Published Date: 2000-12-06 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Botulism, avian - USA (New York)
Archive Number: 20001206.2135
BOTULISM, AVIAN - USA (NEW YORK)
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See Also
1999----
Botulism, avian, management - Canada & USA 19990720.1226
Botulism, avian: cause & cure 19990719.1219
1998
----
Botulism, avian, current status - USA 19980918.1879
Botulism, avian, research - Canada & USA 19980808.1555
Date: 6 Dec 2000
From: Martin Hugh-Jones <mehj@mail.vetmed.lsu.edu>
Source: New York Times, 6 Dec 2000 [edited
<http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/06/science/06BIRD.html>
8000 Lake Erie Water Birds Dead of Botulism
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AMBURG, NY: A puzzling outbreak of botulism along the shores of Lake Erie
has killed about 8000 water birds, including perhaps a thousand common
loons, State environmental officials said.
Crews from the State Department of Environmental Conservation examined
sections of the 60 miles of lake shore from Dunkirk north to Buffalo this
week. They retrieved 2 truckloads of dead grebes, common and red-breasted
mergansers, loons, diving ducks, ring-billed gulls and herring gulls, which
were all sent to the State's wildlife pathology laboratory near Albany
today [6 Dec 2000 for toxicological tests.
The State's wildlife pathologist, Ward Stone, said that because wildlife
experts believe there are only 250 nesting pairs of loons in New York, many
of the dead loons may have been migrating from Canada.
The loon is a popular bird among naturalists, much prized for its beauty
and its call. "It's possible this one kill killed as many loons as there
are in New York State," Mr. Stone said.
Botulism is caused by _Clostridium botulinum_ bacterium [toxin, but so far
scientists do not know where it is coming from and how it is being
transmitted. The organism is striking unusually swiftly, they said. "There
are a lot of questions," Mr. Stone said as the trucks of dead birds pulled in.
Some of the birds are scavengers and could have eaten fish killed by the
bacteria, but aside from some dead carp found in Dunkirk harbor, there is
no evidence of a corresponding death of fish. It is also puzzling that
other birds, including the loons and mergansers, feed only on live fish,
raising questions about whether live fish may carry the bacteria.
Scientists also are looking at whether the outbreak is related to the death
of a fairly large number of mud puppies (a type of salamander) along the
Canadian shore of Lake Erie last summer, or to recent outbreaks of botulism
among loons and gulls in Ontario and elsewhere.
Since August, birds have died of botulism (including the Type E strain
involved in this case) in Great Lakes states like Michigan and Pennsylvania
and in other places including Hawaii, California, Louisiana and Vermont.
Mr. Stone said, "Type E has been found in the Great Lakes for decades but
all of [a sudden there's more of it."
"They may be isolated incidents, and we're trying to put the puzzle
together now," said Gerald Mikol, director of the Environmental
Conservation Department's office for the Buffalo region.
There are several possible explanations for the outbreak. Mr. Stone said
excessive rainfall and flooding this summer might have caused sewage
treatment plants to release more nutrients into the lake, allowing the
botulism organism to thrive. Scientists also are looking at whether zebra
mussels, which arrived in the Great Lakes in the 1980's, somehow carry the
bacteria or concentrate the toxin. Zebra mussels are eaten by goby fish,
which in turn are eaten by mergansers and loons. It is possible the death
of the large numbers of the small gobies would go unnoticed, Mr. Stone said.
Although the botulism outbreak is not known to have affected any people
yet, waterfowl hunters and fishers are being warned to cook all fish and
game thoroughly before eating it. Pet owners also are advised to keep their
animals from picking at the dead birds. "There's no reason to panic, but we
do need to figure out why this is happening," Mr. Stone said.
The deaths appear to be ending, judging from an absence of dying birds.
Scientists say they will keep watch in case the deaths resume when the
weather turns warmer in the spring.
The large number of loon carcasses will provide valuable forensic data
after they are examined, Mr. Stone said. The lab usually receives only 3 to
5 loons a year, he said.
-
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Since loons are not known to consume decaying tissue, this is unusual.
Also unusual is the time of year; deaths from botulism are usually
associated with summer. However, it is winter in New York. - Mod.TG
[The archived ProMED-mail postings listed above have particularly good
discussions of this topic. - Man. Ed. DS
.......................tg/pg/ds
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