Officials discuss animal die-off response

[Mingus]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

Oh, I miss the lastest developpement of this story.

PCR is my little speciality,

If I where you Florida1, I would asked if their H sub-typing PCR primer span the cleavage site.
I also would asked if they kept the resulting PCR fragment.

My fear I that the coexistence of two different strains of H5 in north america lead to the "recombination" of the high pathogenic strain cleavage site, I mean that it is not impossible that we could see the emergence of asiatic strain with a low cleavage site or North american strains with high pathogenic cleavage site.

H7 has notably this revertance capability and the two pathogenicity status can coexist in the same sample leading to one of them hinding the other in sequencing data...
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11032

Maybe I extrapolate too much but with, those two brother H5 strains, the bad guy would be more hard to distinguish from the good guy.

It would be necessary to develop PCR primer that target directly the cleavage site, so even with a mix of strains we would be able to target the bad guy in the crowd.

Also, a real-time RT-PCR with a fluorogenic probe that target the Quigai classic cleavage site and theses variant would be able to acheive this.

That is what I did last fall, when I first started to be sensitised to the avian flu problematic.

I have the probe and primers but never tested them, and anyway we would not have legal right to acheive this I think so the project only "sleep" just in case a problem would emerge in the canadian swines where we really have legal disposition.

Anyway I feel more safe with that lab prep in our freezers, outbreak in north american swines with the circovirus problem would be a problem for lab technicians, given the fact that we do not work on level 3 security now.
And previous experience had show me that we may be in face of the problem well before the officials autority would be informed.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

Mingus - good points. Samples are at the USDA lab as per protocol.

[LMonty]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

nice job guys, staying on this one!

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

It is interesting that the duck died of low path h5. Low path doesn't usually kill fowl, hence the term low pathogen.

[Mingus]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

It is interesting that the duck died of low path h5. Low path doesn't usually kill fowl, hence the term low pathogen.

That's why I fear a mix of strains, As there is already a H5(LP) in North america and many have been tetected recently, the elusive dual infection story could repeat itself again and again.
If there is a structural problem in the lens that allow us to see what's hapenning, we will always been half blind.

It could be a real technical problem if we do not target directly the part of the virus responsible for the pathogenicity.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

Could have a naturally-weaken duck that would have died from something anyhow?

.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

That's why I fear a mix of strains, As there is already a H5(LP) in North america and many have been tetected recently, the elusive dual infection story could repeat itself again and again.
If there is a structural problem in the lens that allow us to see what's hapenning, we will always been half blind.

I do not know what caused the duck's death. Speculating does not answer any questions.

[Mingus]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

I do not know what caused the duck's death. Speculating does not answer any questions.

Florida1, I give a hint to potentials lab worker to bypass the problem.
I know this could be a bacterial infection or exhaustion.

Even if this is not a quigai strain the trick is to get the labs as prepared as laymens individuals.

Do you think ?

[sharon sanders]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

Florida1, I give a hint to potentials lab worker to bypass the problem.
I know this could be a bacterial infection or exhaustion.

Even if this is not a quigai strain the trick is to get the labs as prepared as laymens individuals.

Do you think ?

Yes - Mingus. You do a great job educating everyone on some very difficult issues. Some of your threads are my favorites on this site.

We have to be careful to always present the known facts, to the best of our ability, especially when it comes to any kind of H5 situation.

Many want exploit H5 issues for their own aggrandizement. If we speculate on such important issues we can give these persons ammunition. There are members of the media, and we all know web sites, who have an interest in self promotion.

Since we are so widely read now, there is a sacred trust between us and the public.

I would love to see your hints and tips for PCR testing. It would make a great workshop topic.

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

A good point Fla1, just because they detected H5 in the bird it doesn't mean this is what the bird died of.

[hawkeye]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

This situation is alarming.

I posted this story a couple of days ago. I can't find my original post but it actually belongs here in this thread.
What's interesting is that H5 was reported present in the first die-off.

From Post #1 of this thread:
"In this particular case, we had a positive hit for avian influenza and the subtype is H5 category," said Retallack.

Here is the location: Cited in Post #20 of this thread:
Library Park is located in downtown Lakeport on the edge of Clear Lake.

This latest occurance is in the same location, but this time it's being attributed to Avian Cholera.

Massive duck die-off on lake
Tiffany Revelle
Lake County Record-Bee
Article Last Updated: 01/25/2007 09:48:26 AM PST

Another duck die-off hit the waters of Clear Lake this weekend, claiming 1,145 waterfowl as of 4 p.m. Experts are tentatively saying avian cholera is the culprit this time, pending lab confirmation.

Avian cholera affects birds so quickly that they have been known to sometimes literally drop out of the sky or die while swimming, according to the National Wildlife Health Center. Approximately 40 percent of the affected birds die; those who don't become carriers.

According to outdoor columnist Terry Knight, although all waterfowl are susceptible, the ruddy duck is Clear Lake's most common carrier. Approximately 3,000 ruddy ducks winter on Clear Lake, he added, which can easily turn into more than 10,000 in a matter of days.

Almost 230 dead ducks were picked up this weekend by the Department of Fish & Game, with some help from local residents. The birds, all ruddy ducks, washed up on the shoreline stretching along Highway 20 between Nice and Lucerne.

Crews on two air boats and a lead biologist from the North Central Region of the Department of Fish & Game arrived Monday afternoon to find about 350 more between Nice and Lucerne and 600 in Paradise Cove. Officials said most of them were ruddy ducks; a few mallards and gulls were also found dead.

Lake County Fish & Game Warden Lynette Shimek said she and the crews expect to work "however long it takes to get the birds cleaned up," possibly stretching into days.

Shimek added Monday night that anyone who finds dead waterfowl along the shoreline should not touch them or attempt to pick them up, but call DFG. Shimek can be reached at 275-8862.

"The birds have not been tested yet," said Shimek Monday morning. "So although this looks like cholera, we can't be guaranteed that that's what it is until they are tested."

So far five samples are ready to go to DFG's Wildlife Investigations Lab in Rancho Cordova, according to Associate Wildlife Biologist Paul Hofmann of the North Central Region of the Department of Fish & Game. There, they will undergo necropsy (the equivalent of a human autopsy for animals) and be tested for a variety of diseases.

According to a Jan. 11 DFG press release about an avian cholera outbreak in Butte Sink less than 100 miles east of Lake County avian cholera die-offs usually happen during the winter months in California, especially during cold spells and fog.

Hofmann said outbreaks are usually ending about this time of year, and termed this outbreak "unusual." If avian cholera is to blame for the die-off, he said, it may have been aggravated by the recent cold snap.

"Stress and crowding is bad for people and birds," said Hofmann. "It's the same as with humans ... your resistance is low under stress."

As with any bird disease, said Hofmann, avian cholera is spread when birds concentrate in one area. He added that they tend to fly less and congregate more under stressful conditions.

The virus spreads through mucus when the birds are in close proximity to each other by sneezing, shaking their heads, grooming and pecking each other, and even through a spray emitted through their nostrils when they take off for flight, said Knight.

"You don't stop this," said Knight. "It runs its course, and then the birds leave," he said.

Hofmann noted that recent sunny skies and wavy conditions on the lake from high winds tend to break up mucus on the water surface, making for bad conditions for the spread of avian cholera. He further noted that the ruddy ducks will be heading north again in a couple of weeks.

Lake County saw close to 8,000 waterfowl die during an outbreak of avian cholera in January 2004.

Note the number of bird deaths in relation to the estimated number of actual ducks. Approx 40% - 80% of the birds have died?. Additionally, there appears to be another incident at Borax Lake just this Thursday afternoon!

Avian cholera to blame -- DFG asks for help with cleanup of duck carcasses
Tiffany Revelle
Record-Bee Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 01/26/2007 06:56:38 AM PST

LAKE COUNTY -- Lab results confirmed Thursday morning that avian cholera was to blame for the massive die-off that hit Clear Lake's water birds this weekend.

The California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory confirmed what local experts suspected: avian cholera caused the duck die-off. That means residents who find dead birds on their property can help the DFG in the clean-up effort, with proper safety precautions.

"We got a positive diagnosis of cholera, which is what we had suspected all along," said DFG Warden Lynette Shimek. "That does open the doors for people to be able to pick up birds off of their own shorelines. We still advise them to wear rubber gloves," added Shimek.

She said any gloves will do, or an inverted plastic bag can be placed over the hand and then used to enclose the carcass. "Don't come in direct contact with the birds," said Shimek, adding that common-sense safety precautions should be taken. "Anytime you handle a dead animal, you want to wear gloves," noted Shimek.

The way to prevent the disease from spreading "involves the prompt removal and disposal of dead birds," according to a Thursday DFG press release. The report goes on to note that avian cholera is not related to human cholera and does not affect humans.

Shimek said the carcasses of any dead birds found on the shoreline can be put in plastic bags at the front of a resident's property and DFG will pick them up. Shimek can be reached at 275-8862 to report dead birds.

Clean-up and prevention

Including the 794 dead birds collected this morning, an estimated 4,000 of Clear Lake's waterfowl have fallen victim to avian cholera since the start of the weekend. Sandi Elliot of local wildlife rescue organization SpiritWild said she got her first call reporting dead ducks Friday night.

DFG personnel from the Northern Central Region (Region 2) arrived Monday afternoon to address the die-off and collect samples that were tested for a variety of ailments, including avian influenza. Shimek said they are pulling out today and handing over the clean-up to local DFG wardens.

"If they're having a hard time finding birds, then we'll probably scale it back and game wardens will work with volunteers this weekend," said Shimek of the ongoing clean-up effort. She added that the highest number of birds found this afternoon was 27 on one of the boats.

Ninety-eight percent of the birds DFG is picking up are ruddy ducks, with a slight increase in gulls and other waterfowl. So far, she added, DFG's effort to prevent the virus from spreading to the southern portions of the lake, where the heavy grebe populations are, have been successful.

Elliot said that gulls eat the bodies of the dead ruddy ducks floating on the water. Since avian cholera affects gulls more slowly than it affects ruddy ducks, said Elliot, they have more time to spread the virus to other waterfowl.

Most recently, Shimek said she was headed to Borax Lake Thursday afternoon to answer a report of more dead ducks, but was not sure of how many.

Shimek said a lot of the birds picked up Thursday were decomposed and had died days ago. That's a good sign, she said, "because it shows that there are not as many birds dying at this point."

The carcasses are being taken to the county dump and buried.

Help wanted

Shimek said the public can help in the clean-up effort as long as they do not have direct contact with the birds.

What local DFG wardens need, she said, is help picking up the birds. Anyone with a boat, a net that can be used for collection, or just time to help can contact her at the number above and be directed how to help.

DFG's effort to prevent the die-off from spreading continues, and anyone finding ducks on their property is asked to clean them up wearing gloves and contact her for pick-up.

The trend

Ruddy ducks are a migratory bird bringing avian cholera with them as some winter on Clear Lake and others pass through on their way north. The tendency of ruddy ducks to congregate tightly makes them prime targets for the bacteria, and efficient carriers.

According to Record-Bee outdoors columnist Terry Knight, ruddy ducks come to Clear Lake during the winter and early spring months in numbers averaging 5,000 to 10,000.

A DFG press release explained that avian cholera die-offs commonly occur during the winter months in California, especially during cold spells and fog.

"California is the winter home and migration area for over 60 percent of the waterfowl that winter in the Pacific Flyway," said DFG Wildlife Biologist Dan Yparraguirre. He went on to say in the press release that between four and six million waterfowl pass through California, making it "one of the most important wintering areas for waterfowl in North America." The Central Valley in particular is a primary destination for overwintering waterfowl.

Shimek said that although the numbers are significantly less, this die-off is following the pattern of the one in 2004.

This year's avian cholera outbreak is one of three the DFG reports in California. There have been die-offs at the Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area in Colusa County and Merced National Wildlife Refuge in Merced County. There may be more as winter continues, said the DFG press release, but deaths can be expected to diminish in late February as migration southward begins.

Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.

[hawkeye]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

More Napa Valley:

Avian cholera outbreak

The Department of Fish and Game just released information on a dieoff of ducks in the Buttes. About 500 birds have been found. Avian cholera kills ducks when they are grouped up, but it is not harmful to humans. Gray Lodge and other duck clubs are trying to keep birds on the move to keep more alive.

Avian Cholera Causes Bird Die-Off at Butte Sink

By: Department of Fish and Game
Published: Jan 11, 2007 at 14:29

Preliminary laboratory results indicate avian cholera caused a recent waterfowl die-off at the Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in northern California. While avian cholera is lethal to waterfowl and other water birds, it does not affect humans.

"All indications from the history of the area, the weather, the time of year, and the concentrations of ducks was that we had an avian cholera outbreak," said Dr. Pam Swift, Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wildlife veterinarian. "Even so, the Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) collected samples from birds involved in the die-off and submitted them to both to state and national laboratories to test for a variety of diseases * including avian influenza * to confirm our assessment."

Avian cholera (not related to human cholera) is a relatively common disease of North American waterfowl. It is caused by a bacterium and spreads rapidly from bird-to-bird and can kill thousands of birds in a single outbreak. A bird infected with avian cholera dies quickly. Avian cholera die-offs in waterfowl commonly occur during the winter months in California, especially during cold spells and fog.

DFG received a report of ruddy ducks, wigeons, coots, and other waterfowl dying at the Butte Sink WMA (part of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex) from Service personnel on Jan. 9. More than 500 birds have been collected to date by Service personnel. DFG personnel sampled birds and submitted swabs and carcasses to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab for necropsy and avian influenza testing * which is standard protocol for any wild bird die-off. The Service separately submitted carcasses to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, WI for diagnostics.

Samples submitted to the California laboratory were negative for the highly pathogenic avian influenza. Service sample results are still pending.

"Our field biologists routinely deal with avian cholera in wild birds every winter, generally around the time that the temperature drops below freezing," said Kevin Foerster, Manager of the Sacramento Refuge Complex. "We are undertaking standard disease control operations and following all established safety protocols to limit the spread of cholera within the wild bird population."

Over the last 30 years in California, documented bird losses due to diseases ranged from a low of 10,500 in 1977-78 to a high of 169,300 in 1991-92. The majority of the bird losses in 1991-92 consisted of 150,000 eared grebes that died due to avian cholera at the Salton Sea. Average annual loss of migratory birds to disease in California is about 25,000 birds. These figures are for birds actually picked up and disposed of, and the actual losses are greater. In 2005, the last full year of available data from the National Wildlife Health Center, of the nearly 12,000 birds picked up in California, most diagnosed causes of mortality were: petroleum spills (5,000); salmonellosis (2400); botulism (1800) and starvation (1500).

DFG and the Service are working closely and quickly in responding to this die-off, and are poised to rapidly investigate and collect samples for necropsy and avian influenza testing if other die-offs should occur in the Central Valley or elsewhere in California.

[Niko]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

Hawkeye, Thank you for bringing this up. I recall reading an article posted recently too. Don't know where. At the time, it clicked that we'd seen this area before, but unlike you, I didn't go searching to connect the dots.

My questions:

Why doesn't the August 2006 H5 detection appear on the USDA's tracking report? LPAITable.pdf

Certainly, some of the local reporters, citizens and officials should recall the earlier concerns and go back to review records, post findings, etc. Why the disconnect?

Have you looked at a map to see the proximity of these lakes, before I go running off to do it?

[Niko]

Re: Officials discuss animal die-off response

Area maps

Lakeport on Clear Lake:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?zoom=7&size=big&latlongtype=decimal&latitude=39.01096&longitude=-122.81394

Lakeport in relation to Gray Lodge Wildlife Refuge, near Gridley, Butte County, CA (appears to be about 50 miles "as the crow flies")

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.adp?go=1&do=nw&rmm=1&1gi=0&un=m&1da=-1.000000&1rc=A5XAX&cl=EN&qq=1ADqpk24ofAhx9%252fMT1J65sb3jZdIf7NvENOhWzgjnm1eiYbsRi3NTnsD%252fDKyREnvG9GcChvvJ7ez1luyvr0pvYhY1RFAzhw4xY3oO5xYGvPTW0LZPARgXvpmuGQma%252b8gHq7SNyKt0GM%253d&ct=NA&r=f&1si=gaz&rsres=1&1y=US&1ffi=&1l=1UomUSzRX9Vrh5XNb8d6sQ%253d%253d&1g=zhhwJDZmBsx%252bmYfAGc3NZQ%253d%253d&1pl=&1v=CITY&1n=Lake+County&1pn=&1a=&1c=Lakeport&1s=CA&1z=&2y=US&2ffi=&2l=&2g=&2pl=&2v=&2n=&2pn=&2a=&2c=Gridley&2s=CA&2z=&panelbtn=2