South Pacific - Duck deaths mystify authorities in Kiribati

[Theresa42]

Fish [sic - Duck!] deaths mystify authorities in Kiribati
Posted at 08:26 on 27 April, 2006 UTC

Government fish ponds in Kiribati were closed down temporarily following the mysterious deaths of several ducks on Monday.

The Ministry of Fisheries has warned the public to stay away from the ponds as investigations will be carried out soon.

Health authorities have confirmed they?ve taken blood samples from the ducks before they were burnt and disposed of.

Kiribati?s former director of health, Dr Airam Metai, says they found a high proportion of chemicals in the ponds which might have happened if people accidentally dropped them in the ponds.

The blood samples will be sent to Australia for further tests.

Dr. Metai says the incident has no connection to bird flu.

Members of the public were warned to not eat ducks which they recently brought from the ponds.

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=23718

Kiribati:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati

 

[chicken little]

Re: South Pacific - Duck deaths mystify authorities in Kiribati

I read this post and thought urgh,urgh how primitive.Then today, this in an Auckland weekend paper....
by columnist,Judith Baragwanath "Several months ago I reported that the filthy duck ponds in the Domain had been fenced off and the pools drained.Good job.No more eels dining out on ducklings' feet.No more slime and sludge.Things were looking up in birdland.Or so I thought.Last week I checked on progress.The fencing's gone all right-but so have most of the ducks,bar 2 adults and 3 tiny ducklings bravely churning through the stagnant and oil-slicked water.The other pond where the geese hang out has been abandoned.A glance at the water speaks volumes.Liquid tar.Why?What's the Auckland City Council up to?I think we should be told."
Maybe my concerns are unfounded,but HECK! I'm tired of continual non or misinformation at a time when disclosure of all "bird related issues" should be paramount.

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: South Pacific - Duck deaths mystify authorities in Kiribati

Chicken little. Many councils see ducks as a nuisance but the rate payers love them (the ducks that is, not the councilors). I wonder if the council finally found an excuse to get rid of the ducks.

 

[Joe Neubarth]

Re: South Pacific - Duck deaths mystify authorities in Kiribati

Over and over and over and over and over again we see that samples are being sent off, but we NEVER see the results.

What were the results from the birds in Samoa?

I have always wondered what were the results from the thousands of people who have died in India from Mystery Illness that was going to be tested. How about the hospital staff in Pakistan that supposedly died from CCHF (Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever)? The samples were sent to South Africa and we never heard about them after that. How about all the cows that died in India and Myanmar and Cambodia and Nepal and Tibet. What were the results of their tests?

If anybody knows the answer to these questions, please educate us.

 

[Bruce]

Re: South Pacific - Duck deaths mystify authorities in Kiribati

Joe

I don’t think the authorities like saying: Oh nothing, just a bunch of false negatives, nothing to worry about.
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On the samples I took to be tested a week ago, the ministry that had never heard of the outbreak thanked me and promised a full investigation on the cause of death, so far all I have heard is: No H5N1 by a 24 hour molecular test.<o =""></o>