Laidback Al
Well-known member
UNDIAGNOSED DIE-OFF, WILD BIRDS - MONGOLIA: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <HTTP: www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 4 Sep 2008
From: Enkhtuvshin Shiilegdamba <ESHIILEGDAMBA@WCS.ORG>
On Wednesday, 3 Sep 2008, the Mongolian news agency Daily News [<HTTP: www.dailynews.mn>, in Russian] reported about unidentified bird mortality.
It states that a total of 2000 sandgrouse were found dead in Uvurkhangai [Ovorhangay] aimag's Bayangol and Tugrug soums and in Dundgobi [Dundgovi] aimag's Saihan Ovoo soum [Central Mongolia, map at <HTTP: mongolia_pol96.jpg middle_east_and_asia maps www.lib.utexas.edu>.
"Aimag" is the Mongolian term for a 1st level administrative subdivision or province. - Mod.AS].
Professionals have been investigating the cause of mortality but are still unable to identify it. It also reports that National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officers were on site to destroy the dead birds and to disinfect the area.
The NEMA emergency group head, Mr. Ch. Batchuluun, reported that a total of 2460 sandgrouse were found dead. Furthermore, a few other birds such as cranes (3), sparrows (1), crows (2) and ground jays (2) were found dead in Dundgobi aimag's Saihan Ovoo soum. He also stated that professionals from the State Department of Veterinary Services have joined their team during the investigation. They have done avian influenza rapid testing on dead birds and found no suspect cases.
Therefore, the State Central Veterinary Laboratory collected samples to do more rigorous testing to identify the cause of mortality.
He added that ornithologists suspect that the deaths are due to mechanical injuries, as they have observed broken wings in some birds. They also suspect that environmental factors such as strong winds may have caused the mass mortality. The NEMA officers do not agree, because sandgrouse are resident birds and are adapted to the local environment fairly well; besides that, we have not observed this type of mass mortality before.
He went on to say that they have done a comparative necropsy on dead and healthy birds but did not observe any pathologic findings. He also reported that most of the birds were dead in close proximity to high power electric poles. For instance, 1737 birds were dead along the high power line close to Dundgobi aimag's Saihan Ovoo soum, while
349 sandgrouse and a sparrow were dead approximately 11 km from Uvurkhangai aimag's Tugrug soum.
There were no human deaths or illnesses observed in the area.
--
Enkhtuvshin Shiilegdamba, Epidemiologist Wildlife Conservation Society, Mongolia Country Program <ESHIILEGDAMBA@WCS.ORG>
[We are grateful to Enkhtuvshin Shiilegdamba for the above information.
The species of the affected sandgrouse is, likely, the Pallas'
Sandgrouse (_Syrrhaptes paradoxus_), belonging to the order Pteroclidiformes; picture at <HTTP: pallass_sandgrouse_l.jpg pix_2007 Kazakhstan pix gallery www.birdwatchingtours.co.uk>.
No bird of the said order could be found in the USGS list of birds found so far infected with the HPAI H5N1 virus.
Results of the epidemiological and laboratory investigations are anticipated. - Mod.AS]
[see also:
2006
----
Undiagnosed die-off, wild birds - Azerbaijan: RFI 20061124.3339 Avian influenza (204) - China (Ningxia, Inner Mongolia) 20061013.2932
2005
----
Avian influenza - Eurasia (21): China, Inner Mongolia, OIE 20051022.3078 Avian influenza - Asia (17): Mongolia, migratory birds, H5N1, OIE 20050902.2597 Avian influenza - Asia (06): Mongolia, migratory birds, H5N1 20050819.2443 Avian influenza, migratory birds - Mongolia: OIE (03) 20050813.2367 Avian influenza, migratory birds - Mongolia: OIE 20050808.2317]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,73824
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<HTTP: www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases <HTTP: www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 4 Sep 2008
From: Enkhtuvshin Shiilegdamba <ESHIILEGDAMBA@WCS.ORG>
On Wednesday, 3 Sep 2008, the Mongolian news agency Daily News [<HTTP: www.dailynews.mn>, in Russian] reported about unidentified bird mortality.
It states that a total of 2000 sandgrouse were found dead in Uvurkhangai [Ovorhangay] aimag's Bayangol and Tugrug soums and in Dundgobi [Dundgovi] aimag's Saihan Ovoo soum [Central Mongolia, map at <HTTP: mongolia_pol96.jpg middle_east_and_asia maps www.lib.utexas.edu>.
"Aimag" is the Mongolian term for a 1st level administrative subdivision or province. - Mod.AS].
Professionals have been investigating the cause of mortality but are still unable to identify it. It also reports that National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officers were on site to destroy the dead birds and to disinfect the area.
The NEMA emergency group head, Mr. Ch. Batchuluun, reported that a total of 2460 sandgrouse were found dead. Furthermore, a few other birds such as cranes (3), sparrows (1), crows (2) and ground jays (2) were found dead in Dundgobi aimag's Saihan Ovoo soum. He also stated that professionals from the State Department of Veterinary Services have joined their team during the investigation. They have done avian influenza rapid testing on dead birds and found no suspect cases.
Therefore, the State Central Veterinary Laboratory collected samples to do more rigorous testing to identify the cause of mortality.
He added that ornithologists suspect that the deaths are due to mechanical injuries, as they have observed broken wings in some birds. They also suspect that environmental factors such as strong winds may have caused the mass mortality. The NEMA officers do not agree, because sandgrouse are resident birds and are adapted to the local environment fairly well; besides that, we have not observed this type of mass mortality before.
He went on to say that they have done a comparative necropsy on dead and healthy birds but did not observe any pathologic findings. He also reported that most of the birds were dead in close proximity to high power electric poles. For instance, 1737 birds were dead along the high power line close to Dundgobi aimag's Saihan Ovoo soum, while
349 sandgrouse and a sparrow were dead approximately 11 km from Uvurkhangai aimag's Tugrug soum.
There were no human deaths or illnesses observed in the area.
--
Enkhtuvshin Shiilegdamba, Epidemiologist Wildlife Conservation Society, Mongolia Country Program <ESHIILEGDAMBA@WCS.ORG>
[We are grateful to Enkhtuvshin Shiilegdamba for the above information.
The species of the affected sandgrouse is, likely, the Pallas'
Sandgrouse (_Syrrhaptes paradoxus_), belonging to the order Pteroclidiformes; picture at <HTTP: pallass_sandgrouse_l.jpg pix_2007 Kazakhstan pix gallery www.birdwatchingtours.co.uk>.
No bird of the said order could be found in the USGS list of birds found so far infected with the HPAI H5N1 virus.
Results of the epidemiological and laboratory investigations are anticipated. - Mod.AS]
[see also:
2006
----
Undiagnosed die-off, wild birds - Azerbaijan: RFI 20061124.3339 Avian influenza (204) - China (Ningxia, Inner Mongolia) 20061013.2932
2005
----
Avian influenza - Eurasia (21): China, Inner Mongolia, OIE 20051022.3078 Avian influenza - Asia (17): Mongolia, migratory birds, H5N1, OIE 20050902.2597 Avian influenza - Asia (06): Mongolia, migratory birds, H5N1 20050819.2443 Avian influenza, migratory birds - Mongolia: OIE (03) 20050813.2367 Avian influenza, migratory birds - Mongolia: OIE 20050808.2317]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,73824
