[MDOsprey] Fwd: [Fwd: FW: USGS Wildlife Health Alert - West Nile Virus]

Jlstasz@aol.com
Wed, 27 Oct 1999 12:55:45 EDT 

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Please be on the lookout for dead birds

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Date:         Wed, 27 Oct 1999 12:23:39 -0400
Reply-To: Chris Eberly <ceberly@DODPIF.ORG>
Sender: Bird conservation list for Department of Defense/Partners in         
	    Flight <DODPIF-L@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU>
From: Chris Eberly <ceberly@DODPIF.ORG>
Organization: Dept. of Defense Partners in Flight
Subject:      [Fwd: FW: USGS Wildlife Health Alert - West Nile Virus]
To: DODPIF-L@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU

USGS Wildlife Health Alert #99-02B

To:   Natural Resource/Conservation Managers
From: Director, USGS National Wildlife Health Center (Bob McLean)
Title:        Update on West Nile Virus

This is a follow up to the September 29, 1999, USGS Wildlife Health
Alert (WHA #02) notifying state and federal natural resource agencies of
the emergence of the West Nile virus in both free ranging and captive
birds in the New York City area. The West Nile virus (WNV) is an
arthropod-borne virus that has never been reported in the Western
Hemisphere.  Birds are the natural hosts for this virus. WNV can be
transmitted from birds to other birds and animals, including humans,
through the bite of mosquitoes.

American crows still appear to be the most susceptible species to this
disease. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Fort Collins, Co. have
confirmed that 17 native bird species have tested virus positive for
WNV; Connecticut has added a Cooper's Hawk as an 18th species. The
specific cause of mortality was not determined for all birds. Except for
American crows, most species are represented by few specimens. The
species include:

American crow
Ring-billed gull
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Rock dove
Sandhill crane*
Blue jay
Bald eagle*
Laughing gull*
Black-crowned night-heron*
Mallard*
American robin
Fish crow
Red-tailed hawk
Broad-winged hawk
Cooper's hawk
Belted kingfisher
American kestrel
Herring gull
*Captive bird

WNV has been diagnosed in birds from New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut. Geographically the virus has been detected in birds from
central New York (a single crow in Saratoga County), western New Jersey
(Hunterdon &Warren Counties), south-central New Jersey (Burlington
County), and east to Suffolk County on Long Island and the East Haven
area of Connecticut.

At this time it is difficult to assess the magnitude of the mortality.
While there have been reports of high bird mortality (1000's) in some of
the affected areas, mostly American crows, a number of the birds have
died from other causes.  Of the 255 specimens tested by CDC only about
55% have tested positive for WNV. The earliest confirmed isolate was
from a specimen collected on August 9, 1999 in Nassau County, NY.

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center, along with CDC and state and
federal agencies, are continuing to carry out a national surveillance
effort to document bird mortality. We are particularly interested in
receiving reports of sick or dead birds with neurological symptoms from
states along the Atlantic seaboard.  Specimens collected during this
surveillance will be examined by USGS at the National Wildlife Health
Center and tested for the presence of WNV. Concurrently, USGS, along
with several state and federal natural resource and public health
agencies, and other interested groups, are continuing to conduct field
investigations in the area of the outbreak. The investigation will
continue to focus on collecting information and samples that will help
determine the extent of wildlife species involved, the geographic and
temporal distribution of the virus in bird populations, and if the range
of the virus is expanding beyond the currently reported sites.

For further information and to report sick or dead crows or other
unusual bird mortality, please contact USGS Wildlife Disease Specialists
Drs. Linda Glaser (608-270-2446, linda_glaser@ usgs.gov) or Kathryn
Converse (608-270-2445, kathy_converse@usgs.gov)

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