Alberta: No evidence of pathogenic strain of avian bird flu is found

[AlaskaDenise]

UPDATED: 2007-02-21 02:15:24 MST
By NADIA MOHARIB, SUN MEDIA


Nearly 70 mallards were found dead near Nose Creek in the city's northwest and wildlife officials are still trying to figure out what killed them.

The mallards were picked up by Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation volunteers near the creek at Country Hills Blvd. Monday after they were spotted by a man walking his dog.

One sick bird taken to the centre died a short time later.

Prior to that, the duck appeared weak, suffering from muscle spasms and lack of co-ordination.

Other mallards in the area also appeared to be ill, but eluded capture.

Dianne Wittner, a biologist with the Institute, said post-mortem exams and testing will be done to determine the exact cause of death.
Testing is being done by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency with results expected today.

Wittner said there are several possible explanations for the deaths including bacterial and viral infections.


She stressed it is unlikely to be the H5N1 strain -- responsible for bird deaths and mass culls in other parts of the world.

There have been no cases of H5N1 strains identified to date in Canada.
People who find dead or ailing mallards are advised to call the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation at 946-2361

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2007/02/21/3650539-sun.html

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Alberta - Dozens of ducks found dead in northwest

Re: Alberta - Dozens of ducks found dead in northwest

Fowl play ruled out in mass duck deaths


Wildlife experts are examining another 50 ducks found dead along the Bow River yesterday, bringing the total number of dead birds discovered this week to 115.

Test results won't be available to confirm the cause of death until later this week, but the likely culprit is a bacteria or viral infection, said Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer Paul Lypyczuk.

He stressed it's unlikely the H5N1 strain of avian bird flu responsible for bird deaths and mass culls in other parts of the world.

"There's no reason for the public to be concerned," Lypyczuk said.
Robyn Roper, a wildlife biologist with the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation, said the dead ducks and some dead Canadian geese have been spotted along the Bow River from Nose Hill to the off-leash dog park at Southland Dr.

The public reported 65 dead ducks Monday.
Lypyczuk said the rapid spread of disease isn't uncommon among birds during the winter months when their habitats freeze and they're forced to live in closer proximity to one another.



"When we have concentrated groups of animals, it's a breeding ground for diseases, infections (and) bacteria," he said.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is expected to release the test results in the next a few days, said Lypyczuk. <!-- Next and Previous stories -->

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2007/02/22/3654125-sun.html

 

[Niko]

Re: Alberta - Dozens of ducks found dead in northwest

Re: Alberta - Dozens of ducks found dead in northwest

Mallard massacre mystery deepens

By PABLO FERNANDEZ -- Sun Media

The swath of death caused by a mysterious illness that?s killing the city?s waterfowl got wider as two dozen more birds were found dead in Harvest Hills on Thursday.
The mallards, which biologists believe may have died from a virus or bacteria, were found dead and frozen along the edge of Harvest Hills Lake, near the intersection of Harvest Hills Dr. and Harvest Wood Rd. N.W.
The scene at the water?s edge was different from the one in the area earlier in the week, when more than 1,000 birds descended on the storm retention pond, said Harvest Hills resident Mike Bullis.
?We?ve seen this before, a bird dead frozen to the ice,? he said.
?But what we have out there now is carcasses and carcasses.?
As many as 70 dead mallards were found near Nose Creek, not far from the latest find, earlier this week.
A bird from that flock rescued by fish and wildlife officers appeared weak, was suffering from muscle spasm and lack of co-ordination, and died shortly after.
Another 50 dead birds were found two days ago along the Bow River south of Nose Hill Park.
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development spokesman John Lear said authorities hope to have a cause of death today (FRI) but said whatever is killing the ducks is not dangerous to humans.
?There?s no reason to believe the birds pose a risk to public health,? he said, adding the province doesn?t believe this is the work of the bird flu, which has already made its way from Asia to Europe.
?Fish and wildlife officers in the field say there have been mass deaths of waterfowl in past years.
?In those years, the cause of death was due to avian cholera.?
As a precaution, Lear suggests people not touch the carcasses and to keep pets away.

? With files from Jim Wells.



http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/02/22/3655689-sun.html

 

[Snowy Owl]

Mallard massacre mystery deepens

Mallard massacre mystery deepens

Mallard massacre mystery deepens

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/2007/02/22/3655664.html
​

The swath of death caused by a mysterious illness that?s killing the city?s waterfowl got wider as two dozen more birds were found dead in Harvest Hills on Thursday.

The mallards, which biologists believe may have died from a virus or bacteria, were found dead and frozen along the edge of Harvest Hills Lake, near the intersection of Harvest Hills Dr. and Harvest Wood Rd. N.W.

The scene at the water?s edge was different from the one in the area earlier in the week, when more than 1,000 birds descended on the storm retention pond, said Harvest Hills resident Mike Bullis.

?We?ve seen this before, a bird dead frozen to the ice,? he said.
?But what we have out there now is carcasses and carcasses.?

As many as 70 dead mallards were found near Nose Creek, not far from the latest find, earlier this week.

A bird from that flock rescued by fish and wildlife officers appeared weak, was suffering from muscle spasm and lack of co-ordination, and died shortly after.

Another 50 dead birds were found two days ago along the Bow River south of Nose Hill Park.

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development spokesman John Lear said authorities hope to have a cause of death today (FRI) but said whatever is killing the ducks is not dangerous to humans.

?There?s no reason to believe the birds pose a risk to public health,? he said, adding the province doesn?t believe this is the work of the bird flu, which has already made its way from Asia to Europe.

?Fish and wildlife officers in the field say there have been mass deaths of waterfowl in past years.

?In those years, the cause of death was due to avian cholera.?

As a precaution, Lear suggests people not touch the carcasses and to keep pets away.

 

[hawkeye]

Alberta: No evidence of pathogenic strain of avian bird flu is found

Confusing...BF ruled out, however avian flu was detected, but they're pretty sure it was probably a bacteria.

Dead ducks are tested
No evidence of pathogenic strain of avian bird flu is found

Brooke Hogemann
Senior Reporter
Wednesday February 28, 2007
Airdrie Echo ? More than 80 dead mallards were found near Nose Creek at Country Hills Boulevard last week, but ongoing Alberta Sustainable Resource Development test results have confirmed that there is no evidence of the H5N1 avian bird flu strain.
According to Dave Ealey, a spokesperson for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, the birds were found to have avian cholera, a bacterial disease which has been seen before in this area.
"It?s not the avian flu that people have concerns about," Ealey said. "It?s not a type of strain that typically affects mammals.
"While we have found some avian bird flu in these birds," he added, "it?s the sort of flu we expect to find in these birds. It?s a virus that these birds carry that doesn?t (cause) a lot of problems for the birds."
Of the 80 birds sent in for testing, only 41 were suitable, although most of the birds found were in good body condition.

Outward signs of a sick mallard, which later died at the wildlife centre, included lethargy and weakness, muscle spasms, lack of co-ordination and head tilt.
Upon examination the duck still alive had a very high temperature and a massive white blood cell response. Post-mortem signs included inflamed tissue and internal hemorrhage.
"Presently, it really doesn?t look like anything unusual," Ealey said. "Right now, it?s happened in a place that?s more conspicuous to people.
"The ducks are obviously taking advantage of the open water," he added, "but they don?t have the resources they need to do well. (Also) in such close contact with other birds, bacteria ... is more easily caught."
Other possibilities existed in the mallards? deaths, including bacterial and viral infections, as well as toxins in the creek itself. Avian diseases, such as cholera and influenza, can be commonplace at this time of year, as water resources shrink and ducks congregate in large quantities, allowing for more fecal material and spreading of potential diseases.
The volunteers from the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) who picked up and sent the dead mallards in for testing said the creek where they found the ducks had an oily sheen and smelled unusual. However, a local resident said that Nose Creek looks and smells like that all the time.
Just because the disease from which the birds were suffering isn?t H5N1 avian bird flu strain doesn?t mean that people shouldn?t take precautions.
"(We) don?t recommend people letting their pets go chewing on wildlife carcasses," Ealey said.
Anyone who finds sick birds is encouraged to contact AIWC at 403-946-2361 and is asked not to handle the birds or allow pets to pick them up or chase them.

 

[lamrobertson]

Re: Alberta: No evidence of pathogenic strain of avian bird flu is found

Thats good they say its not H5N1 strain.

"Just because the disease from which the birds were suffering isn?t H5N1 avian bird flu strain doesn?t mean that people shouldn?t take precautions."