- Hello Jeff: If you remember, Cormorants were the first
birds in the Bronx, NY Zoo that succumbed to West Nile Virus. These Cormorants
however are making a recovery which might rule out West Nile Virus. At
this time Cormorants are the only birds involved in the illness.
-
- Patricia Doyle
-
- Date 24 Nov 2004
- From ProMED-mail
- Source NBC-2.com
-
- By Tom Roussey
-
- A mysterious illness is making a number of wild birds
sick, but it is only affecting one species, the double crested cormorant.
Wildlife watchers are baffled, because no theory about the illness makes
perfect sense.
-
- Workers at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's Wildlife
Rehab Center are helping an unusual number of double crested cormorants.
The birds are starving, thin, and lack energy. No one knows what's causing
the mysterious ailment. Workers hydrate the birds and feed them. Some of
them are eating willingly; others have to be force-fed. Despite all their
best efforts, about half the birds that have gone into the rehab center
have died. "Even though you know you're doing all you can, it's frustrating
for some not to make it," said Joanna Fitzgerald of the Wildlife Rehab
Center. The main theory is that red tide in the gulf is making the double
crested cormorants sick. "The typical signs we see with red tide we
just aren't seeing with these birds. I'm not 100 percent convinced it's
red tide," said Fitzgerald.
-
- Double crested cormorants are the birds you see on the
side of a lake with their wings spread out. "These are the ones that
dry their wings, they'll spread their wings to dry after they've been hunting
or fishing," said Fitzgerald.
-
- One of the birds regained enough strength to be able
to be released into the wild in Port Royal. "It's very rewarding when
you see them go," said Rebecca LeBlanc of the Wildlife Rehab Center.
-
- http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=1841&z=3&p=
-
- -- ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org
-
- One would hope that these biologists are having the birds
necropsied and some diagnostic tests run. The article here does not give
enough specifics for speculation.
-
- Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy (AVM) may be a possibility.
If a bird recovered, then it seems likely that AVM and botulism could be
ruled out.
-
- Certainly, if there is any more authoritative information
on this situation, we would appreciate it. - Mod.TG
-
-
- Patricia A. Doyle, PhD
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?
Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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