This is just information for those interested in the ongoing West Nile
virus crisis. Diann MacRae


>To: Raptor-conservation at yahoogroups.com
>X-OriginalArrivalTime: 29 Oct 2002 16:28:01.0929 (UTC)
>FILETIME=[2683BF90:01C27F68]
>From: "Jevgeni Shergalin" <zoolit3 at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: Vulture-Conservation at yahoogroups.com
>
>Dear all,
>
>As some of you may have heard, the West Nile Virus appears to be spreading
>significantly across parts of North America and has been killing wild and
>captive raptors at relatively high levels in recent months. There are
>suspicions that the WNV reaches Britain.
>
>WNV is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that can cause encephalitis (inflammation
>of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and
>spinal cord).
>
>Outbreaks of West Nile virus have occurred in Africa, Egypt, Israel, Asia,
>Romania, Russia and France. Before 1999, however, West Nile virus had never
>before been found in the Americas. The most likely explanation for its
>appearance in the USA is that the virus was introduced by an infected bird
>that was imported or an infected person returning from a country where the
>virus is common.
>
>The virus, blamed for hundreds of human deaths and more than 3.346 cases of
>illness, is also taking a toll on avian wildlife in a wide section of the
>United States of America, with more than 100 species of birds known to be
>susceptible to the disease. The virus, which was seen initially mostly in
>crows and blue jays, has spread to birds of prey or raptors, including
>hawks, owls and eagles.
>
>Infected mosquitoes are the primary source of West Nile virus. Birds become
>infected through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become
>infected when they feed on infected birds.
>
>There is no evidence to suggest that ticks or other insects transmit West
>Nile virus but some experts suspect transmission could occur through
>parasitic flies, especially the louse flies or flat flies (Hippoboscid fly)
>or eventually through a digested meal, taking into account that great horned
>owls and other raptors eat crows that might carry the disease.
>
>At the moment, there is no cure, although some birds do recover if caught
>early and treated with care and fluids, but neurological damage can occur.
>
>Dr Pat Redig, director of The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota,
>is trying to establish if transmission could occur through digested meals
>from preys, parasitic flies and whether a vaccine specifically for birds
>could be developed.
>
>I was wondering if any of you, raptor biologists and in particular our
>veterinarian friends, might provide some indication of the extent of West
>Nile Virus in other parts of the world and impact on raptors and wildlife
>elsewhere.
>
>We would appreciate any insight you might have.
>
>Best regards
>
>Patrick Morel
>
>President IAF
>(International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey)
>Rue de Longueville 13, B-1315 Sart-Risbart (Incourt) Belgium
>Tel : ++ 32.10.88.11.88 Fax : ++ 32.10.88.11.77 e-mail:
>morel.must at euronet.be
>
>
>Here is a message from NAFAs? President Darryl A. Perkins:
>
>Below is an outline of the initial plan devised by Dr. Pat Redig, NAFA
>Medical Editor and Director of the Raptor Center at the University of
>Minnesota. Our goal is to have a WNV vaccine specifically for raptors
>available by the spring of 2003.
>
>Darryl: Here's what I propose to do with regard to West Nile Virus.
>
>Provide a necropsy service for falconer's birds that appear to have died of
>West Nile Virus. Right now, many state labs are not doing privately held
>birds and even if they are, it can take upwards to 2 months to get results
>back. It is important right now to: a) determine for the sake of
>satisfaction of the individual falconer whether his/her bird died of West
>Nile, and b) to further determine the range of raptors that are susceptible.
>
>Develop diagnostic reagents that would allow us to determine, quickly and
>accurately, on a live bird whether or not it has West Nile Virus. Right now,
>it is hard to differentiate it from other diseases in the early stage and a
>blood test would be an essential tool in selecting treatment programs.
>
>Conduct a vaccine study in red-tailed hawks using the Fort Dodge Horse
>vaccine to determine the degree of antibody response, the persistence of
>antibody response, and the efficacy in the face of a challenge with
>inoculated live virus.
>
>Develop an avian specific West Nile Virus vaccine for use in raptors to be
>available by April or May of 2003.
>
>Maintain an information center specifically regarding information and advice
>about managing West Nile Virus in raptors held for falconry as well as other
>captive situations. This will take the form of a Web site as well as direct
>phone access to TRC clinicians.
>
>Rough estimates of the cost to do all of this in an effective manner are
>about $175,000. If we had to choose an objective based on available funding,
>we would select the testing of the horse vaccine -- which would cost about
>$45,000.
>
>Monies for this research can be donated to an account in the University of
>Minnesota Foundation. They will be receipted by the Foundation as
>tax-deductible contributions. Checks should be made payable to The
>University of Minnesota and sent to me at 1920 Fitch Avenue, St. Paul, MN
>55108.
>
>More details will be added to this work plan as we move ahead with this. I
>have developed a partnership on this project with Dr. Tom Tully at Louisiana
>and Dr. Bran Ritchie at Georgia, which clearly gives the horsepower to
>develop and accomplish our objectives.
>
>Regards,
>
>Darryl A. Perkins
>President, NAFA
>
>
>Here a copy of an article published in UK October 27, 2002
>
>Deadly West Nile brain virus reaches Britain
>
>Lois Rogers
>
>The government?s chief medical officer has been alerted that the deadly West
>Nile virus, which has killed more than 100 Americans in the past month, has
>arrived in Britain for the first time.
>Tests have shown that a number of common bird species have been infected.
>This is similar to the way WNV was first carried into America three years
>ago.
>
>As well as claiming 3,346 American victims in the past year, 183 of whom
>have died, the disease has also killed thousands of birds and other animals,
>including horses.
>
>Tests have begun in Britain to see if the disease ? which kills by causing a
>rapid inflammation of the brain ? has spread to humans. Doctors have been
>told to send samples of blood and spinal fluid for tests in any case of
>unexplained brain encephalitis or meningitis.
>
>The Department of Health and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
>Affairs were warned six weeks ago that Oxford scientists had found evidence
>of the infection in British birds.
>Since then there have been meetings co-ordinated by Liam Donaldson, the
>chief medical officer, to decide how to tackle the threat. Last week WNV
>experts from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia and
>the New York state health department arrived to advise at a meeting of
>Public Health Laboratory Service specialists. Unlike America, Britain has no
>co-ordinated response team to deal with outbreaks of new diseases.
>
>Lyle Petersen, a CDC specialist, said the findings of the Oxford group
>needed to be confirmed. "I would not be surprised if the virus is present in
>Britain. It could already be infecting humans," he said. "You need much more
>comprehensive surveillance and you need to think about what?s going to
>happen if there?s an epidemic. It?s not the worst health problem in the UK,
>but it is something that needs to be looked at."
>
>WNV is spread by mosquitoes which bite birds and humans. There is no
>effective treatment. Many times more people are infected than the number who
>show signs of illness, and only a tiny fraction of infected people die. Most
>fatalities are aged over 50.
>
>The new American strain, which has claimed at least three times more victims
>this year than last, is believed to have arrived from Israel. There have
>been small outbreaks in Europe in recent years. The nearest to Britain
>appeared in the Camargue marshes of the Rhone delta in France two
>years ago. The new research has been carried out by a team led by Ernie
>Gould, director of the Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology
>at Oxford.
>
>Gould, who is planning to publish the findings in a scientific journal, was
>not available for comment, but it is understood that his team found evidence
>of antibodies to the virus in dead non- migratory birds, indicating that
>they must have been bitten by infected mosquitos in Britain.
>It is not clear whether the British strain is the same as the American one.
>The health department said it was considering the risks of Gould ?s findings
>and was developing a strategy to cope with potential cases.
>
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