Tweeters,

Both the writer of the Everett Herald article and Douglas Canning used
the word "poisoning" in referring to the Salmonella outbreak in Pine
Siskins. Use of this term is somewhat misleading. Many people think of
chemicals, and specifically pesticides, when the term "poisoning" is
used with reference to bird mortality. Salmonella is a bacterium, and
what we are talking about is a disease outbreak, not a poisoning
incident.

It is true that salmonellosis in humans is often called "food
poisoning", but this again is a misleading term for a bacterial
illness. (Luckily, the rate of mortality in humans is far, far less
than in siskins.)

The Herald article is also incorrect in suggesting that the Salmonella
epidemic is "freaky", or unusual. The animal welfare official who was
quoted had only been in his job for 3 years, so is hardly an expert on
the frequency of Salmonella outbreaks.

My animal health acquaintances tell me that there tend to be frequent
cases of salmonellosis in finches every year in late winter and early
spring, although this year's epidemic in the Puget Sound area seems to
be worse than most. However, it is by no means a record outbreak.
There was a huge outbreak in about 1992 or 1993 which was believed to
have killed tens of thousands of siskins in an area stretching from
B.C. to northern California. (I've posted to TWEETERS before on this
subject.) Pine Siskins seem to be the most vulnerable species,
although other finches such as Evening Grosbeaks and House Finches are
also susceptible.

Thanks for posting the link to the Herald article, Douglas. However,
don't expect the daily press to be the best source of information on
subjects like animal diseases. They try to get the facts straight, but
they work to very tight deadlines.

Wayne C. Weber
Kamloops and Delta, BC
contopus at home.com


----- Original Message -----
From: Douglas Canning <dcanning at igc.org>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2001 10:24 AM
Subject: Pine Siskin article in Everett Herald


> Today's Everett Herald carries an article on the Pine Siskin
> poisoning epidemic at:
>
> http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/01/4/6/13626764.cfm
>
>
> ****************
> Douglas Canning
> Olympia, Washington
> dcanning at igc.org
> ****************