Subject: Avian vacuolar myelinopathy - USA (Southeast) (fwd)
Date: Jun 6 23:24:36 2000
From: Deborah Wisti-Peterson - nyneve at u.washington.edu



hello tweets,

i received this message about a mysterious fatal disease of bald eagles
that apparently also involves coots in the southeastern parts of the
USA. hopefully, this disease will not make an appearance in our fair
state!

regards,

Deborah Wisti-Peterson email:nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
<><><>Graduate School: it's not just a job, it's an indenture!<><><>


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 6 Jun 2000
From: Marjorie P. Pollack <pollackmp at mindspring.com>
Source: Augusta Chronicle 6 Jun 2000 [edited]


Bald eagle deaths alarm wildlife experts
-----------------------------------------
Bald eagle populations appear to be gaining ground in most parts of Georgia
and South Carolina, but this year's annual nesting survey along Thurmond
Lake was a disappointment.

Biologists found only 2 active nests along the 70,000-acre reservoir,
compared to 6 active nests last year, said David Brady, an Army Corps of
Engineers wildlife biologist.

"It doesn't tell us a whole lot because it's such a small sample of the
population," he said. "But we are concerned with what we're seeing." During
the past 2 years, at least 2 - and possibly 3 - bald eagles at the lake
died from a mysterious malady that is killing the big birds in several
Southern states.

The disorder, which affects only bald eagles and small waterfowl called
coots, is called avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) and first was diagnosed
in dozens of eagles found dead along DeGray Lake, Ark., in 1995. Its cause
remains a mystery, but ongoing studies by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
and other agencies suggest the cause is an environmental toxin - not a
traditional disease - and coots are somehow involved.

One theory is coots, which feed on aquatic vegetation, ingest material
associated with an algae bloom possibly producing toxic agents fatal to
bald eagles, which feed on coots.

Mr. Brady said 80 percent of 25 coots sampled on Thurmond Lake during a
recent study tested positive for AVM. "That's a high percentage, and a
cause for concern." Not all local bald eagle nests were empty this year,
however. A nest at the National Audubon Society's Silver Bluff sanctuary
near Beech Island produced 3 eaglets, sanctuary manager Dan Connelly said.

On an even broader scale, South Carolina and Georgia report growing
populations of bald eagles this year, although South Carolina also reported
4 confirmed eagle deaths from AVM.

South Carolina's bald eagle count has risen from 36 birds in 1979 to 450
last year. This year's total was 453, which included 11 new pairs and lots
of successful fledglings, according to the state's Department of Natural
Resources.

In Georgia, this year's count is incomplete and should be finished later
this month, said Jeanne Bohannon, a spokeswoman for the state's nongame and
endangered species section.

However, initial estimates indicate a robust nesting season with about 50
active nests - up from 40 last year, she said.

The symptoms of coots or eagles infected with AVM include acting "drunk,"
flying erratically, falling, staggering or swimming oddly, flying into
trees or refusing to flee when approached.

Anyone finding dead coots or eagles - or who observes either species acting
suspiciously - should notify Mr. Brady, the corps biologist, at (800)
944-7207. Reach Robert Pavey at (706) 868-1222, Ext. 119.

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