/04 |
Wood Duck |
10 (e) |
Botulism type C |
NW |
NY |
Jefferson County |
06/01/04-06/02/04 |
Canada Goose |
9 |
Toxicosis: diazinon |
NY |
OH |
Ottawa County |
08/09/04-08/10/04 |
Bank Swallow |
100 (e) |
Trauma; Open |
NW |
ONT |
Lake Ontario, Canada |
08/21/04-ongoing |
Long-tailed Duck; Double Crested Cormorant; Herring Gull; Common Loon; Ring-billed Gull |
1600 (e) |
Botulism type E |
TOR |
OR |
Klamath County |
07/15/04-08/17/04 |
Unidentified Rail; Eared Grebe; American Coot; Green-Winged Teal; Shoveler |
800 (e) |
Botulism type C |
NW |
OR |
Lane County |
06/30/04-08/20/04 |
Western Canada Goose; Mallard |
78 |
Toxicosis: blue-green algae suspect |
AL, NW |
PA |
Presque Isle State Park |
06/18/04-ongoing |
Unidentified Cormorant; Common Loon; Herring Gull; Black-Backed Gull; Ring-Billed Gull |
500 (e) |
Botulism type E; Emaciation |
NW, CCW |
RI |
Newport County |
06/15/04-07/10/04 |
Northern Leopard Frog |
110 (e) |
Viral Infection: Ranavirus |
NW |
SD |
Lacreek NWR |
08/16/04-09/15/04 |
American White Pelican |
35 (e) |
Open |
NW |
SD |
Brule County |
07/01/04-08/03/04 |
Unidentified Pelican; Ring-Billed Gull; Gadwall; Unidentified Duck; Redhead |
300 (e) |
Botulism (not typed); Open |
NW |
SD |
Waubay NWR |
06/29/04-08/23/04 |
American White Pelican |
250 (e) |
Viral Infection: West Nile; Salmonellosis; Botulism type C |
NW |
UT |
Davis County |
08/15/04-09/30/04 |
Shoveler; Green-Winged Teal; Pintail; California Gull; American Avocet |
2,500 (e) |
Botulism type C |
NW |
WA |
Grant County |
09/21/04-09/25/04 |
Bullfrog |
200 (e) |
Open |
NW |
WA |
King County |
08/12/04-09/23/04 |
American (Common) Crow |
16 |
Enteritis; Viral Infection: Reovirus; Avian Pox |
NW |
WA |
Ridgefield NWR |
09/19/04-10/08/04 |
Barn Swallow; Violet-Green Swallow |
95 (e) |
Emaciation |
NW |
WI |
Milwaukee County |
09/07/04-09/16/04 |
Mallard; Canada Goose |
60 (e) |
Botulism type C |
NW |
WI |
La Crosse County |
07/03/04-08/01/04 |
Eastern Bluebird |
13 |
Open |
NW |
WI |
La Crosse County |
07/22/04-08/10/04 |
Mallard |
10 |
Open: botulism suspect |
NW |
WI |
La Crosse County |
09/25/04-ongoing |
American Coot; Lesser Scaup; Mallard; Shoveler; Gadwall |
417 (e) |
Parasitism: Cyathocotyle bushiensis; Parasitism: Sphaeridiotrema globules; Parasitism: trematodiasis |
NW |
WI |
Vilas County |
07/01/04-07/22/04 |
Bullfrog |
100 (e) |
Open |
NW |
WI |
Winnebago County |
09/12/04-09/25/04 |
Mallard |
40 (e) |
Botulism Type C |
NW, WI |
WY |
Grand Teton National Park |
07/09/04-08/31/04 |
Columbia Spotted Frog |
10 (e) |
Open |
NW |
Updates and Corrections: |
Reported State |
Location |
Dates |
Species |
Mortality |
Diagnosis |
Reported By |
AL |
Wheeler NWR |
05/18/04-05/27/04 |
Southern Leopard Frog |
150 (e) |
Parasitism: trematodiasis |
NW |
CA |
Inyo County |
05/01/03-09/30/03 |
Ring-Billed Gull |
22 |
Toxicosis: salt suspect; Parasitism; Emaciation |
CDL |
FL |
Jefferson County |
02/29/04-05/20/04 |
Northern Cardinal; Bobwhite Quail |
15 (e) |
Open |
FL |
FL |
Pinella County |
05/11/04-06/12/04 |
Mallard; Muscovy; American Coot; Unidentified Cormorant; Unidentified Fish |
80 (e) |
Open: botulism suspect |
FL |
IL |
Winnebago County |
06/27/04-06/28/04 |
Little Brown Bat |
50 (e) |
Emaciation: Weather Conditions suspect |
NW |
KY |
Rockcastle County |
04/20/04-05/10/04 |
Jefferson Salamander; Marbled Salamander; Wood Frog; Eastern Red-Spotted Newt; Green Frog |
500 (e) |
Viral Infection: Iridovirus; Fungal Infection:NOS |
NW |
MA |
Barnstable County |
05/04/04-06/08/04 |
Eider, Common |
350 (e) |
Parasitism:acanthocephaliasis |
NW |
MN |
Isanti County |
06/02/04-06/08/04 |
Wood Frog |
10000 (e) |
Viral Infection: Ranavirus |
NW |
MN |
Lac Qui Parle WMA |
05/30/04-08/01/04 |
American White Pelican |
930 (e) |
Viral Infection: West Nile; Open; Botulism type E |
NW |
MN |
Lake of the Woods County |
06/17/04-07/01/04 |
American White Pelican; Ring-Billed Gull; Double-Crested Cormorant |
82 (e) |
Open |
NW |
MS |
Harrison County |
02/10/04-05/30/04 |
Bullfrog; Southern Leopard Frog |
30 |
Parasitism: Perkinsus-like organism |
NW |
US |
All continental states except DC, MD, NC, and WA |
01/02/04-ongoing |
American (Common) Crow; Western Scrub Jay; Yellow-Billed Magpie; Steller's Jay; Blue Jay |
6,136 (e) |
Viral Infection: West Nile |
CDC, NW, ST |
(e) = estimate; * = morbidity, not mortality
New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NY), Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCW), USGS National
Wildlife Health Center (NW), Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources (WI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Various states labsites (ST), Alabama Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory - Auburn (AL), Environment Ministry Laboratory of
Toronto (TOR), Florida Game and Fish (FL), San Diego County Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (CDL), Sea World of San Diego
(SWD), Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IA), Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IL), Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD).
Written and compiled by Rex Sohn -Western US, Kathryn Converse- Central US, 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, 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.
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Quarterly Mortality Reports |
Avian Botulism at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.
In late July 2004, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) personnel reported the mortality of
5,000 birds at Lower Klamath NWR within the previous 10 days. Primarily dabbling ducks were affected,
but some coots, grebes and ibis also died. Sick birds showed signs consistent with botulism
(resting head on back, lying at water's edge on mudflats or vegetative mats, sick and fresh
dead birds clustered around maggot covered carcasses). Botulinum type C toxin was confirmed
by mouse inoculation tests in ducks submitted to NWHC for diagnostic evaluation. There were
approximately 200,000 resident and migrant waterfowl and 20,000 shorebirds at risk at the
onset of the die-off and the number of birds increased as migratory birds arrived from the
North over the next two months. Many of those birds were concentrated on a few wetlands
where water was maintained despite an ongoing drought. Avian botulism has been a
recurring problem at Refuges in the Klamath Basin NWR Complex for many years. Refuge
staff carry out aggressive surveillance and carcass pickup during the expected botulism
season. Botulism has been confirmed or suspected at Lower Klamath NWR every year since 1980 with
the exception of 1982, 1983, 1993, and 2002. Reported losses of birds during botulism outbreaks
during that time period ranged from 300 to 14,000 birds.
Marine Bird Mortality in the Eastern Aleutian Islands.
A die-off of marine birds including puffins, gulls, kittiwakes, common eiders, and pelagic
cormorants and flat fish (flounder) was first observed in early July by residents of False
Pass, Alaska on the extreme east end of the Aleutian Island chain. The weather at the time
of the die-off was unusually warm (60 - 70 degrees F.) and sunny with light wind. The
location is in a strait connecting the Bering Sea with the Pacific Ocean and there is
a strong tidal current which carried the birds ashore. Specimens of dead birds were
collected and frozen by Tribal government personnel then transferred to U.S Fish and
Wildlife Service biologists at Izembek NWR who arranged shipment of the specimens to
the NWHC for diagnostic evaluation. Dead carcasses continued to appear on the local
beaches for two weeks with an estimated total mortality reaching 1,000 birds. Diagnostic
evaluation of tufted puffins, a pelagic cormorant, and a black-legged kittiwake showed birds
were in fair body condition with some lung edema but had no other significant gross or microscopic
lesions. Bacterial cultures of lungs yielded no pathogenic bacteria and viral cultures of
brains, lungs, and intestines were negative. No significant parasite infections were
observed in GI tracts. Upper GI contents and tissue samples were submitted to the
Center for Marine Science at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington for marine
biotoxin analysis, which determined the levels were within normal levels for marine
birds. The NWHC has only three reported mortality events in tufted puffins since 1975.
One event was in the Gulf of Alaska in 1989 and the other two events were on the
Washington coast in 1991. The primary diagnosis in the Alaska and one Washington
die-off was emaciation while the primary diagnosis in the
second Washington die-off was suspect petroleum toxicosis.
Pelican and gull mortality in North Central nesting colonies.
For the third consecutive year, there were higher than expected losses of pelican chicks in three
nesting colonies in South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota. Losses ranged from 100's to 1000's.
More than half of the North American white pelicans are produced in these colonies. A high
number of pelicans necropsied from each site were positive for West Nile virus and some birds
were also positive for Salmonella sp. or botulism type C. Histopathologic examinations are
in progress to determine if West Nile virus was the cause of death in these pelicans. A two
year research study is in progress in two of these states to determine the possible impact
of West Nile virus on the nesting pelican colonies. Mortality was also reported in two gull
nesting colonies in North Dakota. Salmonellosis was confirmed in some of the gulls submitted
for necropsy from one colony. Similar gull mortality occurred in North Dakota
nesting colonies for the past three years.
Terns in New England.
In July and August 2004, staff and researchers at Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)
in Maine and staff at Monomoy NWR and Cape Cod National Seashore (NS) in Massachusetts
reported sick and dead fledgling common terns. Seal Island terns were unable to raise
or extend one wing, while those in Massachusetts were unable to fly and were circling,
star-gazing, and unable to maintain their balance. At necropsy, the primary consistent
finding was atrophy of immune system organs (thymus, bursa of Fabricius, spleen) in birds
from all three sites. No viruses were isolated in multiple systems, and investigations
are continuing to determine the cause of the immune organ atrophy. Many specimens from
Massachusetts tested positive for Salmonella typhimurium (Copenhagen); these bacterial
infections may be opportunistic due to immune system impairment. Mortality estimated
from collected or buried tern carcasses was 1,700 in Massachusetts, making this the largest tern mortality event in the NWHC
epizootic database.
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.
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