>Date: Mon, 2 Jun 1997 17:52:09 -0400
>To: ProMED-AHEAD at usa.healthnet.org
>Subject: PRO/AH> Cormorant and term mortality - USA
>From: Linda Glaser <Linda_Glaser at nbs.gov>
>Sender: owner-promed-ahead at usa.healthnet.org
>Reply-To: promed at usa.healthnet.org
>
>CORMORANT AND TERM MORTALITY - USA
>==================================
>[Sudden mortality, shorebirds - Brazil (Rio Grande ... 970418162735
>Cormorant mortality - USA (Texas) 961107234407
>Seagulls, mass mortality - France (6) 960216]
>
>Date: Thur, 29 May 1997
>From: Linda Glaser <Linda_Glaser at nbs.gov>
>VIA: WildlifeHealth
>
>Appearing on the WildlifeHealth list is this report of a new mortality
>event at Salton Sea in southern California. Viral encephalitis has been
>found in some of the birds; Newcastle Disease is being investigated.
>
>Nestling mortality in a double-crested cormorant and Caspian tern colony on
>Mullet Island in the southeastern end of the Salton Sea in southern
>California, was reported to the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) by
>Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge personnel the week of May 12, 1997.
>It was estimated that approximately 1600 nestlings and young of the year
>birds, primarily double-crested cormorants, were dead on the island and no
>active nests remained.
>There was evidence of a wide range of nesting activity on the island from
>the presence of unhatched eggs to young of the year that were fledging age.
> Field personnel from NWHC visited the area and reported that
>approximately 200 birds remained alive in the waters around the island with
>some immature, young of the year, birds showing a range of neurological
>signs from paresis to unilateral wing or leg paralysis to inability to move
>or respond to stimuli. The mortality event in the nestlings was over at
>the time it was detected and because all of the nestlings on the island
>had been dead for a period of time in the Salton Sea climate, the carcasses
>were unsuitable for diagnostic examination. Sick immature birds showing
>neurological signs and freshly dead birds found in the area of the island
>were collected for diagnostic evaluation.
>
>Preliminary findings to date include histopathologic lesions of moderate to
>severe non suppurative viral encephalitis in 6 of 7 birds examined. The
>lesions are the same as those observed in double crested cormorants in the
>1992 Newcastle Disease outbreak in the Great
>Lakes, Midwest, and Canada. To date, no virus has been isolated in the
>Salton Sea event. Virus isolation attempts and other diagnostic tests are
>continuing and other cormorant nesting colonies at the Salton Sea are being
>monitored closely for mortality.
>
>In addition to the cormorant mortality ongoing mortality events in other
>avian species continue at the Salton Sea. Low level mortality attributed
>to botulism Type C in several fish eating species including brown and white
>pelicans has been occurring for the last 7-8 weeks as well as an
>undiagnosed mortality event in eared grebes. The mortality in the eared
>grebes appears to be similar to previous outbreaks in this species that
>have occurred in the last 5 years on the Salton Sea.
>
>--
>Linda_Glaser at nbs.gov
>Lynn_Creekmore at nbs.gov
>National Wildlife Health Center
>Madison, WI USA
>...............................................pc
>
>
>--
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>.-
>
>
Ben & Peggi Rodgers
Aptos, CA (near Santa Cruz 122 W, 37 N)
USA
woodduck at cruzio.com


"A bird does not sing because it has an answer,
It sings because it has a song"