Wildlife Disease News Digest

Breeding programs may send disease into wild and more wildlife disease news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

Avian Cholera kills Thunder Bay turkeys

The mystery behind the deaths of some turkeys in the Mountain Road area seems to have been solved with the help of a wildlife pathologist. After a handful of turkeys suddenly died, some neighbours in the area were concerned the birds were poisoned.

But a Guelph pathologist with the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre who looked at the dead birds said the turkeys had bacteria called Avian Cholera. "We have very rarely seen infections with this bacterium in wild birds here in Ontario,” Doug Campbell said.

CBC News

21 May 2013

Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Breeding programs may send disease into wild

Captive breeding programs of endangered animals have the potential to send disease out into vulnerable animal communities, a new study shows. The Australian research reveals brush-tail wallabies raised in a captive breeding program carry antibiotic resistance genes in their gut bacteria.

Dr Michelle Power, of Macquarie University, says when these animals are released they can transmit these antibiotic resistance genes into wild populations.

ABC Science

23 May 2013

D Cooper

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article

Power ML, Emery S, Gillings MR (2013) Into the Wild: Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance Determinants via a Species Recovery Program. PLoS ONE 8(5): e63017. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063017

Lab to analyze dead bison tissue

A rising Yellowstone River may have stymied efforts to discover if anything unusual killed several bison near Yellowstone National Park. Over the weekend, Fish, Wildlife and Parks employees worked to get tissue samples from dead bison that were first reported along the river Thursday.

... Ramsey said she extracted samples from the bison’s major organs and sent them to the Department of Livestock laboratory for analysis. The results won’t be known for a week or two. “Nothing really stood out as unusual on the side of the bison that was above water. There was some blood in the abdomen near the pelvis, but I don’t know how that would play in,” Ramsey said. “The lab can look at the microscopic things we couldn’t see. Depending on what they find, they could send it on to another lab for further investigation.”

Ramsey said the results could end up being normal or the tissue could have been too waterlogged to provide good results. Samples from another animal might have helped, but they could find only the two bison. Members of the Gallatin Wildlife Association voiced concerns about disease last week after dead bison started surfacing, especially after sheep were recently moved onto property upstream.

Sheep can carry malignant catarrhal fever, which is fatal to bison. The disease is related to herpes, and because it produces no ill effects in sheep, all sheep should be presumed to be carriers, according to the Alberta Sheep and Wool Commission.

Bozeman Daily Chronicle

21 May 2013

L Lundquist

Location: Gardiner, Montana, USA, - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Deer hair-loss syndrome challenges California researchers; low fawn survival rate impacts population

Researchers at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are studying a deer hair-loss syndrome across the state.

Wildlife experts are calling the issue “hair loss” but the real problem appears to be from the infestation of non-native lice and in some cases, a heavy infestation of internal parasites.

Symptoms range from a scruffy looking hair coat to near complete baldness. Hair-loss syndrome is also associated with poor nutritional condition, making it difficult for fawns to survive to replace the normal mortality in mature deer.

“Some of us speculate that the louse-infested deer spend so much time grooming they become easy targets of predation by coyotes or mountain lions,” said CDFW senior wildlife biologist, Greg Gerstenberg. “While this theory is still under investigation, what we do know is that the louse has impacted migratory populations of California deer which now have a low fawn survival rate, making it difficult to replenish the herd.”

The goal of the research is to understand why the lice infestations are appearing as well as to understand the full impacts of the non-native louse species and hair loss.

Lake County News

19 May 2013

Location: California, USA

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

Part I: Chronic Wasting Disease in Wyoming continues its march north and west [audio broadcast]
Part II: Chronic Wasting Disease Part II [audio broadcast]
Conservationists, NRA Face Off in Court This Week Over Lead Ammo: Lawsuit Seeks Stop to Toxic Lead Poisoning Wildlife and Humans [Center for Biological Diversity Press release]
NY town eyes limited use for Plum Island, site of federal animal disease research lab
Gulf Killifish Show Defects from Crude Oil Exposure [Cited Journal Article HERE]
ProMED: Undiagnosed die-off, fish - Request for Information [Alabama, USA]
Study confirms U.S. amphibian populations declining at rapid rate
ALARMING DROP IN CUMBRIAN WILDLIFE [England]
GAO Critical of USDA Disease Surveillance Strategy

Climate Change News

One Health News Corner

It Ain't All Bad News

Willdlife Disease Journal Digest

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Do Shade-Grown Coffee Plantations Pose a Disease Risk for Wild Birds?
EcoHealth. 2013 May; [Epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1007/s10393-013-0837-3
SM Hernandez et al.

Chytridiomycosis and Seasonal Mortality of Tropical Stream-Associated Frogs 15 Years after Introduction of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Conserv Biol. 2013 May 16. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12073. [Epub ahead of print]
AD Phillott et al.

Hepatitis and splenitis due to systemic tetratrichomoniasis in an American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
J Vet Diagn Invest. 2013 May 14. [Epub ahead of print]
RE Burns et al.

Zoonosis emergence linked to agricultural intensification and environmental change
Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2013; 110(21):8399–8404 [Epub ahead of print 2013 May 13]. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1208059110
BA Jones

A hierarchical distance sampling approach to estimating mortality rates from opportunistic carcass surveillance data
Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 2013 Apr; 4(4):361–369 [Epub ahead of print 2013 Jan 10]. doi: 10.1111/2041-210x.12021
SE Bellan et al.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of pneumonia in bighorn sheep
J Anim Ecol. 2013 Feb 8. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12031. [Epub ahead of print]
EF Cassirer et al.

A cluster of avian malaria cases in a kiwi management programme
N Z Vet J. 2013 May;61(3):121-6. doi: 10.1080/00480169.2012.736130. Epub 2012 Nov 28
ME Banda et al.

Electrolyte depletion in white-nose syndrome bats
J Wildl Dis. 2013 Apr;49(2):398-402. doi: 10.7589/2012-04-121.
PM Cryan et al.

Efficacy of antemortem rectal biopsies to diagnose and estimate prevalence of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging cow elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni)
J Wildl Dis. 2013 Apr;49(2):270-8. doi: 10.7589/2011-12-362.
RJ Monello et al.

Predicting shifts in parasite distribution with climate change: A multi-trophic level approach
Glob Chang Biol. 2013 May 13. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12255. [Epub ahead of print]
RS Pickles et al.

Correlates between Feeding Ecology and Mercury Levels in Historical and Modern Arctic Foxes (Vulpes lagopus)
PLoS One. 2013 May 6;8(5):e60879. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060879. Print 2013.
N Bocharova et al.

First report of Trichinella pseudospiralis in Poland, in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)
Acta Parasitol. 2013 Jun;58(2):149-54. doi: 10.2478/s11686-013-0121-2. Epub 2013 May 11.
B Moskwa et al.

Distribution of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis Viral Protein and Nucleic Acid Within Central Nervous Tissue Lesions in White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Veterinary Pathology. 2013 [Epub ahead of print 2013 May 17]. doi: 10.1177/0300985813488956
M. Kiupel et al.

Francisella tularensis infection in a stone marten (Martes foina) without classic pathological lesions consistent with tularemia
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 May 14]. doi: 10.1177/1040638713489124
FC Origgi et al.

Leptospira interrogans at the Human-Wildlife Interface in Northern Botswana: A Newly Identified Public Health Threat
Zoonoses Public Health. 2013 May 14. doi: 10.1111/zph.12052. [Epub ahead of print]
SE Jobbins et al.

Essential Readings in Wildlife Management and Conservation [Table of Contents]
Includes the chapter: Mortality patterns in mammals

Proceedings of the seminar on Emerging Infectious Diseases, November 9, 2011: current trends and proposals [no online abstract available]
Med Mal Infect. 2012 Nov;42(11):569-73. doi: 10.1016/j.medmal.2012.08.001. Epub 2012 Nov 9.
C Leport et al.

The scaling of contact rates with population density for the infectious disease models
Math Biosci. 2013 May 9. pii: S0025-5564(13)00123-5. doi: 10.1016/j.mbs.2013.04.013. [Epub ahead of print]
H Hu et al.

Retrospective time series analysis of veterinary laboratory data: preparing a historical baseline for cluster detection in syndromic surveillance
Prev Vet Med. 2013 May 1;109(3-4):219-27. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2012.10.010. Epub 2012 Nov 13.
FC Dorea et al.

H1N1 discovered in marine mammals and other wildlife disease news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

H1N1 discovered in marine mammals

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, detected the H1N1 (2009) virus in free-ranging northern elephant seals off the central California coast a year after the human pandemic began, according to a study published today, May 15, in the journal PLOS ONE. It is the first report of that flu strain in any marine mammal.

“We thought we might find influenza viruses, which have been found before in marine mammals, but we did not expect to find pandemic H1N1,” said lead author Tracey Goldstein, an associate professor with the UC Davis One Health Institute and Wildlife Health Center. “This shows influenza viruses can move among species.”

UC Davis researchers have been studying flu viruses in wild birds and mammals since 2007 as part of the Centers of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance program funded by National Institutes of Health. The goal of this research is to understand how viruses emerge and move among animals and people.

UC Davis Press Release

15 May 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article

Goldstein T, Mena I, Anthony SJ, Medina R, Robinson PW, et al. (2013) Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Isolated from Free-Ranging Northern Elephant Seals in 2010 off the Central California Coast. PLoS ONE 8(5): e62259. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062259

Is virus detected in Asiatic Lion deadly enough?

Int'l wildlife experts express concern, Indian foresters insist it's one of many strains.

In the heat of Gujarat government seeking a review of Supreme Court’s order of translocation of a few Asiatic Lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh, a scientific paper, published in the Journal of Veterinary Science in June 2012, has brought to light, for the first time, that a virus, generally found in domestic livestock, has been spotted in Asiatic Lions in Gir.

The virus called peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) has been detected in frozen pooled tissue samples of a dead Asiatic Lion by a group of seven veterinary scientists from different institutes with help from Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI).

The issue has gained significance now because a wildlife health expert with Britain’s Royal Veterinary College Dr Richard Kock has expressed concern about the findings of this paper and has recently written to Dr YV Jhala of Wildlife Institute of India to investigate the matter.

DNA India

17 May 2013

Location: Gir Forest National Park, Gujarat, India

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Badger ammo plant salamanders stay youthful, but have virus

They might be lucky when it comes to staying young, but it appears the now-famous Badger Army Ammunition Plant salamanders are less fortunate when it comes to staying healthy.

Recent tests revealed the amphibians that dwell within old reservoirs at the former weapons plant south of Baraboo have a virus. Researchers have studied the salamanders because of their unusual ability to maintain youthful characteristics

...Considering the recently discovered virus among the population, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources now is trying to determine whether it would be wise to relocate the small amphibians.

“We’re still determining to what extent the virus is present in the salamanders,” said Mark Aquino, a DNR regional director. “It’s nothing new, and it’s not an unknown virus. It really isn’t even related to the fact they have this unusual life history. It’s just a matter of whether it’s OK to relocate them to areas where the virus may not be present.”

Wisconsin State Journal

17 May 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

What is killing the giant ‘Ocean Sunfish’ off the coast of Chile?

Giant Ocean Sunfish in Bali, Indonesia
Photo credit: Kevin Deacon

Several specimens of Ocean Sunfish have washed ashore along the coast of Chile in recent months. The gigantic fishes, always in solitary, cast aground on sandy beaches and the cause of their death remains a mystery to researchers.

The latest sunfish stranding occurred two days ago (Wednesday May 15) on the beach “El Colorado” of the northern Chilean port of Iquique. The huge marine animal was found on a sector of the beach hit by large waves. Members of conservation organizations, Kaitieki and Sea Shepherd, attended to the site to attempt a rescue or to collect data, according to local media.

The sunfish measured almost 2 meters long by 1.5 meter high and weighed about 800 kilograms. It had no visible wounds or lacerations, and based on the condition of fish, it washed to the shore after dying offshore within the previous two days.

The death of a fish of this species has become a recurrent event on beaches along the Chilean coast. On 24 April, a fish of this species was found dead on the same beach. In January this year, another specimen was found dead near Castro in Chiloé Island, located in the south of Chile. On March 15, another fish of this species was found dead on rockeries of islet “El Alacrán” of Arica, Chile’s northernmost port. And on March 2012, a sunfish stranded on a beach in Dalcahue, also in the Island of Chiloé.

Despite detailed inspections by specialists, the causes of death of these fish are not apparent and remain a mystery. Because of their size, in the range of 300-800 kilos, these fish would be still relatively young.

Digital Journal

17 May 2013

II Solar

Location: Playa El Colorado, Chile - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Spring Brings Flowers and the Dreaded Mosquito: West Nile Virus Hotlines are Open to Receive Dead Bird Reports

Homepage of the Wildlife Health Event Reporter. The colored pins
on the map show where a report was recently made.

As the West Nile Virus season blooms, in addition to calling your state hotline, consider also reporting your sick/dead bird sightings to the Wildlife Health Event Reporter (WHER), www.wher.org. Yea, we recognize it is an extra step for you, but your observation is that important.

By entering your report into WHER, it will reach a wider audience. In almost near real-time, (yup, it is that fast), it becomes available to anyone who is interested or needs this information (e.g. wildlife disease specialists, wildlife rehabilitators, public health officials, domestic animal veterinarians, wildlife state agencies, and concerned citizens). We are all about sharing the information to help increase awareness and gain a better understanding of wildlife health events.

Contribute to a healthy ecosystem that is inhabited by healthy, happy people and animals! Create your WHER account today!

Need help email us at wher@wdin.org or call at 608.616.9437.

States with Open Hotlines Reported in the News
West Nile Virus Hotline Open; Report Dead Birds [Illinois, USA]
West Nile virus tracking resumes; public asked to report dead birds online [Washington, USA]

Other West Nile News

>>> 2012 Was Worst Year For West Nile Virus In Michigan [USA]

>>> ProMED: West Nile virus - Comment [Illinois, USA]

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

What is causing hundreds of fish to die? [Buffalo, New York, USA - Map It ]
Bobcat dies from porcupine quill injury
Farne Islands 'puffin census' begins
Mountain lion study on track

Rabies News

Health officials warn of bat tested positive for rabies in Los Gatos [California, USA]
Wildlife Rabies Vaccinations Continue Due to Cases in Neighboring Countries [Estonia, Northern Europe]
First rabid bat found in Idaho this year; health officials urge caution [Idaho, USA]

One Health News Corner

One Health Team Combats Animal-to-Human Disease Transmission [The partnership is working, said Kabugo, "and the best is yet to come."]
'One Health' paradigm for the future featured in medical school textbook
Brief Update on Novel Coronavirus [HealthMap - The Disease Daily]
Microbats link to 'world first' deadly virus death [Two horses euthanased after testing positive to Australian Bat Lyssavirus][Queensland, Australia]
Earliest-ever detection of West Nile virus puts strain on public funds [Tennessee, USA]
Saudi health workers sickened by SARS-like virus [The virus got a new name, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)]
Social factors contribute to emergence of coronavirus

Huh?! That's Interesting!

Doctors Used to Use Live African Frogs As Pregnancy Tests [And they can be carriers of the amphibian chytrid fungus][For more on the chytrid fungus, read this story in National Geographic]

It Ain't All Bad News
The New York based wildlife rehabilitation organization, Into the Wild Inc., has chosen to focus on the conservation of bats native to New York State, in an effort to combat the negative effects that the White Nose Syndrome (WNS) epidemic is having on native bat populations.

Through their Bat Conservation Project, Into the Wild is educating the public about the benefits of bats to the ecosystem and human health. They are also busy building bat houses to promote healthy bat populations. Read about their conservation efforts here at: http://www.intothewildinc.org/bat-conservation-project.html.

Fatal fungus found in third major amphibian group, caecilians and other wildlife disease news

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

Climate change brings disease threat for polar bears

With its habitats shrinking and food supplies dwindling, the fate of the polar bear looks grim in the face of climate change . Now comes news that the iconic Arctic mammal may face another potentially devastating threat: it may be particularly vulnerable to new pathogens moving northwards as a result of warming.

Diana Weber, who works at both the New College of Florida, Sarasota, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York, led a team that sequenced DNA from 98 polar bears in Canada. They looked specifically for genes coding the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) – a molecule found on the surface of cells that acts as a crucial component of the immune systems of most vertebrates.

New Scientist

15 May 2013

S Bhattacharya

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Fatal fungus found in third major amphibian group, caecilians

Scientists took skin swabs from more than 200
wild-caught caecilians to test for the potentially
deadly chytrid fungus

It is known as the amphibian chytrid fungus and can cause a deadly disease that is decimating some of the world's frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. However, the fungus had not been detected in the other lesser-known major group of amphibians, the caecilians, until now.

An international team led by scientists at the Natural History Museum and Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have found the first cases of chytrid fungus infections in caecilians. They report their findings today in the journal EcoHealth.

More than 200 caecilians caught from the wild had DNA tests carried out on swabs of their skin to check for the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. The study included 29 caecilian species from 5 countries in Africa and South America, which is the largest genetic survey of this fungus in caecilians to date.

National History Museum

15 May 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article

David J. Gower et al. (2013) Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infection and Lethal Chytridiomycosis in Caecilian Amphibians (Gymnophiona). EcoHealth; [Epub ahead of print]

Other Chytridiomycosis News

>>> The rise of a frog-killing fungus pinned in part on global trade: The disease wiping out amphibians is old, but it's new to some of its victims

>>> Of frogs and fungus | Natural History

Can a Mosquito Kill a Killer Whale? Yes, Says New Case Report

It sounds almost impossible. How could a tiny mosquito possibly kill one of the top predators in the ocean? According to a new peer-reviewed case report published in the Journal of Marine Mammals and Their Ecology, it’s because they lived in captivity.

“Orca (Orcinus Orca) Captivity and Vulnerability to Mosquito-transmitted Viruses,” co-authored by John Jett and Jeffrey Ventre, queries the role of captivity and husbandry procedures in lowering the immune system of captive orcas. The duo, who are former SeaWorld trainers, directly correlated the death of two SeaWorld killer whales to their environment and disease-carrying mosquitoes.

“Although unreported in wild orca populations,” Jett and Ventre noted, “mosquito-transmitted diseases have killed at least two captive orcas in U.S. theme parks.”

Decoded Science

14 May 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

What If There Is No Happy Ending? Science Communication as a Path to Change

... Over the next 12 years, I watched as entire communities of amphibians – hundreds of animals and over 100 species of frogs and salamanders – succumbed to chytridiomycosis, the fungal disease caused by that fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd for short). It was stunningly fast. Entire valleys would be wiped out in a few months. It was devastating. We worked furiously to document and understand what was happening, driven to tell the world about what we were seeing. We cranked out definitive papers. More importantly, though, I felt personally responsible doing something.

For me, that ‘something’ was going to take skills you just don’t learn in the lab or the field, so I applied for communication and leadership training through the Leopold Leadership Program. I wanted to learn how to better communicate lessons learned from the amphibian extinction I had observed in the hopes of alerting others and preventing new extinctions. I put my freshly honed communication skills to work, describing what we had seen in the field, and the impacts of those declines on populations, communities, and ecosystems. I gave lots of talks to many kinds of groups – colleagues, hobbyists, zookeepers. I always hoped that somebody in the audience would have the right bit of information to understand where this fungus came from, how it worked, and how we might control it.

I am struggling to find a new message, one that moves past the death and destruction I have witnessed and beyond the feelings of helplessness and frustration, but one that is still honest and useful....

Scientific American

15 May 2013

K Lips

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH NEWS

Answers sought from dolphin deaths [Yarmouth, Massachusetts, USA - Map It ]
Dead Fish Wash Up Along Eastern Shore [View cases reported in Alabama, USA on the Global Wildlife Disease Map ]
Scientists find impact of open-ocean industrial fishing within centuries of bird bones
How Do Wind Turbines Kill Birds?
Climate Change Forecast to Shrink Habitat of Common Plants and Animals
Local ground squirrel tests positive for plague [Palomar Mountain, California, USA - Map It ]
Chronic wasting disease found in deer near Shenandoah National Park [Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA - Map It ]

White-Nose Syndrome News

Bat fungus ravages hibernation site in Ohio [Ohio, USA]
Vt. Fish & Wildlife seeking info on bat colonies [Vermont, USA]

Coral Reef Health News

Avian Influenza News

One Health News Corner

It Ain't All Bad News

River otters are making a comeback in the Bay Area

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Trait-mediated indirect effects, predators, and disease: test of a size-based model
Oecologia. 2013 May 8. [Epub ahead of print]
CR Bertram et al.

Towards a new, ecologically targeted approach to monitoring wild bird populations for avian influenza viruses
Epidemiol Infect. 2013 May;141(5):1050-60. doi: 10.1017/S0950268812001732. Epub 2012 Aug 24.
CU Schoene et al.

Targeting surveillance for zoonotic virus discovery
Emerg Infect Dis. 2013 May;19(5):743-7. doi: 10.3201/eid1905.121042.
J Levinson et al.

The study of parasite sharing for surveillance of zoonotic diseases
Environ. Res. Lett. 2013; 8 015036 doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/015036
Maxwell J Farrell et al.

The opportunistic nature of Trichinella—Exploitation of new geographies and habitats
Veterinary Parasitology. 2013 May 20; 194(2-4): Pages 128–132
Special Issue: 13th International Conference on Trichinellosis
E Pozio et al.

Zoonotic disease risk perceptions and infection control practices of Australian veterinarians: Call for change in work culture
Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 May 08]
K Dowd et al.

Balancing biodiversity with agriculture: Land sharing mitigates avian malaria prevalence
Conservation Letters. 2013 Apr ; 6(2): 125–131. [Epub ahead of print 2013 Jan 02]. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-263X.2012.00302.x
CD Mendenhall et al.

Intranasal Inoculation of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with Lyophilized Chronic Wasting Disease Prion Particulate Complexed to Montmorillonite Clay
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(5): e62455. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062455
TA Nichols et al.

Influenza. Despite large research effort, H7N9 continues to baffle [Online abstract not available]
Science. 2013 Apr 26;340(6131):414-5. doi: 10.1126/science.340.6131.414.
M Hvistendahl et al.
Comment in: Don't cull wild birds yet. [Science. 2013][Online abstract not available]

Usutu Virus Persistence and West Nile Virus Inactivity in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) in 2011
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(5): e63978. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063978
M Calzolari et al.

Centrality in primate–parasite networks reveals the potential for the transmission of emerging infectious diseases to humans
PNAS. 2013; 2013 May 07; 110(19): 7738-7741. [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 22]. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1220716110
JM Gomeza et al.

Networks of wildlife translocations in developing countries: an emerging conservation issue?
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 2013; doi: 10.1890/120213
JR Goss and GS Cumming

Mosquito and West Nile virus surveillance in northeast Montana, U.S.A., 2005 and 2006.
Med Vet Entomol. 2013 May 6. doi: 10.1111/mve.12011. [Epub ahead of print]
KM Friesen and GD Johnson

Migratory strategies of waterbirds shape the continental-scale dispersal of aquatic organisms
Ecography. 2013 Apr; 36(4): 430–438. [Epub ahead of print 2012 Oct 09]. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.2012.07588.x
DS Viana et al.

Right Whale Die-Off Continues to Puzzle and more wildlife disease news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Mon, 13 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

NOAA scientists study diseased corals

A team of government scientists has wrapped up its visit to Kauai to get a look at the island's diseased coral reefs but will be back this summer for a second look...."Their game plan is to come back in a couple months, sometime this summer, to go back to all the same locations to see how much the disease has spread and how many corals it has killed," he said.

Last year, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Hawaii got a look at what is happening in the diseased reefs. In a November 2012 report, Thierry Work, head of infectious disease for USGS, described the rapidly-spreading disease on Kauai as an "epidemic." He said the term still applies.

"It's unlike anything I've seen anywhere else," he told the Garden Island on Tuesday. "What we're seeing here is truly unprecedented."

SF Gate

08 May 2013

Location: Kauai, Hawaii, USA

>>> FULL ARTICLE

More Coral Reef News

>>> Life on a Coral Reef: Insult Is (Sometimes) Added to Injury

Right Whale Die-Off Continues to Puzzle

Scientists still don't know why hundreds of baby southern right whales are turning up dead around Patagonia, a decade after observers first saw signs of the worst die-off on record for the species, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

With no evidence of infectious diseases or deadly toxins in whale tissue samples, scientists are scrambling to determine a cause of death. Some are even pointing a finger at blubber-eating birds.

... "The attacks are very painful and cause large, deep lesions, particularly on the backs of young 2-6 week-old calves," the researchers said in a statement from WCS. "This harassment can last for hours at a time. As a result, right whale mothers and their calves are expending much precious energy during a time of year when mothers are fasting and at a site where little to no food is available to replenish fat reserves."

Discovery News

10 May 2013

M Gannon

Location: Patagonia, South America

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS


This picture, taken with a slow exposure, shows seagulls flying in the sky over Rome Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images Source: The Guardian

White nose syndrome continues to shrink N.J.'s little brown bat population
Kestrels, Other Urban Birds Are Stressed by Human Activity
Distemper Outbreak Among St. Louis County Skunks [St. Louis Co, Missouri, USA - Map It ]

Chronic Wasting Disease News

Disease could threaten Shenandoah National Park deer [Virginia, USA]
I-Team: The threat of Chronic Wasting Disease [Missouri, USA]

Fish Health News

UPDATE: DNR Investigating Fish Found Dead in Tygart Lake [Tygart Lake, West Virginia, USA - Map It ]
Hundreds of Dead Fish Found in Bristol Pond: DEEP crews responded to Page Park on Thursday to investigate [Bristol, Connecticut, USA - Map It ]

One Health News Corner

The Next Contagion: Closer Than You Think
Animal health law needed to combat diseases [Vietnam]
AVMA supports new legislation to combat animal & human disease [USA]
Bird Flu Cases Declining, Health Officials Say
Mosquito Survey Identifies Reservoir of Disease
Woman bitten by rabid fox [Scotland Co., North Carolina, USA]
West Nile Virus Already Found in Shelby Co. [Tennessee, USA]
France confirms Sars-linked virus: Sick man returned from the United Arab Emirates
Growing Algal Blooms Pose Public Health Risks [Includes link to upcoming Webinar, Getting Climate Smart: Water Resources Preparedness Planning for State Governments]

Huh?! That's Interesting!

Plague Helped Bring Down Roman Empire, Graveyard Suggests

In the Spotlight: A New Look for the Australian Wildlife Health Network

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Fri, 10 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

The Australian Wildlife Health Network
A guest blogger on the Wildlife Disease News Digest

The Australian Wildlife Health Network (AWHN) recently updated the look and feel of our website. Our main home page address can still be found at: www.wildlifehealth.org.au but you will need to update any other shortcuts you have to other areas of the website.

Have a look around the website and check out what’s new! For example, we have a new Resources page (this replaces our previous ‘Bulletin Board”) which provides links to current wildlife health information and resources using a number of different categories and areas of interest with a focus on Australia. Click on the link and explore.

We have also reorganised our Useful Links page. If you would like to post some news or a key wildlife health resource – please let us know. Find out more about our Programs and Projects or download our current or previous Newsletters. And of course our Fact Sheets are also still available.

For those living or visiting Australia, don't forget that you can report any suspicious signs of disease or deaths in wildlife by contacting your local AWHN Wildlife Coordinator.

An Invitation to the Network

The AWHN aims to link, inform and support people and organisations who work with or have an interest in wildlife health across Australia through technical advice, facilitation, communications and professional support. By joining the Network, you become an AWHN subscriber whose benefits include:

Receiving a weekly electronic digest by email of wildlife health information relevant to Australia and the Region
Receiving ad hoc disease incident notifications and information requests via email, and
The opportunity to contribute articles, requests and information to the digest

Learn how to join at: http://www.wildlifehealth.org.au/AboutUs1/JointheNetwork.aspx

A Big Thanks!

AWHN would like to thank all of our Supporters (click on link to view who they are) and say a special thank you to everyone involved in updating the website.

Sincerely,
The Australian Wildlife Health Network Team

Share What You Know: Be Our Next Guest Writer for the Digest

Since the inception of the Wildlife Disease News Digest, we have always encouraged you, our readers, to share your wildlife health related announcements. If you are excited about something happening in your organization or with your work, we, along with the rest of the Digest community, want to hear about it.

Use the Digest to share your announcements about the latest wildlife disease developments, education and employment opportunities, or any other tidbits of information that you feel is valuable. Don't be shy. If you don't want to write your own announcement, just tell us about it and we will take it from there, but you have to email us your ideas at digest@wdin.org. Help your community of Digest readers stay abreast of the ever changing landscape of wildlife disease.

Mercury exposure linked to dramatic decline in Arctic foxes and other wildlife health news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Thu, 09 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

Wildlife Health Bulletin: Avian Influenza A(H7N9) in China

This bulletin provides information on the current situation regarding the avian influenza A(H7N9) outbreak in China and preparations at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. At this time, the People’s Republic of China has reported over 120 cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) infection in people, with an approximate case fatality rate of 20 percent.

Presently, there is no evidence of sustained humanto-human transmission. The source of human infection is still under investigation, but the avian influenza A(H7N9) virus has been isolated from healthy ducks, pigeons, chickens, and quail in live bird markets in Shanghai and neighboring provinces. Concern exists within China and among other countries about the potential spread of virus.

USGS National Wildlife Health Center

03 May 2013

>>> TO H7N9 BULLETIN

>>> ARCHIVE OF PAST BULLETINS

News on Environmental Toxins: Mercury exposure linked to dramatic decline in Arctic foxes

On one Russian island where the population of foxes has crashed, the researchers believe the toxin has played a key role in the decline. They say the findings could have important implications for conservation. The data is published in the Journal, PLOS ONE.

Mercury levels in the world's oceans have doubled over the past 100 years, according to the UN, with more mercury deposited in the Arctic than on any other part of the planet. The Arctic Council says there has been a ten-fold increase in the levels of mercury found in top predators in the region over the past 150 years.

... Now a team of researchers says it has found significant levels of mercury in different populations of Arctic foxes in different environments.

BBC News

06 May 2013

M McGrath

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article

N Bocharova et al. (2013) Correlates between Feeding Ecology and Mercury Levels in Historical and Modern Arctic Foxes (Vulpes lagopus). PLoS ONE 8(5): e60879. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060879

Climate changes could bring malaria to the UK

Health experts warn of growing threat from 'exotic' diseases

Leading health experts are urging the government to take action against the growing threat that mosquito-borne diseases, including potentially fatal malaria, could soon arrive in the UK.

The disturbing recommendation to "act now before it is too late" is being made as a growing body of evidence indicates that what were once thought of as tropical diseases are being found ever closer to the UK.

...In the UK, previously rare diseases are being diagnosed with increasing frequency. In 2001, there were 200 confirmed cases of Lyme disease, which is caused by infected ticks carried on animals. By 2011, this had risen to 959 confirmed cases, according to HPA statistics. The true figure could be considerably higher, experts believe, as Lyme disease requires a clinical diagnosis and its symptoms, such as rashes and flu, can mimic other illnesses and be misdiagnosed. At its most serious, the disease can result in blindness and paralysis.

The Guardian

04 May 2013

J Doward

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Health defects found in fish exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Gulf killifish embryos affected

Three years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, crude oil toxicity continues to sicken a sentinel Gulf Coast fish species, according to new findings from a research team that includes a University of California, Davis, scientist.

With researchers from Louisiana and South Carolina, the scientists found that Gulf killifish embryos exposed to sediments from oiled locations show developmental abnormalities, including heart defects, delayed hatching and reduced hatching success. The killifish is an environmental indicator species, or a "canary in the coal mine," used to predict broader exposures and health risks.

The findings, posted online in advance of publication in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, are part of an ongoing collaborative effort to track the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Gulf killifish populations in areas of Louisiana that received heavy amounts of oil.

Other species that share similar habitats with the Gulf killifish, such as redfish, speckled trout, flounder, blue crabs, shrimp and oysters — may be at risk of similar effects.

EurekAlert!

01 May 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

Scientists mapped the global routes taken by cargo ships
over a two-year period

Will Lead Bullets Finally Kill Off the California Condor?
Nearly 3,000 birds die from chemical spill in English Channel [United Kingdom]
Scientists wrap up coral study: Report describes outbreak as ‘phenomenon’[Kauai, Hawaii, USA]
Two New Publications on Mountain Lions [CDFW Wildlife Investigations Lab blog]
Correction: Rabid Wolves story [Alaska, USA]
Voyageurs moose population holding steady [Minnesota, USA]
ProMED: Dolphin morbilivirus fatal - comment [South Australia, Australia]
Amphibians living close to farm fields are more resistant to common insecticides
Scientists map global routes of ship-borne invasive species [See map to right]

White-Nose Syndrome News

Cold War bunkers offer bats refuge from killer disease [Maine, USA]
Deadly fungus threatens state's endangered bat population [Wisconsin, USA]
Blood and Spore: How a Bat-Killing Fungus Is Threatening U.S. Agriculture
Georgia Bat Population Is Under Threat [Georgia, USA]
Bat-killing disease migrating south [USA]

Rabies News

Anne Arundel rabies cases on the rise: One year after vaccination program ends, spring cases almost double [Maryland, USA]
NC health officials reminding citizens of rabies risk in wildlife [Navajo Co., Arizona, USA - Map It ]

One Health News Corner

France battles new disease linked to SARS
Humans vs. Superbugs: Who Will Win? [HealthMap's The Disease Daily]
ProMED: Psittacosis - illegally sold birds [Argentina]
The Great Herd of Migrating Viruses [Acelaphine herpesvirus 1][East Africa]
Ticks, mosquitoes spawn emerging diseases in TN: Health officials hope to avoid repeat of 2012

Avian Influenza News

Huh?! That's Interesting!

Chytrid fungus '40,000 years old'

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Detection of Avian Influenza Viruses in Wild Waterbirds in the Rift Valley of Kenya Using Fecal Sampling
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 26]. doi:10.1089/vbz.2011.0926.
VO Ofula et al.

Pathobiology and transmission of highly and low pathogenic avian influenza viruses in European quail (Coturnix c. coturnix)
Vet Res. 2013; 44(1): 23. [Epub ahead of print 2013 Mar 28]. doi:10.1186/1297-9716-44-23
K Bertran

Whether the Weather Drives Patterns of Endemic Amphibian Chytridiomycosis: A Pathogen Proliferation Approach
2013; PLoS ONE 8(4): e61061. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061061
KA Murray et al.
[Thank your fellow Digest reader for this one!]

The Novel H7N9 Influenza A Virus: Its Present Impact and Indeterminate Future
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 30]. doi:10.1089/vbz.2013.999.ceezad.
RE Kahn et al.

The Human Environment Interface: Applying Ecosystem Concepts to Health
Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2013 May 1. [Epub ahead of print]
ND Preston et al.

Examining the differences in format and characteristics of zoonotic virus surveillance data on state agency websites
J Med Internet Res. 2013 Apr 26;15(4):e90. doi: 10.2196/jmir.2487.
M Scotch et al.

Molecular and epidemiological characterization of avian influenza viruses from gulls and dabbling ducks in Norway
Virol J. 2013; 10: 112. [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 10]. doi:10.1186/1743-422X-10-112
R Tonnessen

Sex-biased parasitism is not universal: evidence from rodent-flea associations from three biomes
Oecologia. 2013 May 1. [Epub ahead of print]
C Kiffner et al.

Re-Isolating Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from an Amphibian Host Increases Pathogenicity in a Subsequent Exposure
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(5): e61260. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061260
FMR Brem et al.

Physiological and Biogeochemical Traits of Bleaching and Recovery in the Mounding Species of Coral Porites lobata: Implications for Resilience in Mounding Corals
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(5): e63267. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063267
SJ Levas et al.

Who’s worried about turkeys? How ‘organisational silos’ impede zoonotic disease surveillance
Sociology of Health & Illness. 2013 Feb; 35(2): 200–212. [Epub ahead of print 2013 Sep 2012] DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2012.01501.x
Special Issue: Pandemics and Emerging Infectious Diseases: the Sociological Agenda
C Jerolmack

Application of real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to the detection the matrix, H5 and H7 genes of avian influenza viruses in field samples from South Korea
Virol J. 2013 Mar 14;10:85. doi: 10.1186/1743-422X-10-85.
HR Kim et al.

World watching as troubling new type of avian influenza surfaces in China
CMAJ. 2013 Apr 29. [Epub ahead of print]
C Brown

Maryland One Health Bulletin - April 2013 [pdf]
Volume 3, Issue 3

Wildlife Disease Association Newsletter - April 2013 [pdf]

First detection of Echinococcus granulosus G1 and G7 in wild boars (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Romania using PCR and PCR-RFLP techniques
Vet Parasitol. 2013 Mar 31;193(1-3):289-91. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.11.044. Epub 2012 Dec 20.
D Onac et al.

Yersinia pestis DNA from Skeletal Remains from the 6th Century AD Reveals Insights into Justinianic Plague
PLoS Pathog. 2013; 9(5): e1003349. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003349
M Harbeck et al.

Seabirds Carry Warnings of Ocean Pollution and more wildlife disease news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Mon, 06 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

White-Nose Syndrome map from White-Nose Syndrome.org.
Posted 03 May 2013

White-nose syndrome found in Boone National Forest

A rapidly spreading fungal disease affecting bats has been discovered in Daniel Boone National Forest.

The U.S. Forest Service says white-nose syndrome was found on hibernating bats in six caves inside the forest. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources confirmed laboratory findings.

... Forest Biologist Sandra Kilpatrick says 38 bat hibernation caves were surveyed over the winter, with white-nose syndrome found in six. Those six caves are in Jackson, Rockcastle and Pulaski counties.

Kentucky.com

02 May 2013

Location: Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky, USA - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Scientists make strides toward restoring bighorn sheep in the American West

As pneumonia continues to limit recovery of the once nearly extinct bighorn sheep population in the western United States, a research team including scientists from Penn State's Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences has made key discoveries that lead to a better understanding of the disease and how it might be more effectively controlled.

..."Our findings suggest that the impacts of pneumonia on bighorn sheep populations are much worse than previously reported," says Plowright, lead author of the PLOS ONE paper. "The initial epidemic can cause high mortality, but subsequently adults—even chronic carriers—survive well, obscuring our detection of the disease. However, an average of 80 percent of the lambs die each year, and some populations continue to lose their lambs for decades, even to the point of extinction. Lamb pneumonia mortality is very difficult to detect, but it may be an explanation for the poor growth rates of many populations across the West."

Phys.org

03 May 2013

S Palmer

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article

Plowright RK, Manlove K, Cassirer EF, Cross PC, Besser TE, et al. (2013) Use of Exposure History to Identify Patterns of Immunity to Pneumonia in Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis). PLoS ONE 8(4): e61919. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061919

Seabirds Carry Warnings of Ocean Pollution

The best tools for tracking how well pollution-reduction laws are working may be seabirds.

Seabirds, including pelicans, gulls and terns, are at the top of the food chain, and they absorb the toxins and pollutants contained in the fish they eat, researchers write in the May 3 issue of the journal Science. And because seabirds forage over wide areas of oceans but come back to one spot each year to breed, they provide scientists with a one-stop-shop to sample from a broad geographic region.

Live Science

02 May 2013

S Pappas

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article

JE Elliott and KH Elliott (2013 May 03) Tracking Marine Pollution. Science. 340(6132): 556-558. DOI: 10.1126/science.1235197

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH NEWS

Avian Influenza News

Easy Jump for H5N1 from Bird to Mammal: Hybrid viruses derived from an H5N1 bird flu strain can infect guinea pigs through the air
Global health experts consider bird flu a 'serious threat'
Human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China [Update 02 May 2013 World Health Organization]
Single Gene Swap Helps Bird Flu Virus Switch Hosts

One Health News Corner

Malaria: A Vector Infecting Both Apes and Humans

Citizen Scientists Make a Difference!

Hundreds of birds die of starvation after spring snowstorm and more wildlife disease news

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

Hundreds of birds die of starvation after spring snowstorm

Robins investigate the snowy conditions during last week's snow storm in Granby.

Local wildlife officials have determined an estimated one to two hundred dead robins and other similar bird species that have been found in the area died of starvation due to the recent snowstorms. It is unclear whether the birds were resident birds of the area or early migrators that were traveling through the area and were caught in the recent snowstorms.

...Robins survive mostly on insects, Crosby said. And due to the snow they were not able to get to the ground to retrieve food to keep up with their energy demands and subsequently starved to death.

Enough birds died to raise concerns about a possible outbreak of a disease, said Michelle Cowardin, a wildlife conservation biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “When anything like this happens we want to get them to the lab to see if there is a disease problem,” Crosby said. “But this was pretty obvious.”

Necropsies completed on six birds revealed the cause of death to be starvation, Crosby said.

Sky-Hi News

29 Apr 2013

R Tulley

Location: Granby, Colorado, USA - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Study links insecticide use to invertebrate die-offs

Dragonflies, snails and other water-based species are affected by pesticides leaking into water.
Photograph: Frank Krahmer/ Frank Krahmer/zefa/Corbis

The world's most widely used insecticide is devastating dragonflies, snails and other water-based species, a groundbreaking Dutch study has revealed.

On Monday, the insecticide and two others were banned for two years from use on some crops across the European Union, due to the risk posed to bees and other pollinators, on which many food crops rely.

....Van der Sluijs added that half the 20,000 tonnes of the imidacloprid produced each year is not affected by the EU ban. It is used not to treat crops, but to combat fleas and other pests in cattle, dogs and cats. "All this imidacloprid ends up in surface water," he said.

The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, found that 70% less invertebrate species were found in water polluted with the insecticide compared to clean water. There were also far fewer individuals of each species in the polluted water. "This is the first study to show this happens in the field," van der Sluijs said. As well as killing mayflies, midges and molluscs, the pollution could have a knock-on effect on birds such as swallows that rely on flying insects for food, he added.

The Guardian

01 May 2013

D Carrington

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article

TC Van Dijk (2013) Macro-Invertebrate Decline in Surface Water Polluted with Imidacloprid. PLoS ONE 8(5): e62374. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062374

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

State's Second Disease Management Area Created In Response To CWD [Pennsylvania, USA]
'Dirty Dozen' Invasive Species Threaten UK [cited journal article HERE]
Climate change compounds rising threats to koala

White-nose Syndrome News

Bat-killing disease hitting Virginia harder than ever [Virginia, USA]
Fungus claims bats across WNC [North Carolina, USA]

Avian Influenza News

Articles Courtesy of the Australia Wildlife Health Network

Rabies News

Rabies case confirmed in Russell County [Virginia, USA]
Rabies alert issued for Hamilton County [Florida, USA]
Bobcat attacks woman behind Lowe's; rabies confirmed [Show Low, Arizona, USA - Map It ]

It Ain't All Bad News

Almost extinct not too long ago, bald eagles have made comeback [USA]

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Wed, 01 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Do global models predicting environmental suitability for the amphibian fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, have local value to conservation managers?
Journal of Applied Ecology. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 22 Apr 2013]. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12091
K Riley et al.

Veterinary parasitology in australia - A short history
Vet Parasitol. 2013 Apr 6. pii: S0304-4017(13)00211-2. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2013.04.003. [Epub ahead of print]
I Beveridge and RB Besier

Skin pathology in Hawaiian goldring surgeonfish, Ctenochaetus strigosus (Bennett)
J Fish Dis. 2013 Apr 26. doi: 10.1111/jfd.12112. [Epub ahead of print]
TM Work and GS Aeby

Identification of multiple novel viruses in feces of red foxes including a parvovirus and hepevirus
J Virol. 2013 Apr 24. [Epub ahead of print]
R Bodewes et al.

Tracking Pathogen Transmission at the Human-Wildlife Interface: Banded Mongoose and Escherichia coli
Ecohealth. 2013 Apr 24. [Epub ahead of print]
R Pesapane et al.

Final Disposition and Quality Auditing of the Rehabilitation Process in Wild Raptors Admitted to a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Catalonia, Spain, during a Twelve Year Period (1995-2007)
PLoS One. 2013 Apr 17;8(4):e60242. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060242. Print 2013.
RA Molina-López et al.

A novel gammaherpesvirus in a large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) with blepharitis
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 29 Apr 2013]. doi: 10.1177/1040638713486645
A. Paige Brock et al.

The impact of increased dispersal in response to disease control in patchy environments
J Theor Biol. 2013 Apr 21;323:57-68. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.01.027. Epub 2013 Feb 8.
RA Lintott et al.

Evolution of virulence in emerging epidemics
PLoS Pathog. 2013 Mar;9(3):e1003209. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003209. Epub 2013 Mar 14.
TW Berngruber et al.

Disease in a dynamic landscape: Host behavior and wildfire reduce amphibian chytrid infection
Biological Conservation. 2013 Jan; 157:293-299
BR Hossack et al.

Microsatellites indicate minimal barriers to mule deer Odocoileus hemionus dispersal across Montana, USA
Wildlife Biology. 2013; 19(1):102-110. doi: 10.2981/11-081
JH Powell et al.

An Introduction to Social Media for Scientists
PLoS Biol. 2013; 11(4): e1001535. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001535
HM Bik and MC Goldstein

Characterization of Clade 2.3.2.1 H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses Isolated from Wild Birds (Mandarin Duck and Eurasian Eagle Owl) in 2010 in Korea
Viruses 2013, 5(4), 1153-1174; doi:10.3390/v5041153
Jun-Gu Choi et al.

Differences in the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus in feather samples from 4-week-old and 24-week-old infected Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos var. domestica)
Vet Microbiol. 2013 Apr 4. pii: S0378-1135(13)00189-2. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.03.019. [Epub ahead of print]
R Aiello et al.

Wildlife Professional - Spring 2013

The Wildlife Society Newsletter: The Wildlifer - April 2013
Issue 397

The Impact of the Nation’s Most Widely Used Insecticides on Birds and more wildlife heatlh news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

Study: Bat-killing Disease Will Wipe Out Indiana Bats in Much of Current Range

A new scientific study predicts that the beleaguered Indiana bat, an endangered species hit hard by a new deadly disease called white-nose syndrome, will virtually disappear within about 10 years from large portions of its range. The U.S. Geological Survey study forecasts that more than 90 percent of the total Indiana bat population, which ranges from New England to the Ozarks with its stronghold in the Midwest, will be exposed to the fungal disease within the next two decades.

If the species can develop immunity to the disease, which has not yet been documented for Indiana bats, there eventually may be recovery in more northern parts of the original range. However, other areas may lose Indiana bats permanently.

Center for Biological Diversity Press Release

25 Apr 2013

>>> TO PRESS RELEASE

Cited Journal Article

WE Thogmartin et al. 2013. White-nose syndrome is likely to extirpate the endangered Indiana bat over large parts of its range. Biological Conservation 160:162–172.

Higher numbers of CWD-infected deer in Iowa County worry wildlife researchers

An uptick in deer with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Iowa County has caught the attention of wildlife researchers in Wisconsin.

The annual infection rate in northern Iowa County has grown 27 percent for all deer two and a half years old or older, and the disease rate for adult bucks is doubling every two to three years. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife manager Eric Lubner says the agency is trying to determine if this is a coincidental spike in numbers or a definitive trend.

Superior Telegram

29 Apr 2013

G. Halsted

Location: Iowa County, Wisconsin, USA

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Mysterious oil slick off Newfoundland coast threatens wildlife

A spokesman for the Canadian Coast Guard says samples are being collected of some form of oil that is leaking from beneath the waters off northeastern Newfoundland. Coast guard spokesman Robert Grant says there have been reports of oiled seabirds in the Change Islands and Fogo Island area since March 31st....

Local residents have reported seeing up to 400 oiled seabirds. Grant says the source of the oil remains a mystery, but it appears to be coming from an area west of Change Islands.

Global News - globalnews.ca

25 Apr 2013

Location: Change Islands and Fogo Island, Canada - View map for locations

>>> FULL ARTICLE

The Impact of the Nation’s Most Widely Used Insecticides on Birds

A new report commissioned by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has assessed commonly used neonicotinoid insecticides to be lethal to songbirds. These insecticides were introduced in the early 1990′s to replace organophosphates and other chemicals that were known to have toxic affects on wildlife and ecosystems. Today neonicotinoids are the worlds most widely used insecticides.

Recent findings have implicated neonicotinoids in the decline of bee populations which has led to some countries suspending their use.

healthywildlife.ca

29 Apr 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

More Insecticide News

>>> Bee deaths: EU to ban neonicotinoid pesticides

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH NEWS

Marine biologists investigating cause of sick sea lion pups [California, USA]
More dead dolphins on SA beaches as test results show other dolphins had morbillivirus [South Australia, Australia]
The Wild Side: What’s behind bird die-offs? [Wisconsin, USA - Map It ]
Turkey Virus Alert in New York and Maine [Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus (LPDV)][Maine, USA - Map It ]
California moves forward on legislation to ban lead bullets
Smallmouth Bass Populations Shrinking Drastically At Chesapeake Bay
Catch & Release: When to Decide if Medical Intervention is Needed During Wildlife Captures [CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife blob]

Rabies News

Socorro County Fox Diagnosed with Rabies [ Magdalena, New Mexico, USA - Map It]
Rabies alert in Central Arkansas [Saline and Pulaski Counties, Arkansas, USA]

Avian Influenza News

CDC joins bird flu fight
New bird flu show signs of direct jump to humans
Scientists confirm new H7N9 bird flu has come from chickens [Cited Lancet article HERE]

One Health News Corner

Huh?! That's Interesting

A bird's-eye view of research

Maine Hunters to be on Lookout for Diseased Birds and other wildlife disease news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

Scientists Cage Dead Zebras in Africa to Understand the Spread of Anthrax

Scavengers might not play as key a role in spreading anthrax through wildlife populations as previously assumed, according to findings from a small study conducted in Etosha National Park in northern Namibia.

Wildlife managers currently spend large amounts of money and time to control anthrax outbreaks by preventing scavengers from feeding on infected carcasses. The effort might be ill spent, according to results published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology by an international consortium of researchers led by Steven Bellan, an ecologist at The University of Texas at Austin.

Science Daily

22 Apr 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Cited Journal Article

SE Bellan et al. Effects of experimental exclusion of scavengers from anthrax-infected herbivore carcasses on Bacillus anthracis sporulation, survival and distribution. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2013; DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00181-13

Wildlife Health Bulletin - Snake Fungal Disease in the United States

Snake Fungal Disease (SFD) is an emerging disease in certain populations of wild snakes in the eastern and midwestern United States. While fungal infections were occasionally reported in wild snakes prior to 2006, recently the number of free-ranging snakes with fungal dermatitis submitted to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) and other diagnostic laboratories has been increasing.

Laboratory analyses have demonstrated that the fungus Chrysosporium ophiodiicola is consistently associated with SFD, but often, additional fungi are isolated from affected snakes. At this time, definitive evidence that C. ophiodiicola causes SFD is inconclusive. As its name implies, SFD is only known to afflict snakes.

To date, the NWHC has confirmed fungal dermatitis (or the suspected fungal pathogen in association with skin lesions) in wild snakes from nine states, including Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. However, it is suspected that SFD is more widespread in the United States than is currently documented. Multiple species of snakes have been diagnosed with SFD at the NWHC (see attached figures), including northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon), eastern racer (Coluber constrictor), rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus species complex), timber rattlesnake (Crolatus horridus), massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius), and milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum).

USGS National Wildlife Health Center

22 Apr 2013

>>> FULL BULLETIN

Humans Passing Drug Resistance to Wildlife in Protected Areas in Africa

A team of Virginia Tech researchers has discovered that humans are passing antibiotic resistance to wildlife, especially in protected areas where numbers of humans are limited.

In the case of banded mongoose in a Botswana study, multidrug resistance among study social groups, or troops, was higher in the protected area than in troops living in village areas. The study also reveals that humans and mongoose appear to be readily exchanging fecal microorganisms, increasing the potential for disease transmission.

Science Daily

24 Apr 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Rabies Detected in New Area of State

A wolf killed in late March this year after it closely approached a trapper around the Chandalar Lakes area has tested positive for rabies. Rabies had not previously been documented in this area south of the Brooks Range.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is asking the public to report any wolves, wolverines, foxes or other wildlife acting abnormally to the nearest ADF&G office, and by sending an email to dfg.dwc.vet@alaska.gov. Animals with rabies might be fearless in approaching people, attack inanimate moving objects, or be unable to run or move normally, said Dr. Kimberlee Beckmen, wildlife veterinarian with the department.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

23 Apr 2013

Location: Chandalar Lake, Alaska, USA - Map It

>>> FULL PRESS RELEASE

More Rabies News

Rabies cases on the rise [Oklahoma, USA]

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

Sharing some cuteness: The bats in the photo were rescued along with over
100 others in Australia in 2011, but recently this photo resurfaced.

Maine Hunters to be on Lookout for Diseased Birds [Lymphoproliferative disease virus][Maine, USA]
Koala chlamydia: The STD threatening an Australian icon [Australia]
Manatee deaths at Indian River Lagoon: Questions abound in mysterious deaths of manatees, pelicans [Florida, USA]
Updated White-Nose Syndrome Map [White-Nose Syndrome.org][For an interactive, view WNS news reports on Global Wildlife Disease News Map]
ProMED: Undiagnosed deaths, dolphin: update [Tyrrhenian coast, Italy - Map It ]
Algae and pneumonia blamed for marine deaths [Adelaide, Australia - Map It ]

Avian Influenza News

One Health News Corner

Huh?! That's Interesting!

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Land Use Explains the Distribution of Threatened New World Amphibians Better than Climate
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(4): e60742. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060742
FT Brum et al.

Wildlife Contact Rates at Artificial Feeding Sites in Texas
Environ Manage. 2013 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print]
TA Campbell et al.

Serological confirmation of SBV infection in wild British deer
Vet Rec. 2013 Apr 20;172(16):429. doi: 10.1136/vr.f2438.
A Barlow et al.

Anthropogenic Roost Switching and Rabies Virus Dynamics in House-Roosting Big Brown Bats
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2013 Apr 16. [Epub ahead of print]
DG Streicker et al.

A review of bovine tuberculosis at the wildlife-livestock-human interface in sub-Saharan Africa
Epidemiol Infect. 2013 Apr 15:1-15. [Epub ahead of print]
M De Garine-Wichatitsky et al.

The pathology and pathogenicity of a novel Haemoproteus spp. infection in wild Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor)
Veterinary Parasitology. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 20 Apr 2013]
BL Cannell et al.

Latitudinal variability in the seroprevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in non-migrant and Arctic migratory geese
Veterinary Parasitology. 2013 May; 194(1): 9–15
CAM Sandstrom et la.

Genetic epidemiology of Sarcoptes scabiei in the Iberian wolf in Asturias, Spain
Veterinary Parasitology. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 18 Apr 2013]
A Oleaga et al.

Individual Variation in Influenza A Virus Infection Histories and Long-Term Immune Responses in Mallards
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(4): e61201. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061201
C Tolf et la.

Interdisciplinary approaches to understanding disease emergence: the past, present, and future drivers of Nipah virus emergence
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Feb 26;110 Suppl 1:3681-8. [Epub 2012 Aug 30] doi: 10.1073/pnas.1201243109.
P Daszak et al.

Characterisation of the Bacterial and Fungal Communities Associated with Different Lesion Sizes of Dark Spot Syndrome Occurring in the Coral Stephanocoenia intersepta
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(4): e62580. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062580
M Sweet et al.

Increased Endoparasite Infection in Late-Arriving Individuals of a Trans-Saharan Passerine Migrant Bird
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(4): e61236. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061236
G Lopez et al.

Co-infection and cross-species transmission of divergent Hepatocystis lineages in a wild African primate community
International Journal for Parasitology. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 19]
Mary I. Thurber et al.

Emerging diseases. New coronavirus reveals some of its secrets
Science. 2013 Apr 5;340(6128):17-8. doi: 10.1126/science.340.6128.17.
M Enserink

[Infectious diseases: progress in diagnosis and treatment. Topics: III. Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases; 4. Emerging parasitic diseases] [Article in Japanese]
Nihon Naika Gakkai Zasshi. 2012 Nov 10;101(11):3162-7.
Y Kato et al.

Rats, Cities, People, and Pathogens: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Literature Regarding the Ecology of Rat-Associated Zoonoses in Urban Centers
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 16 Apr 2013] doi:10.1089/vbz.2012.1195
CG Himsworth et al.

Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ticks Feeding on Migratory Passerines in Western Part of Estonia
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 16] doi:10.1089/vbz.2012.1054
J Geller et al.

Ecological factors that determine Ixodes ricinus tick burdens in the great tit (Parus major), an important avian reservoir of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l.
International Journal for Parasitology. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 15]
Dieter Heylen et al.

Tuberculosis infection in wildlife from the Ruaha ecosystem Tanzania: implications for wildlife, domestic animals, and human health
Epidemiol Infect. 2013 Apr 22:1-11. [Epub ahead of print]
DL Clifford et al.

Pathotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Two Bangladeshi Isolates of Newcastle Disease Virus of Chicken and Pigeon Origin
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 19 Apr 2013]. doi:10.1111/tbed.12086
M Nooruzzaman et al.

Viral surveillance and discovery
Curr Opin Virol. 2013 Apr 17. pii: S1879-6257(13)00034-5. doi: 10.1016/j.coviro.2013.03.010.
WI Lipkin and C Firth

Kauai coral disease worsening and more wildlife disease news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Wildlife Health Event Reporter

Thank you for spreading the word about the bird mortality events occurring along the US' East coast and for asking your friends and colleagues to share their sightings of dead and sick birds to the Wildlife Health Event Reporter (WHER), www.wher.org. You made a difference. We have seen an increase in reports to WHER as well as the addition of new members. While these incidences are saddening, through the eyes of your reports to WHER, researchers like Drs. Ellis and Courchesne at SEANET/Tufts are gaining a better understanding of what is happening on the ground.

And hey! Non-US East-coasters, oh no - we are not leaving you out! WHER can accept observations from around the globe and your reports are just as important. Take a minute and consider the number of researchers who are working on wildlife disease issues and compare that to the number of people who during their day to day actives come across sick or dead wildlife. OK if you did the math, you would agree that comparably there are many more citizens. Rallied together, that is an amazing corps who can be the 'boots on the ground', for researchers and other wildlife professionals who are on the alert for wildlife health events.

Recent reports to WHER. For details visit WHER at www.wher.org

Florida - Razor bill found and brought to our facility.
Puerto Rico - Dead Gray Kingbird in parking lot. No signs of trauma, ruffled feathers, etc. Lying under a power line but it looked like a normal (insulated) line.
North Carolina - 3 dead Dovekies on the beach
Virgina - Thousands of northern gannets currently off-shore feeding, found 8 dead in various stages of decomposition
North Carolina - Walking along beach, found 3 dead common loons
North Carolina - While walking/birding the beach we came across a dead dovekie or razorbill. Not sure which.
South Carolina - Treated very sick male red breasted merganzer.
Massachusetts - dead razorbill washed ashore
Massachusetts - 2 dead razorbills on the beach
New York - emaciated common redpoll found in yard - died overnight
Illinois - Small bat that is sick or injured laying beside sidewalk in residential area.

Your observations are valuable! Each report expands our baseline knowledge and understanding of disease ecology!

Thanks from the WDIN Team!
Questions/problems with WHER? Email wher@wdin.org

Tracking bird flu: US wildlife workers on the front line against deadly strains

U.S. Geological Survey and Fish and Wildlife Service experts are paying close attention to reports of a new and deadly strain of bird flu – the H7N9 virus. It’s infected 102 people in China at last count, and killed 20 of them.

...“We are going to see whether it really is going to be extensively in wildlife before we ramp up our surveillance in this country.”

The bird surveillance program started as concern grew over H5N1 – the other bird flu virus – which has spread to 15 countries since 2003, infecting more than 600 people and killing about 60 percent of them.

NBC News Vitals

M Fox

22 Apr 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Kaua’i coral disease worsening, says doctor

USGS specialist: ‘The reefs are dying’

The outbreak of deadly coral disease along Kaua‘i’s North Shore may be targeting more than one species of Montipora coral. The spread of the disease was described as an “epidemic” in a November 2012 report by the U.S. Geological Survey

Until recently, the cyanobacterial disease was thought to be exclusive to the common rice coral. But after returning to Kaua‘i this week, Dr. Thierry Work, head of infectious disease for USGS, said the blue rice coral species is also in trouble.

... This disease — which consists of three different bacteria working together — is the first Heacock has seen in his 31 years as an aquatic biologist. Most puzzling, he said, is that it is being found in areas with strong currents, a lot of water movement and low pollution levels.

The Garden Island

19 Apr 2013

Location: Kauai, Hawaii, USA

>>> FULL ARTICLE

>>> Cyanobacterial Disease Killing Coral on Kauai, Hawaii [USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Wildlife Health Bulletin - June 2012]

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

A baby elephant is given a helping hand by a parent after
getting stuck in the mud in the Maasai Mara, Kenya
Photo credit: Paul Goldstein / Rex Features

Dual epidemics threaten Australia's koalas [Chlamydia and Koala retrovirus]
Tracking the causes of monarch butterfly decline
Scientists call for phase-out of lead hunting ammunition
Borneo pygmy elephant death tests lay blame on unidentified toxin [Sabah, Malaysia - Map It ]
Chronic wasting disease not found in Maryland deer [Maryland, USA]
Why are there mass strandings of sea lions in California?

Avian Influenza

Experts Look Beyond Birds in Investigation of Flu Strain in China [H7N9 may not originate in poultry but in other animals]
Birds in Cotai monitored for possible H7N9 [Closely watching the migrant birds living in the natural reserve in Cotai]
Deadly Bird Flu Spreading in China, Unclear How
Gene data show China bird flu mutated "under the radar"

One Health News Corner

Digest Friends Sharing a Little Good News - Because It Ain't All Bad

Resurgence of endangered deer in Patagonian ‘Eden’ highlights conservation success
New law to protect Puerto Rico leatherback turtles
Endangered devils breeding on Maria Island [Facial Tumor Disease][Australia]

Salmonellosis Affects Redpoll Birds Throughout New York State and more wildlife disease news

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

DEC Reports: Salmonellosis Affects Redpoll Birds Throughout New York State

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has confirmed that Salmonellosis, an infection with the bacteria Salmonella, has been the cause for mortality in Common Redpoll birds throughout the state during the last few months....

"Numbers of dead redpolls have been observed at birdfeeders throughout New York," said DEC's Assistant Commissioner for Natural Resources Kathleen Moser. "Redpolls are especially susceptible to salmonellosis during late winter months. This winter, we've seen particularly large numbers of redpolls in New York that moved south from Canada during cold winter temperatures. This mortality incident will abate once the remaining redpolls migrate north with the warmer weather."

During the last few months, numerous homeowners reported dead or dying redpolls at birdfeeders. DEC wildlife biologists collected specimens in the Western New York area and submitted the specimens to DEC's Wildlife Health Unit for necropsy. Analysis indicated that lesions and culture on the affected specimens were consistent with salmonellosis. Since then, reports of salmonellosis have been documented in numerous locations around the state.

New York Dept of Environmental Conservation

15 Apr 2013

>>> PRESS RELEASE

Seabirds affected by second wave of sticky pollution 'could number thousands'

Wildlife agencies warn that the numbers of birds affected could be far greater than those harmed earlier this year

The numbers of seabirds affected by a sticky substance in the sea off south-west England over the past week could be far greater than those harmed by a similar – or possibly the same – spill earlier this year.

Wildlife agencies in Devon and Cornwall said numbers of birds killed or rendered helpless could reach "thousands" and that "a whole generation of seabirds" may have been wiped out in a single pollution incident.

Dead and distressed birds have been washing up along beaches in Devon and Cornwall since the middle of last week, covered in a sticky substance that has been confirmed as polyisobutylene, also known as PIB or polyisobutene, an oil additive often used to improve the performance of lubricating oil and in products ranging from adhesives to sealants and chewing gum. Affected species include razorbill, puffin and gannets, but predominantly guillemots.

The Guardian

17 Apr 2013

J Aldred

Location: View location of cases on the Global Wildlife Disease News Map

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Lead bullet fragments poison rare US condors

Conservationists in the United States say that fragments of lead ammunition continue to take a desperate toll on one of the country's rarest birds. Since December, seven wild California condors from a population of 80 have died in the Grand Canyon area. Three of the deaths have been definitively linked to ingesting lead from bullets in the carcasses of prey.

Campaigners are calling for a ban on the use of lead ammunition on public lands.... In an effort to save the high flying species, 166 of the birds have been reintroduced in Arizona and Utah since 1996.

Of these, 81 have died or disappeared. But experts believe that at least 38 of the birds have died as a result of eating lead fragments left in the guts piles and carcasses of game, shot by hunters. Condors are scavengers and mainly eat large amounts of carrion.

BBC News

17 Apr 2013

M McGrath

Location: Grand Canyon, USA

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

ProMED: Undiagnosed die-off, oyster [Australia]
ProMED: Undiagnosed die-off, vulture - RFI [Trinidad]
Warning issued over toxic algae [New Zealand]
Health warning for blue-green algae in Hunter [New South Wales, Australia]
Florida battles slimy invasion by giant snails [Florida]

Marine Mammal News

Port Noarlunga resident calls public meeting on dolphin, fish deaths [Australia]
Seven dolphin dead as carcasses wash up on our beaches, PIRSA investigates [Adelaide, Australia - Map It ]
Seattle Dead Whale Mess Raises A Stink [Puget Sound, Washington, USA - Map It ]

Chronic Wasting Disease News

White-Nose Syndrome News

One Health News Corner

New tick-borne disease emerging in southern Connecticut [USA]
New FMD virus appears in central Vietnam
Treatment for ewes and cows already infected by deadly virus?[Schmallenberg virus]
4th Animal Tests Positive For Rabies in Clinton County, NY [New York, USA]

Avian Influenza News

H7N9 bird flu poised to spread
New Avian Influenza Strain Seen Adapting to Mammals, Humans
Updated: Chinese H7N9 Virus Making Its Way to Labs Around the World
4-year-old bird flu 'carrier' worries China
ProMED: Avian influenza H5N1: Swallow [Phan Rang, Viet Nam - Map It ]
ProMED: Avian influenza: Zoonotic LPAI H7N9, wild pigeon, OIE [Nanjing, China - Map It ]

Huh?! That's Interesting!

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease in yaks (Bos grunniens)
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 2013. [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 09].
H Van Campen et al.

A protein A/G indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of anti-Brucella antibodies in Arctic wildlife
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 2013. [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 09].
Ingebjørg H. Nymo et al.

The presence of Brucella ceti ST26 in a striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) with meningoencephalitis from the Mediterranean Sea
Veterinary Microbiology. 2013 May 31; 164(1-2): 158–163
P Alba et al.

Evaluation of a wild white-tailed deer population management program for controlling chronic wasting disease in Illinois, 2003–2008
Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 01]
N Mateus-Pinilla et al.

A Retrospective Study of Disease in Elasmobranchs
Veterinary Pathology. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 25 Mar 2013]. doi: 10.1177/0300985813482147
MM Garner

Pathogenicity of Frog Virus 3-like Virus in Red-eared Slider Turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) at Two Environmental Temperatures
Journal of Comparative Pathology. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 Apr 10]. doi: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2013.01.007
MC Allender et al.

Marine Mammal Strandings and Environmental Changes: A 15-Year Study in the St. Lawrence Ecosystem
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(3): e59311. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0059311
M-H Truchon et al.

Isolation of recombinant phage antibodies targeting the hemagglutinin cleavage site of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
PLoS One. 2013; 8(4):e61158. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061158. Epub 2013 Apr 5.
J Dong et al.

Epidemiological effects of group size variation in social species
J R Soc Interface. 2013 Apr 10;10(83):20130206. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2013.0206. Print 2013.
D Caillaud et al.

Congenital transmission of Neospora caninum in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Vet Parasitol. 2013 Mar 14. pii: S0304-4017(13)00145-3. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2013.03.004. [Epub ahead of print]
JP Dubey et al.

Serological and virological surveys of the influenza A viruses in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic penguins
Antarctic Science. 2013 Apr; 25(2): 339-344. doi: 10.1017/S0954102012001228
FX Abada et al.

THE OCCURANCE OF THEFUNGUS (GEOMYCES DESTRUCTANS) CAUSING WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME OF BATS IN HUNGARY (scroll to abstract)
Hungarian Veterinary Journal. 2013 Mar.
T. Gorfol et al.

A review of RSPCA research into wildlife rehabilitation
Veterinary Record. 2013; [Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1136/vr.101139
A Grogan and A Kelly

A culture-based survey of fungi in soil from bat hibernacula in the eastern United States and its implications for detection of Geomyces destructans, the causal agent of bat white-nose syndrome
Mycologia. 2013 Mar-Apr;105(2):237-52. doi: 10.3852/12-207. Epub 2012 Oct 16.
JM Lorch et al.

Susceptibility of the European common frog Rana temporaria to a panel of ranavirus isolates from fish and amphibian hosts
Dis Aquat Organ. 2013 Apr 11;103(3):171-83. doi: 10.3354/dao02574.
AE Bayley et al.

Explosive spread of a neuroinvasive lineage 2 West Nile virus in Central Europe, 2008/2009
Vet Microbiol. 2013 Mar 15. pii: S0378-1135(13)00164-8. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.03.005. [Epub ahead of print]
Bakonyi T et al.

Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report - Fourth Quarter
October 2012 to December 2012
USGS National Wildlife Health Center

A NOVEL REASSORTANT AVIAN INFLUENZA A(H7N9) VIRUS IN CHINA – WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR EUROPE
Eurosurveillance, Volume 18, Issue 15, 11 April 2013
A Nicoll and N Danielsson

Journal of Wildlife Diseases - April 2013
Volume 49, Number 2

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation - March 2013
Volume 25, Issue 02

Avian Pathology - April 2013
Volume 42, Issue 2

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
Volume 103, Issues 1, 2 and 3

Avian Disease - March 2013
Volume 57, Issue 01

Animal Health Surveillance Quarterly Report - Volume 17 (2013) Issue 4

Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine - March 2013
Volume 44, Issue 01

Continued Need to Report Dead Birds on the East Coast and more wildlife disease news

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

Continued Need to Report Dead Birds on the East Coast

A direct request from our partner, Seabird Ecological Assessment Network (SEANET):

Hello members of the east coast wildlife community!

This winter has been a strange one in terms of seabird mortalities. Razorbills have died in droves from Maine to Florida; the Northeast has seen an unprecedented puffin die-off, and now Common Loons are turning up in surprising numbers in the mid-Atlantic.

Rather than try to piece together the story through third hand email reports and games of telephone, we'd like to encourage biologists, refuge workers, members of the public, wildlife rehabbers, and anyone else with info on a dead bird to report it all to a single place: the Wildlife Health Event Reporter (www.wher.org) You can both report dead birds and view everyone else's reports at that site. It's a fantastic resource!

Here's the link to follow and spread around. The more people who know about this, the higher the quality of the data, so please send this link far and wide!

http://seanetters.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/spread-the-word-reports-of-dead-birds-urgently-needed/

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or want more information. And thank you in advance for contributing data and for forwarding this email to anyone and everyone you can think of!

Sarah Courchesne, DVM
Staff Veterinarian, Seabird Ecological Assessment Network (SEANET)
Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

***Please leverage your social networks to help SEANET track these unfolding bird mortality events.

Mysterious deaths: 10 peacocks drop dead in Tharparkar

Ten peacocks have died and several others are suffering from an unknown disease in Singalo village, Tharparkar. A number of birds died due to Ranikhet disease in Tharparkar last year and the residents of the village feel that the birds might be suffering from the same disease as the symptoms are similar.

The Express Tribune

09 Apr 2013

S Bajeer

Location: Thar Parkar District, Pakistan - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Stone curlews died underweight because of 'cold spring'

One of the UK's rarest birds is being put at further risk by the cold spring, the RSPB has said.

The bodies of eight underweight stone curlews have been discovered in fields in Norfolk, Suffolk and Wiltshire over the past few days. The birds are thought to have come from Africa and Spain but struggled to find enough food to survive.

Conservation director Martin Harper said it was a "stark reminder of how fragile this species is". The birds weighed about 300g (10oz) compared to what is considered a healthy weight of 450g (15oz).

BBC NEWS

10 Apr 2013

Location: View locations of reports in England on the Global Wildlife Disease News Map

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

New Diseases, Toxins Harming Marine Life: Dolphins, other marine mammals weakened by pollution, scientists say
Trinidad environmentalists investigate mystery death of hundreds of black vultures [Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago - Map It ]
Impact of disease on deer shown [Epizootic hemorrhagic disease][North Carolina, USA]
Maine deer, moose test negative for wasting disease [Chronic Wasting Disease][USA]
Report rates Gulf wildlife and wetlands since oil spill [Find report here][USA]
New flu in China reveals its avian origins
Fish Die-Offs in Shanghai and Beijing [View cases reported in China on the Global Wildlife Disease News Map - Map It ]

One Health News Corner

China bird flu may be two mutations from a pandemic
Coronavirus Steals Media Spotlight with Promising New Research
Source of Novel Avian Flu Outbreak Urgently Sought
West Nile virus makes early appearance in Richardson [Texas, USA]
Fighting disease from within [New technique to introduce disease-blocking bacteria into mosquitoes]
Health officials warn of infected ticks [Tularemia][San Diego, California, USA]

Huh?! That's is Interesting!

New phone app can help save forests, wildlife

Call out for reports of dead birds urgently needed! and more wildlife disease news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

Spread the word: reports of dead birds urgently needed!

A post from our friends at SEANET. If you are not a member of this project, you can still help. They need you to report your findings of dead birds to the Wildlife Health Event Reporter (WHER) at www.wher.org in order to capture information about these events in one place. Then, they can begin to map these events and gain a better understanding of what is happening. If you need assistance with WHER email us at wher@wdin.org.

As we are scrambling to keep tabs on mortality events involving puffins, razorbills and common loons from Florida to Maine, some of our colleagues have an eye toward writing up these strange occurrences both for immediate release to the public, as well as for future, more measured (and peer-reviewed) scientific articles.

While we are actively performing necropsies to try to determine cause of death in any fresh specimens found, a major focus of the work right now is simply getting a handle on how many birds are dying or have died, what species, where and when. I have email chains and voicemail messages, and facebook posts and blog comments from all over the east detailing dead birds discovered on beaches, and I am determined to get these reports all funneled into a single database that is publicly available for all to see.

That single resource is the Wildlife Health Event Reporter. It takes only a moment to set up a (free) username and password, and it is simple to use. You can even upload photos (assuming they aren’t too big). If we can get everyone to report to this one place, we can start to map what’s really happening out there.

SEANET Blog - seanetters.wordpress.com

10 Apr 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

China eyes birds as H7N9 source as human cases rise to 33

... Earlier notifications of bird and poultry H7N9 findings involved only markets in Shanghai, according to previous OIE reports. The disease has been difficult to track in poultry, because the virus is low pathogenic in birds, and they don't show signs of disease.

Meanwhile, researchers from a Chinese biology lab said today that the H7N9 virus is a reassortment of viruses from wild birds in East Asia and chickens from east China, Xinhua, China's state news agency, reported today.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology said their analysis found no links to pigs, which would exclude them as intermediate hosts, according to the report.

Scientists surmised that genetic reassortment probably occurred in east China's Yangtze River Delta area, which encompasses Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu. They said a virus carried by wild birds from South Korea and nearby regions mingled with ducks and chickens in the delta area during migration.

The group reported that the H7 and N9 gene segments resemble those seen in East Asian wild birds and that the other six genes have links to chickens in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, Xinhua reported.

China's wildlife conservation centers have bolstered their bird monitoring efforts to see if birds currently migrating from the south to the north are carrying the virus, amid fears that it could spread to the country's northern provinces, according to a separate report from Xinhua today. About 10 centers are monitoring the virus, including one in north China's Hebei province.

CIDRAP - www.widrap.umn.edu

10 Apr 2013

L Schnirring

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Other H7N9 News

>>> China reports more H7N9 cases, deaths; virus may be in pigeons

>>> The New Virus on the Block: H7N9 Case Counts, Explanations and Updates

>>> Dead sparrows not infected with H7N9

>>> China’s Actions in Flu Cases Draw Critics

Deadly Disease Hits Home of America's Largest Colony of Endangered Gray Bats

Alabama's Fern Cave Also Hosts up to 1 Million Endangered Indiana Bats

The devastating bat epidemic known as white-nose syndrome has reached the home of the world’s largest wintering colony of endangered gray bats and as many as a million endangered Indiana bats. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials announced today that the fungal disease, which has killed nearly 7 million bats in 22 eastern states and five Canadian provinces since 2006, has been documented in Fern Cave on Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alabama, which was created to protect gray bats. In announcing the discovery, the Service said the latest cases were “extremely alarming and could be catastrophic.”

“With this one cave containing more than a third of the world’s gray bats, all the alarm bells should be going off,” said Mollie Matteson, a bat specialist with the Center for Biological Diversity. “White-nose syndrome is now threatening the very survival of the gray bat and several other species.”

Center for Biological Diversity - www.biologicaldiversity.org

08 Apr 2013

Location: Fern Cave on Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama, USA - Map It

>>> PRESS RELEASE

More White-Nose Syndrome News

>>> Bats Brought to Maine in Experiment to Survive White-Nose Syndrome

>>> Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department continues to battle White-Nose Syndrome in bats [USA]

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

Mystery sticky substance back to blight seabirds [England - Map It ]
Caution: Zion herd infected with Sore Mouth Disease [Zion National Park, Utah, USA - Map It ]
Why koalas are prone to infectious diseases
Analyzing financial value of wildlife monetizes environmental protection [Polar bears are valued between $27,000 and $13 million. Read on for more]
Chronic Wasting Disease not found in Arizona deer and elk [USA]
Gorilla Populations Need More Human Interference
How Open-Source Software Could Help Save Endangered Animals From Poachers
Huge algae blooms a worry on Lake Erie [USA]

Amphibian Health News

One Health News Corner

CCWHC Blog - healthywildlife.ca

Huh?! That's Interesting!

Wildlife Managers Are Poisoning Rhino Horns to Stop People From Eating Them
Is Our Disconnect From Nature a Disorder? [Another reason to get out an play. It is good for us!]
On Call In The Wild: Animals Play Doctor, Too [Humans aren't the only species who know how to self-medicate]

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Explaining variance of avian malaria infection in the wild: the importance of host density, habitat, individual life-history and oxidative stress
BMC Ecology. 2013, 13:15 [Epub on 2013 Apr 08]. doi:10.1186/1472-6785-13-15
C Isaksson et al.

A simple model explains the dynamics of preferential host switching among mammal RNA viruses
Evolution. 2013 Apr;67(4):980-90. doi: 10.1111/evo.12064. Epub 2013 Feb 19.
JH Cuthill and MA Charleston

West Nile Virus in American White Pelican Chicks: Transmission, Immunity, and Survival
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print]
MA Sovad et al.

Isolation and characterization of new genetic types of Toxoplasma gondii and prevalence of Trichinella murrelli from black bear (Ursus americanus)
Vet Parasitol. 2013 Feb 28. pii: S0304-4017(13)00119-2. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2013.02.007. [Epub ahead of print]
JP Dubey et al.

Host range, host ecology, and distribution of more than 11 800 fish parasite species
Ecology. 2013; 94:544–544. doi:10.1890/12-1419.1
G Strona et al.

ILRI project on ecohealth featured at the 2013 Prince Mahidol Award Conference
[ILRI scientists Jeffrey Gilbert and Rainer Assé presented two research posters from the project, Ecosystem approaches to the better management of zoonotic emerging infectious diseases in the Southeast Asia Region.]

Emerging Infectious Diseases and Public Health Policy: Insights from Cambodia, Hong Kong and Indonesia
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 2013; [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12084
S Burgos and S Ear

Recent advances in understanding the biology, epidemiology and control of chlamydial infections in koalas
Vet Microbiol. 2013 Mar 1. pii: S0378-1135(13)00140-5. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.02.026. [Epub ahead of print]
A Polkinghorne et al.

The WHO Rabies Bulletin Europe: a key source of information on rabies and a pivotal tool for surveillance and epidemiology
Rev Sci Tech. 2012 Dec;31(3):799-807.
CM Freuling et al.

Age-related differences in the cloacal microbiota of a wild bird species
BMC Ecology. 2013 Mar 25: 13:11 doi:10.1186/1472-6785-13-11
WFD van Dongen et al.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in England and Wales
Parasit Vectors. 2013 Mar 19;6(1):75. [Epub ahead of print]
EA Chadwick et al.

Context-dependent amphibian host population response to an invading pathogen
Ecology. 2013; [Epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1890/12-1270.1
JB Doddington et al.

Enterobacterial detection and Escherichia coli antimicrobial resistance in parrots seized from the illegal wildlife trade
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2013 Mar;44(1):1-7.
HW Hidasi et al.

6th international conference on emerging zoonoses
Zoonoses Public Health. 2012 Sep;59 Suppl 2:2-31. doi: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2012.01539.x.
RE Kahn et al.

The diversity of microparasites of rodents: a comparative analysis that helps in identifying rodent-borne rich habitats in Southeast Asia
Infection Ecology and Epidemiology. 2013 Apr 08; 3: 20178
F Bordes et al.

Barrett, M. A. and S. A. Osofsky. 2013. “One Health: Interdependence of People, Other Species, and the Planet,” pp. 364-377, in Katz, D. L., Elmore, J. G., Wild, D. M. G., and S. C. Lucan (eds.) Jekel’s Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Preventive Medicine, and Public Health (4th ed.). Elsevier / Saunders, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [Chapter description]

Big Data Opportunities for Global Infectious Disease Surveillance
PLoS Med. 2013;10(4): e1001413. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001413
SI Hay et al.

Bird Mortality/Morbidity Cases Still being Reported along the Northeastern US Coastline and more wildlife disease news

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

The Digest is Back! Did you Miss Us?

We are back! Now that we're refreshed from our break, the WDIN is eager to continue providing you the latest wildlife disease news and developments. If you missed the Digest while we were away, consider how you can support our work to continue to collect and share these important updates. See our Support page to learn about financial support options, and check out these other non-monetary ways that you can help, too:

Share the goodness of the Digest. Tell your friends and colleagues!
Let us know about upcoming grant opportunities that fund data/information integration and/or surveillance work.
Suggest names of people or organizations with similar interests that we should know about or may be able to collaborate with. Send your ideas to digest@wdin.org

The Wildlife Data Integration Network (WDIN) team integrates wildlife disease news from multiple sources for the Digest. In addition, through the Wildlife Health Event Reporter, we are integrating current wildlife disease event data to provide near real-time information about wildlife health incidences, and sharing this information with anyone who visits the WHER site or signs up for alerts. WHER makes it easy for groups to communicate across organization lines about events they are seeing in their area, fostering collaborative response and awareness, as well as provides a long-term archive for event information, fostering future research.

We Work Better When We Work Together

Together we can make a difference in controlling disease, when we do a better job of broadening access to information about disease events

[Presentation - Zoonotic Diseases: Their Natural and Unnatural Histories by Dr. Billy Karesh, EcoHealth Alliance].

The WDIN team has a passion for promoting awareness about wildlife disease news and emerging events, but we need your support to keep our work moving forward. Invest in the Digest - through a donation, sharing the Digest with others, or by contacting us about possible opportunities.

Thanks from the WDIN Team!

Bird Mortality/Morbidity Cases Still being Reported along the Northeastern US Coastline

Hey Digest Readers, Sightings of dead and sick razorbills are still being reported to the Wildlife Health Event Reporter from locations along the Northeastern US coastline.

Since March 21, 2013, the following events of dead animals were reported. For more details, visit the WHER site.

1 Canada Goose - New London Co., Connecticut
3 American woodcocks - Norfolk Co., Massachusetts
1 Common Loon - Dukes Co., Massachusetts
1 Razorbills - Dukes Co., Massachusetts
2 Seals - Dukes Co., Massachusetts
4 Razorbills - Barnstable Co., Massachusetts

The Seabird Ecological Assessment Network (SEANET) citizen science program continues to monitor and capture information and photos of mortalities from this area - so if you are a volunteer with SEANET, keep your eyes open! If you're not a Seanetter, report your observations of dead/sick birds to the WHER at www.wher.org. Your observations are valuable! Each report expands our baseline knowledge and understanding of disease ecology!

Chronic Wasting Disease in Kansas

The photos are of a 3.5+ white-tailed deer in Sherman County, Kansas. The photos were taken on 23 October 2012 by Mike Hopper, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) Natural Resource Officer.

This series of photos is the first ever of a living, symptomatic, CWD-positive animal in Kansas. The animal was euthanized shortly after the photos were taken and RPLNs (retropharyngeal lymph nodes) were tested at Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory a few months later, confirming CWD.

This information was provided by a fellow Digest reader from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

All photo credits to Mike Hopper, KDWPT.

More CWD News
>>> More Chronic Wasting Disease Found In Missouri Deer [View location of news reports on the Global Wildlife Disease News Map ]

Scientists to investigate coral crisis on Kauai's north shore

Look beneath the surface of Kauai's north shore and you'll see what marine biologists are calling an epidemic. Video taken from Anini on Kauai's northeast coast shows coral covered with white bacteria, which is deteriorating much of the reef.

"The disease is a tissue-loss disease," said USGS Wildlife Disease Specialist Thierry Work. "If you look at these corals, they are losing tissues and we think it's associated with a cyanobacteria, which is a type of algae that is eating the coral basically."

Marine biologist Terry Lilley started documenting the disease when he noticed how quickly it was spreading. "I went all over the north shore to over 60 different dive sites within 30 days," Lilley said. "Everywhere we went on the north shore, this disease had already killed a lion's share of the reef."

The USGS estimates that about six percent of Kauai's reef has been infected. Before scientists can figure out a cure, they need to find what is causing it.

HawaiiNewsNow - www.hawaiinewsnow.com

02 Apr 2013

M Carpenter

Location: Kauai, Hawaii, USA - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

The Threat of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases to Wildlife [National Geographic]
Wildlife officials to euthanize diseased bighorn sheep [Pneumonia] [Tieton, Washington - Map It ]

Marine Wildlife Health News

2013 California Sea Lion Unusual Mortality Event in California [California, USA]
Harbor Porpoise Washes Up on N. Oregon Coast Beach [Oregon, USA - Map It ]
Gulf St Vincent to be tested to explain dead penguins, fish and dolphins on Adelaide beaches [Adelaide, Australia - Map It ]
Brevard's manatee, pelican deaths still a mystery: Count rises as algae, parasites get a look [Brevard Co., Florida, USA - Map It ]

White-Nose Syndrome

In A Cave Of 10,000 Bats, Only 23 Survive: Mysterious Disease Killing Bats Across America
Department Continues to Battle White-Nose Syndrome in Bats [Vermont, USA]
More Mo. bats diagnosed with deadly disease[View location of news reports on Global Wildlife Disease News Map ]

Bird Health News

Feeder birds succumbing to salmonella poisoning [New York, USA - Map It ]
1,000 Dead Ducks Found In China's Nanhe River; Pig Carcass Count Continues To Rise [Nanhe River, China - Map It ]
7 eagles believed to have become sick after eating tainted horse meat [Lewis Co., Washington, USA - Map It ]
Oily ducks found after thousands of gallons of oil spill in Arkansas [Little Rock, Arkansas, USA - Map It ]
Late Ontario winter weather starving birds of prey [Ontario, Canada - Map It ]

One Health News Corner

Third death from H7N9 bird flu [China]
State of Emergency Declared in Chelyabinsk Over Rabies Outbreak [Chelyabinsk, Russia]
Plano to Track Birds in Hopes of Preventing West Nile Virus [Plano, Texas, USA]

Spring Break! The Digest is on Vacation!

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 05:30:00 +0000

The Wildlife Disease News Digest is on Spring Break. There will be no wildlife disease news updates beginning Monday, March 25th through Friday, April 5th. And hey, if you are going away on break too, safe travels!

While we are away, our email box is still open for business, digest@wdin.org. Keep sending us wildlife disease news stories, journal articles and professional announcements that you stumble across. We and your fellow Digest readers appreciate your effort to share interesting information.

We thank you for your continued readership and support!

WDIN Team

Deer dispersal research and chronic wasting disease and more wildlife disease news stories

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:30:00 +0000

TOP STORIES

Deaths of manatees in Indian River Lagoon a mystery

Stomachs filled with algae, but appear OK

Manatees are drowning for some mysterious reason, with bellies full of seaweed as one of the only clues. At least 55 manatees have died in the Indian River Lagoon since July, including 25 of them in the past month, mostly in Brevard.

Their carcasses appear otherwise healthy, but their guts are filled with thick drift algae, also called macroalgae, and not so much of their usual seagrass staple diet. That stringy stuff is virtually nowhere to be found in the lagoon, after a phytoplankton explosion decimated the estuary’s seagrass in 2011.

Scientists have yet to identify any known algae toxin that may be killing the manatees. But biologists with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg say the 2011 phytoplankton “super bloom,” as well as a severe brown algae bloom after that, may have contributed to the manatee die-off.

“So far we haven’t found evidence of disease or viruses at this point, but we’re still looking into that as well,” said Kevin Baxter, a spokesman with the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

...“That has been a common thread that there have been large amounts of it,” Baxter said. “They’ve generally been healthy looking, otherwise.”

... Dead cormorants, a few bottlenose dolphins and redfish also have been reported recently in Brevard.

Florida Today - www.floridatoday.com

20 Mar 2013

J Maymer

Location: Brevard, Florida, USA - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

WNS Update – Ontario: First 2013 case confirmed

Updated map of WNS in Ontario.
Click on map to enlarge.

Ontario has confirmed its first cases of white nose syndrome (WNS) for 2013. The infected bats were found in a district of the province where WNS had not previously been reported, (see map).

This incident included reports of bats observed flying during the day, a strong indicator of WNS infection, and both scavenged and whole dead bats. The samples for WNS surveillance were collected and submitted as part of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources enhanced WNS surveillance program.

CCWHC healthywildlife.ca - www.healthywildlife.ca

19 Mar 2013

Location: - Ontario, Canada - Map It

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Other News from the CCWHC heatlhywildlife.ca blog

>>> Diseases of wild boar in Saskatchewan

>>>The Importance of Clean Bird Feeders

Deer dispersal research and chronic wasting disease

Between 2001 and 2005, when Duane Diefenbach was studying the dispersal of young white-tailed deer, he had no idea the research would prove useful in trying to contain an outbreak of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the Keystone State.

By 2008, when the results of the collaborative research project conducted by Penn State, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the U.S. Geological Survey were published in an issue of Behavioral Ecology, it occurred to him that his work might have epidemiological implications.

... In his four-year study, Diefenbach, adjunct associate professor of wildlife ecology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and leader of the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, documented deer dispersal behavior that provides insight into how far and how fast CWD could spread among wild deer.

Penn State News - news.psu.edu

15 Mar 2013

>>> FULL ARTICLE

More Chronic Wasting Disease News

>>> Fields and Forests: Researchers trying to detect CWD prions in soil

>>> Chronic Wasting Disease Not Detected In Ohio Deer [Ohio, USA]

DNA tools help scientists trace salmon disease back to the source

B.C. fishery scientists are developing a new generation of genetic tools to find diseases that are undermining the health of wild Pacific salmon and track them back to their source.

More than 90 per cent of juvenile salmon that migrate from fresh water to live as adults in the ocean die before they return to spawn, according to the researchers.

Disease is believed to be responsible for excessive mortality, according to Brian Riddell, CEO of the Pacific Salmon Foundation. But very little is known about the incidence of disease among wild salmon, in part because wild salmon are very difficult to observe once they enter the ocean and because weakened fish are eaten by predators, leaving no evidence of the cause of illness.

“We almost never see diseased wild fish,” Riddell said.

But a new collaboration between Genome B.C., the PSF and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is collecting the biggest set of tissue samples from both wild and ocean-farmed Pacific salmon ever assembled in order to analyze the genomes of all the viruses, disease and pathogens the fish carry.

The Vancouver Sun - blogs.vancouversun.com

19 Mar 2013

R Shore

Location: Canada

>>> FULL ARTICLE

Fish Health News

>>> New fish test for virus is nonlethal [Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV)]

>>>Yunderup fish kill examined [Yunderup, Australia - Map It ]

>>>Largemouth Bass Virus Update [USA]

OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS

Bird Health News

As California Considers Bill to Ban Lead Hunting Ammunition, National Poll Finds Most Americans Support Switch to Nontoxic Bullets [USA]
Death of Red-Tailed Hawk Caused By Rat Poison, Says EPA [Madison Square Park, New York, USA - Map It ]

One Health News Corner

Huh?! That's Interesting!

Water vole ladder link to help isolated colony [Isolated water voles in London are being provided with miniature ladders to encourage them to venture further afield]
UM researcher revolutionizing scientific communication, one tweet at a time [sharing information as a conference meeting is happening]

It Ain't All Bad News

Wildlife Disease Journal Digest

noreply@blogger.com (Wildlife Data Integration Network [WDIN]) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 05:30:00 +0000

Browse complete Digest publication library here.

Chronic Infections of West Nile Virus Detected in California Dead Birds
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. 2013; [Epub ahead of print 2013 Mar 14]. doi:10.1089/vbz.2012.1097
WK Reisen et al.

Evolution of Virulence in Emerging Epidemics
PLoS Pathog. 2013; 9(3): e1003209. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003209
TW Berngruber et al.

Avian Influenza Virus Surveillance in Wild Birds in Georgia: 2009–2011
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(3): e58534. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058534
NS Lewis et al.

Spatial extent of an outbreak in animal epidemics
PNAS. 2013 Mar 12; 110(11); [Epub ahead of print 2013 Feb 25]
Eric Dumonteil et al.

Estimating the Probability of a Major Outbreak from the Timing of Early Cases: An Indeterminate Problem?
PLoS ONE. 2013; 8(3): e57878. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057878
ME Craft ME et al.

Association mapping of genetic risk factors for chronic wasting disease in wild deer
Evol Appl. 2013 Feb;6(2):340-52. doi: 10.1111/eva.12003. Epub 2012 Aug 30.
T Matsumoto et al.

What is the evidence that invasive species are a significant contributor to the decline or loss of threatened species? A systematic review map
Environmental Evidence 2013 Mar 15; 2:5. doi:10.1186/2047-2382-2-5
PD Roberts et al.

Review of “Ecology of parasite-vector interactions” by Willem Takken and Constantianus J.M. Koenraadt
Parasites & Vectors. 2013; 6:72. doi:10.1186/1756-3305-6-72
AD Mihalca

Optimal specimen collection and transport methods for the detection of avian influenza virus and Newcastle disease virus
BMC Veterinary Research. 2013; 9:35. doi:10.1186/1746-6148-9-35
E Spackman et al.

Reservoirs and vectors of emerging viruses
Curr Opin Virol. 2013 Mar 12; pii: S1879-6257(13)00020-5. [Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1016/j.coviro.2013.02.002.
JS Mackenzie and M Jeggo

A meta-analysis suggesting that the relationship between biodiversity and risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission is idiosyncratic
Ecol Lett. 2013 Mar 11. doi: 10.1111/ele.12101. [Epub ahead of print]
DJ Salkeld et al.

Variable intertidal temperature explains why disease endangers black abalone
Ecology. 2013; 94:161–168. doi: 10.1890/11-2257.1
T Ben-Horin et al.

Estimating Prion Adsorption Capacity of Soil by BioAssay of Subtracted Infectivity from Complex Solutions (BASICS).
PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e58630. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058630. Epub 2013 Mar 4.
AC Wyckoff et al.

Retrospective time series analysis of veterinary laboratory data: Preparing a historical baseline for cluster detection in syndromic surveillance
Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2013 May; 109; (3-4): 219–227
FC Dorea et al.

Virulence traits and antibiotic resistance among enterococci isolated from Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra)
Veterinary Microbiology. 2013 May; 163(3-4): 378–382
T Semedo-Lemsaddek et al.

Avian leukosis virus subgroup A and B infection in wild birds of Northeast China
Veterinary Microbiology. 2013 Jan 31; [Epub ahead of print]
Delong Li et al.

THE SPRING RUNOFF IN NEBRASKA'S ELKHORN RIVER WATERSHED AND ITS IMPACT ON TWO SENTINEL ORGANISMS
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 2013; [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1002/etc.2220
LA Knight et al.

The rabies reporter: October - December 2012 [pdf]
Ministry of Natural Resources Publication 51709 Volume 23, Number 4

ISID NEWS - March 2013 [pdf]
Volume 12, Number 02

Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine - March 2013
Volume 44, Issue 01

One Health Newsletter - Winter 2013 [pdf]
Volume 06, Issue 01

The Wildlife Professional - Spring 2013