Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
Where are the migrating birds now |
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Massachuetts here. Well I had to add my two cents worth. When this all started a few years back I have been watching the birds for patterns.
Last year I found one fallon dead no particular cause just lying there. And this year another one was dead just lying on the ground. Still intact as if it was okay. Not sure whats causing the deaths. But i have seen that not to many of the regular birds are in my backyard anymore. And the usual squirels are no where to be seen last summer into this winter. No skunks either who use to be a pest in our neighbor hood are all gone. But I did notice a unusual amount of bugs this year. Misquottes and flys bee's etc. So that tells me that birds are gone bugs are getting worst. Be very interesting to see what happens this spring. Birdlady2 |
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http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L30215911&WTmodLoc=World-R5-Alertnet-6
Mild avian flu strains cause disease in wild birds
Wed 31 Jan 2007 1:00:14 GMT
AMSTERDAM, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Mild forms of avian flu can cause illness among wild birds, slow their migration and spread faster than previously believed, a study found on Wednesday. |
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Avian cholera, a disease that can quickly kill bird populations, has been
diagnosed in 6 dead seagulls, Newfoundland and Labrador's chief veterinarian reported Tuesday. Hugh Whitney said the disease poses minimal risk to humans. He called on the public to avoid contact with birds they suspect may be infected with avian cholera. However, the disease can cause what Whitney described as "large-scale die-offs in waterfowl and other bird populations."
CHOLERA, AVIAN - CANADA (NEWFOUNDLAND) **************************************** A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org> ProMED-mail, a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org> Date: 1 Feb 2007 From: ProMED-mail<promed@promedmail.org> Source: CBC News [edited] <http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2007/01/30/avian-cholera.html> Avian cholera, a disease that can quickly kill bird populations, has been diagnosed in 6 dead seagulls, Newfoundland and Labrador's chief veterinarian reported Tuesday. Hugh Whitney said the disease poses minimal risk to humans. He called on the public to avoid contact with birds they suspect may be infected with avian cholera. However, the disease can cause what Whitney described as "large-scale die-offs in waterfowl and other bird populations." Sick gulls have been reported at various offshore sites. As well, investigators are responding to reports of gull infections around the St. John's area, particularly at Quidi Vidi Lake in the city's east end. Quidi Vidi Lake is a frequent stop for seagulls, and is near both a large landfill and the Atlantic Ocean. Whitney advised the public to avoid contact with birds that may be infected, and to keep pets away. "The risk in contact with the sick or dead birds may include a skin infection if exposure is with an open cut," Whitney said in a statement. The disease has so far been found in 3 gull species: great black-backed gulls, glaucous gulls and black-legged kittiwakes. Avian cholera, a bacteria-based disease, can spread to other bird species, particularly scavengers such as crows, ravens and eagles. "Affected birds may be seen lying on the ground, circling in the water with their heads twisting in different directions or found dead in areas where gulls roost," Whitney said. "Death is usually very quick." Whitney called on poultry farmers to look after their stock and to try to keep gulls and scavengers from their premises. -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> [A map of Newfoundland may be seen at <http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.reefball.com/map/newfoundland.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.reefball.com/map/newfoundland.htm&h=588&w=446&sz=31&tbnid=M8vITcpp5qPUTM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmap%2Bof%2Bnewfoundland&start=1&sa=X&o>http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.reefball.com/map/newfoundland.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.reefball.com/map/newfoundland.htm&h=588&w=446&sz=31&tbnid=M8vITcpp5qPUTM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmap%2Bof%2Bnewfoundland&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1> A discussion of Avian Cholera may be found in ProMED-mail posting 200610231.3119. Since avian cholera can kill quickly, it is not unusual to see a die-off of large number of birds quite suddenly. But seagulls are not one we often hear about. A photo of a seagull may be seen at: <http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mccullagh.org/db9/10d-16/assateague-seagull.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mccullagh.org/image/10d-16/assateague-seagull.html&h=512&w=768&sz=72&tbnid=fnEFT3QSbdph9M:&tbnh=95&tbnw=142&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphoto%2Bof%2Bseagull&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1> - Mod.TG] [see also: Cholera, avian - USA (CA)(03) 20070127.0355 Cholera, avian - USA (CA) (02) 20070117.0223 Cholera, avian - USA (CA) 20070112.0162 2006http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1000 |
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Australia http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s1839333.htm Story continues They still don't know what killed the birds...........
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It was suicide .
Being down here at the bottom end of the earth and looking up is not a pretty sight. |
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The blue Magpie below from hong Kong that tested positive for BF is a local everyday bird that hangs around most of Hong Kong ...
BirdLife Statement on Avian Influenza on latest outbreak UK
It is BirdLife’s view that the authorities must work harder to present a balanced picture, and not allow automatic implication of wild birds as the likeliest vector every time an outbreak occurs. Even without additional evidence, the circumstances in these cases should have strongly suggested that other means of transmission were more likely:
At present, swift action by the authorities appears to have contained these two outbreaks. The risk to public health from H5N1 remains very small. Detailed advice, answers to frequently asked questions and the updated BirdLife position statement can all be found by visiting the BirdLife Statement on Avian Influenza |
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Anuradha Sawhney of PETA-India felt that it was essential to check if the wild ducks suffered from any serious viral disease as they were long-distance migratory birds that bred in central Asia and Europe.
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Great post candles . I am sure that H5N1 in India is very much
under-reported . |
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I imagine that we are in the eye of the storm right now and that those
dam migrating birds are likely to start returning to the more northerly lattitudes as spring arrives in the Northern Hemisphere . Carrying with them newer versions of the dread H5N1 . Apparently the Russians have just had a taste of it . Can anybody predict where the next round of 'hits' will be ? Northeast coast of Canada via birds from West Africa ? |
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[One should never say "never", but the authors' comment that "the
risk and probably the frequency of intercontinental virus transfer in this region are relatively low" would seem to be cautiously on the high side, that is, the risk is probably negligible. - Mod.MHJ, JW]
AVIAN INFLUENZA, POULTRY VS MIGRATORY BIRDS (14) *********************************************** 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: Tue 13 Mar 2007 From: Mary Mars****** <tropical.forestry@btinternet.com> Source: EID, Volume 13, Number 4; April 2007 [edited] <http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/4/06-1072.htm> "Movements of birds and avian influenza from Asia into Alaska." Kevin Winkler et. al. Abstract: Asian-origin avian influenza (AI) viruses are spread in part by migratory birds. In Alaska, diverse avian hosts from Asia and the Americas overlap in a region of intercontinental avifaunal mixing. This region is hypothesized to be a zone of Asia-to-America virus transfer because birds there can mingle in waters contaminated by wild-bird-origin AI viruses. Our 7 years of AI virus surveillance among waterfowl and shorebirds in this region (1998-2004; 8254 samples) showed remarkably low infection rates (0.06 percent) [There were only 5 positive samples, and none were H5. - Mod.MHJ]. Our findings suggest an Arctic effect on viral ecology caused perhaps by low ecosystem productivity and low host densities relative to available water. Combined with a synthesis of avian diversity and abundance, intercontinental host movements, and genetic analyses, our results suggest that the risk and probably the frequency of intercontinental virus transfer in this region are relatively low. Discussion: Our surveillance did not show a "hotspot" of AI virus infection among avian hosts. Much higher infection rates are known from other multiyear surveillance studies at lower latitudes, e.g., Delaware Bay (4.7 percent, [32]), southern Minnesota (10.8 percent, [5]), and Alberta (22.2 percent, [32]) and British Columbia in Canada (55 percent, although only a single-year study, [33]). The infection rates we found are substantially lower than those found for interior Alaska (9 percent, [12]). Arctic conditions in Alaska prevail well south of the Arctic Circle in the treeless regions of western Alaska, and the US Arctic includes the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Archipelago (34), a tundra ecosystem where our sampling was concentrated (for Figure go to source). Aerial surveys of waterfowl across Alaska show more ponds and fewer ducks per unit area on tundra; the number of ducks per pond on tundra habitat (2.1) is less than half the number found in the boreal-forest dominated interior (5.5, [18]). This simple ecologic factor (perhaps due to the lower productivity of these tundra ecosystems), resulting in the dilution of virus in waters with fewer available hosts, may in part explain our results. This is the 1st geographically and taxonomically extensive Arctic AI surveillance in North America, and it suggests that some Arctic effect lowers infection rates, thus lowering the risk of intercontinental viral transfer in these high-latitude regions. Our infection rates are low, comparable to those occurring at much lower latitudes (e.g., 9,35), whereas mid-latitude rates can be 2-3 orders of magnitude higher (33). Human population densities in Alaska are relatively low, especially in the Beringian Crucible, and Alaska lacks a large agricultural sector. However, mammalian carnivores abound and could be susceptible hosts (36). Direct human infection from wild birds is possible, but transmission from birds to humans is difficult (37,38). Nevertheless, exposure in this region may be considerable; hunters kill around 99 000 waterbirds for food each year on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta alone (39). Although the existence of North American and Eurasian viral lineages is well established in the literature, evidence from other regions of North America has shown that geographic structure has been insufficient to prevent sporadic intercontinental exchange of some hemagglutinin subtypes (29,40). Our results can be considered to confirm the comparative rarity of such events in this important region of Alaska. Despite high diversity of host species and high numbers of individual birds in Alaska making intercontinental movements, the low AI infection rates and the genetic attributes of virus isolates (29) suggest that at most only small numbers of Asian-origin AI viruses or genes likely arrive in Alaska annually. Although AI viruses from Alaska have a clear link with other viruses in the lower 48 US states (29), the predominance of Arctic ecologic conditions and the lack of agriculture in the Alaska region most affected suggest a low risk for intercontinental viral transfer in this region. References 5: Hanson BA, Stallknecht DE, Swayne DE, Lewis LA, Senne DE. Avian influenza viruses in Minnesota ducks during 1998-2000. Avian Dis. 2003;47:867-71. 9: Chen H, Smith GJD, Li KS, Wang J, Fan XH, Rayner JM, et al. Establishment of multiple sublineages of H5N1 influenza virus in Asia: implications for pandemic control. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103:2845-50 12: Ito T, Okazaki K, Kawaoka Y, Takada A, Webster RG, Kida H. Perpetuation of influenza A viruses in Alaska waterfowl reservoirs. Arch Virol. 1995;140:1163-72. 18: Conant B, Groves DJ. Alaska-Yukon waterfowl breeding population survey [report]. Juneau (AK): US Fish and Wildlife Service; 2005. 29: Spackman E, Stallnecht DE, Slemons RD, Winker K, Suarez DL, Scott M, et al. Phylogenetic analyses of type A influenza genes in natural reservoir species in North America reveals genetic variation. Virus Res. 2005;114:89-100. 32: Krauss S, Walker D, Pryor SP, Niles L, Chenghong L, Hinshaw VS, et al. Influenza A viruses of migrating wild aquatic birds in North America. Vector-Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2004;4:177-89. 33: Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre. Avian influenza reports. 2006 [cited 12 Apr 2006]. Available from <http://wildlife1.usask.ca/en/aiv/duck_survey_region.php>. 35: Stallknecht DE, Shane SM, Swank PJ, Senne DA, Kearney MT. Avian influenza viruses from migratory and resident ducks of coastal Louisiana. Avian Dis. 1990;34:398-405. 36: Thanawongnuwech R, Amonsin A, Tantilertcharoen R, Damrongwatanapokin S, Theamboonlers A, Payungporn S, et al. Probable tiger-to-tiger transmission of avian influenza H5N1. Emerg Infect Dis. 2005;11:699-701. 37: Beare AS, Webster RG. Replication of avian influenza viruses in humans. Arch Virol. 1991;119:37-42. 38: Shinya K, Ebina M, Yamada S, Ono M, Kasai N, Kawaoka Y. Avian flu: influenza virus receptors in the human airway. Nature. 2006;440:435-6. 39: Wentworth C. Subsistence harvest survey Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, 1995-2000 [report]. Anchorage (AK): US Fish and Wildlife Service; 2004. 40: Makarova NV, Kaverin NV, Krauss S, Senne D, Webster RG. Transmission of Eurasian avian H2 influenza virus to shorebirds in North America. J Gen Virol. 1999;80:3167-71. -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> [One should never say "never", but the authors' comment that "the risk and probably the frequency of intercontinental virus transfer in this region are relatively low" would seem to be cautiously on the high side, that is, the risk is probably negligible. - Mod.MHJ, JW] [see also: Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (13) 20070216.0587 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (12) 20070214.0556 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (11) 20070213.0539 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (10) 20070131.0394 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (09) 20070124.0323 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (08): RFI 20070120.0262 Avian influenza, poultry vs. migratory birds (07) 20070111.0135 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (06) 20070108.0082 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (05) 20070107.0071 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (04) 20070105.0049 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (03) 20070103.0024 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (02) 20070103.0017 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds 20070102.0013] ..........................................................mhj/msp/jw http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:4326725834056541844::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1010,36694 |
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Shorebirds April Grays harbor ......... arrive from the south ...... Who's not going ????
April 27-29, 2007
http://www.shorebirdfestival.com
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National Avian Influenza Surveillance Information
March 18, 2007 Samples Tested and Reported into HEDDS * 112,141 Surveillance News Mar 16, 2007: 626 new samples and tests were added to HEDDS. Total is now 112,141. Mar 13, 2007: 942 new samples and tests were added to HEDDS. Total is now 111,515. Mar 10, 2007: 299 new samples and tests were added to HEDDS. Total is now 110,573. Additional information on avian influenza surveillance can be found at: Current LPAI H5N1 Results Table APHIS Poultry Monitoring and Surveillance DOI News USDA Avian Influenza Homepage Click on the tabs above for more detailed news and sampling information http://wildlifedisease.nbii.gov/ai |
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The only migratory birds that will fly into UAE in the coming months are these oceanic birds from the south, for breeding during June-July.
Out of the 450 varieties of birds found in the UAE, 300 are migratory. Most of the remaining 150 variety breed here, but fly back to other countries after breeding, he said........................................ White-tailed Lapwings pose no bird flu threat By Sindhu Suresh sindhu@eveningpost.ae Nest of the rare migratory birds with eggs was found in Dubai Dubai>/b> The White-tailed Lapwing birds that have set their nest on the grassfields, off Al Warsan area in Dubai pose no bird flu threat to the UAE as they have been living here for months now. The nest of the rare migratory bird to the UAE was spotted here for the first time on March 19, indicating the bird’s successful breeding in this part of the region. According to Dr. Reza Khan, Head of Dubai Zoo, who also happens to be the person who first spotted the nest, said that since these migratory birds have turned residents now, the chances of them carrying bird flu were nil. “Till now no migratory bird in the UAE has been detected with bird flu,” he said. “Most of the migratory birds currently in the UAE will now be flying back to the northern parts, to countries like Southeast Africa, Central Asia and even up to Siberia. And so the question of birds bringing in the disease does not arise,” said Dr. Khan, also a member of the Bird Flu Committee for Dubai Municipality. He said bird flu was seen in birds flying in from the north, from countries which have a bird population infected with the disease, not otherwise. The only migratory birds that will fly into UAE in the coming months are these oceanic birds from the south, for breeding during June-July. Out of the 450 varieties of birds found in the UAE, 300 are migratory. Most of the remaining 150 variety breed here, but fly back to other countries after breeding, he said. “But over the years, Dubai has changed much. Now we have more greenery, fresh water bodies and these encourage migratory birds like the Lapwings to settle down here as resident birds,” he said. Dr. Khan came across the Lapwings nest in a Pivot field (Rhodes grass field near the Sewage Treatment Plant of Dubai Municipality) while he was on his inspection routine to look for signs of bird flu infection among the migratory species found in abundance in the grass fields. He noticed a bird sitting in the middle of the grass and thought it was unusual. However, when he tried to walk towards the area the bird started flying in a different direction. “Birds have this technique of distracting an intruder to a different direction to protect their eggs and chicks. Sometimes, they even injure themselves, so as to lead people away from the nest,” he said. Dr. Khan waited, and after hours of patient wait was able to locate the spot. And to his surprise, “the first ever spotted nest of Lapwings” in Dubai was before him with four eggs in the ground nest. “We have seen Lapwing chicks here in the past, but a nest with eggs was the first time ever,” said Dr. Khan. White-tailed Lapwing or White-tailed Plover (Vanellus leucurus) is a wader in the lapwing family of birds. They used to be a rare migratory bird to the UAE even during the 1990s. Now there is a breeding population in Dubai. Total population of such birds in these areas could be over 50. Some specimens from these areas might venture into the neigbouring wetlands including the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary and Nad Al Sheba. Some others would frequent marshland or harvested crop and grass fields bordering the wetlands. http://*******/templates/birdflu/window.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wadi.ae%2Ftest.php%3Fpag%3D1%26id%3D2959 |
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OT just wanted to share ..
UPDATED: 21:00, March 27, 2007 Just 1000 crested ibises left in world There are now more than 1000 endangered crested ibises left in the world. Next month, China will exercise the birds in the wild for the first time in Ningshaan County, Shaanxi province. This good news reflects the remarkable achievements that have been made in the protection of this endangered species. Experts say that we should not be too optimistic at this stage. It is too early to say the species is no longer endangered. Zhai Tianqing, the deputy head of Shaanxi Crested Ibises Observation Station and a senior engineer said the status of the species is not determined only by the overall size of the population, but the quantity of fertile female birds. Crested ibises are a monogamous species which slows the breeding process. By People's Daily Online http://english.people.com.cn/200703/27/eng20070327_361486.html |
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kparcell
Valued Member Location: Florida Joined: June 03 2006 Status: Offline Points: 541 |
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http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2007/03/27/migratory_birds_innocent_scapegoats_for_the_dispersal_of_the_h5n1_virus.html
migratory birds: innocent scapegoats for the dispersal of the H5N1 virus |
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Looks good for here..
But the end of the higher risk autumn migration and over-wintering period and the absence of evidence of disease in wild birds in Europe has led to a revised veterinary risk assessment. Trevor Shell, chairman of the Coquetdale Federation, said: "This is great news. Channel racing is a big part of our season, everybody looks forward to competing in the national races. Pigeons PIGEON racers in north Northumberland have this week welcomed the lifting of a ban on cross-channel events, writes Jaclyn Curry. Racing from Western Europe is to be permitted from Sunday. The ban on pigeon racing from outside the British Isles was originally imposed in October 2005, apart from a brief lower risk period in June to August 2006, following a veterinary risk assessment because of the threat of bird flu. But the end of the higher risk autumn migration and over-wintering period and the absence of evidence of disease in wild birds in Europe has led to a revised veterinary risk assessment. Trevor Shell, chairman of the Coquetdale Federation, said: "This is great news. Channel racing is a big part of our season, everybody looks forward to competing in the national races. "It's good that we've been told now as we can set our stalls out before the big races." Pigeon racing from Western Europe will still be subject to the existing conditions on domestic races of notifying in advance, record keeping and biosecurity. There will also be an additional requirement for all returning birds to be kept in isolation from other birds for seven days. Birds should also be regularly inspected for signs of disease. Inland racing starts on Easter Saturday and the first channel race is on Saturday, May 26, from Lillers. Defra will keep the risk assessment under constant review and would consider new restrictions if the avian influenza situation in wild birds changes. Debby Reynolds, chief veterinary officer, said: "The lifting of the ban on pigeon racing from April 1 is an appropriate response to our assessment of the level of risk of disease from wild birds." "However we are keeping this risk under review and there is a constant low-level risk of avian influenza. Therefore urge all bird owners and pigeon racers to be vigilant and maintain high standards of biosecurity." http://www.newsnow.co.uk |
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kparcell
Valued Member Location: Florida Joined: June 03 2006 Status: Offline Points: 541 |
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http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=27390
"Bird flu spread around world by poultry trade, researchers say [Date: 2007-03-27] Human commercial activities, and not migratory birds, are the driving force behind the global spread of bird flu, a team of French researchers argues in the British Ornithologists' Journal, Ibis." |
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Shy NZ bird records world's longest non-stop flight
Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 1 April 2007 Prepare for landing: bar-tailed godwits, a New Zealand shorebird, have achieved the world's longest recorded non-stop flight, reports Steve Braunias. ............. with satellite tags.... Praise be to the bird flu. Thanks to scientific funding to track the possible spread of the H5N1 virus, satellite tagging confirmed on Thursday that a shy, quiet New Zealand bird with a full stomach and an urge to have sex in a cold climate has achieved the world's longest recorded non-stop flight. Bar-tailed godwits, which wade New Zealand shorelines for six months every year, have begun their annual migration to their breeding grounds in Alaska. Eight birds from Miranda, on the Firth of Thames, and Golden Bay near Nelson are monitored with satellite tags. The first four touched down last week around the Korean peninsula, after flying fantastic distances - more than 10,000km - without food or a moment's rest in a direct flight that took just over seven days. Phil Battley, New Zealand co-ordinator of the satellite tracking project, was in a state resembling a flap. Happily so: as a shorebird expert, he has long been fascinated with the mysteries of godwit migration, and now has conclusive proof that the birds reach their destination non-stop - no sleep till the Yellow Sea. Tracking also reveals the flight path. The bird marked E7, for instance, took off from Piako in the Firth of Thames at midnight on March 17. Its route was straight up the Tasman, between Queensland and New Caledonia, then east of Papua New Guinea, west of Guam, and into the mouth of the Yellow Sea, finally coming to a bedraggled halt on the mudflats of Yalu Jiang in North Korea. Flight distance, all up: 10,205km. "There's no evidence it did anything except fly," said Battley. No food, no drink, no inflight entertainment - budget airlines ought to adopt the bird as a mascot. While in New Zealand, godwits feast on worms and crabs with their long, sensitive bills, fattening themselves for the March migration. Females weigh about 600 grams when they leave; the birds that arrived in Asia last week are probably down to half that weight. Flocks will refuel on mudflat nosh over the next five weeks before attempting to wing 5000km farther towards Alaska on the second leg of their journey. But E7 and the other tagged godwits which achieved the Asian stop-over are the success stories. What about the poor wretch which departed from Golden Bay, blundered around Papua New Guinea, then turned back and headed south, landing near Thuringowa on the Gold Coast? Battley: "Heading to Australia is a curious move." He suspects the stranded bird was driven off-course by the satellite tag fitted on its back. Eight male godwits were equipped with these solar-powered harnesses, about half the size of a human's little finger, and weighing about nine grams. The females went under the knife: anaesthetised, sterilised, hooked up to a heart monitor and respirator, the birds then had surgery to implant a tag placed in an air sac just below the tail. An antennae extends through the abdominal wall. Cost of each tag? About $4900. "A pity that at least one has fallen off before departure," noted Battley. Funding was courtesy of New Zealand's international partners in the Pacific Shorebird Migration Programme - the US Geological Survey department in Anchorage, Alaska, and the Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science centre based in San Francisco. Bob Gill of the Geological Survey said that funding derived from the Packard corporation. "In the States," he said, "there is keen competition for research dollars associated with migratory birds, and almost all of it is now being tied to avian flu. Some legitimate, others a far stretch. The godwit funding remains legit." Godwits pass through Asia and areas identified as bird flu "hot spots". Although no confirmed H5N1 has been detected from samples to date, high incidences of other strains of avian influenza have shown up. For the meantime, Gill has been exchanging email huzzahs with Battley over the success of the godwit tracking. The flight path is plotted on Google Earth, showing godwits journeying by night and day over the Tasman, past the Equator, New Zealand just a distant memory ... Gill said, "Even with 30 years of migratory bird research behind me I find myself occasionally sitting here and thinking, `Can they really be doing this?"' Early ornithologists could only wonder. In his classic 1930 book New Zealand Birds, WRB Oliver dared to suggest that "probably a non-stop flight to New Zealand is made from New Guinea". In fact, it's almost certain that when the godwits return from Alaska in September, the journey is completely non-stop, the 12,000km covered in a single flight. Sir Walter Buller, in 1888, was completely in the dark about godwit migration. "I have never met with a Maori," he wrote, "who could tell me anything about the breeding habits of the godwit, and it has become a proverb among them: `Who has seen the nest of the kuaka?"' For all his brilliance in ornithology, Buller is still regarded as the guy who shot native New Zealand birds, and it's true that he was very familiar with the shooting habits of colonists keen on bagging godwits. He admiringly relates the story of Captain Gilbert Mair killing 97 godwits at a single shot with a heavy charge of No 5 in Tauranga. The great white hunter wet his pants: Mair got to within range of the birds by c*****ing underwater, and concealing himself beneath kelp. Maori, too, viewed godwits, or kuaka, as excellent for the pot. Buller: "They cook the bird unopened, and devour the contents of the stomach with a relish." He does not specify the relish. Godwits were given full protection in 1941. As modern evidence of New Zealand's increasing love affair with its birds, about 600 people attended a ceremony to mark the departure of godwits in Christchurch last month. Estimates put the godwit population in New Zealand during our summer months at 70,000. Juvenile birds stay behind; adults need to be four or five years old before attempting the Arctic migration, and engaging in adult behaviour on the tundras of Alaska. Godwits are presumed to be monogamous. Clutches of usually four eggs are laid in the middle of May, and hatching starts a month later. At only 10-12 weeks old, this season's chicks will cross the Pacific for the first time to reach New Zealand in September. Right now, a godwit identified as 15 years old is on its way north. "That means," marvelled Gill, who has flown twice to New Zealand to tag godwits, "that it's logged about 400,000km of frequent-flyer distance in its adult life. I can't even claim that." http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dailynews/4012810a7693.html |
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The maps available on the Wild birds and avian influenza in Africa website can be used to monitor bird movements, virtually in real time. At the moment, the teals from Nigeria are moving towards Lake Chad. They should be heading north in the next few days.http://wildbirds-ai.cirad.fr
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=22833 How does the highly pathogenic bird flu virus spread to new countries? Disease/Infection News Published: Monday, 2-Apr-2007 How does the highly pathogenic bird flu virus spread to new countries? Might the domestic bird trade be responsible? Or is it wildfowl? Since last year, a team from CIRAD has been working on wildfowl. To date, the virus has not been detected in healthy wild birds, but many dead or dying birds have been found near infection foci. Are they victims or reservoirs? In all likelihood the former, but the latter hypothesis cannot be ruled out. Six healthy ducks carrying the virus - out of a total of 4600 tested and in a particularly severely infected zone - were found in China in January 2005. In 2005 and 2006, migrating birds were often under suspicion. However, their migration corridors and periods did not necessarily correspond to the virus spread patterns seen in recent years. To clarify matters, researchers are now plotting comprehensive, accurate flight plans. To this end, with FAO funding, they are fitting birds with small Argos transmitters. This equipment will provide a large number of data and fill the gaps in information on the subject. Migration has already been studied in detail in Europe and Asia, but this is far from the case in Africa, where monitoring is limited to counting the populations in each country or ringing birds, despite the fact that some five million ducks from Eurasia winter in Subsaharan Africa and there are more than four million African ducks that fly between the different regions of the continent. In particular, the transmitters will provide information on the number of migration stages and where the birds stop off during migration. In fact, they stop off in humid zones propitious to pathogen transmission, where the different species mix with one another. The study should also provide more general information on migration: travelling times and the ecological and manmade factors that determine the stops. Three species were chosen for the operation: the blue-winged teal, fulvous whistling duck and comb duck, each of which represents a typical migration route. The teal is a Europe-Asia-Africa intercontinental migrator and winters exclusively in Subsaharan Africa, where it is the most common wintering bird. The comb duck restricts its movements to Africa, but covers several regions, while the fulvous whistling duck, the most common African duck, is a nomadic species on a regional level. The researchers' first step was to test the impact of the transmitters on the birds' behaviour in captivity at Montpellier's Lunaret Zoo. They then travelled to Africa, and captured and equipped 45 birds in February. Captures were made at three sites: northern Nigeria, a very humid zone where there have been bird flu foci for more than a year; the inland delta of the Niger River, in Mali, which is the biggest wintering site for Eurasian ducks in Africa; and Malawi, which had the necessary sites for a study of interregional migration. Now that the birds have been released, they can be monitored, and the results, updated twice weekly, are now available on a CIRAD website: http://wildbirds-ai.cirad.fr. The study is a first for Africa. Teams from the FAO and the United States Geological Survey, which work with CIRAD, have also equipped swans in China and Mongolia. For the time being, the researchers do not know how long the transmitters will continue to supply data (this depends on the birds' lifespan). Each transmitter weighs between 12 and 30 grammes. The 12- and 18-gramme ones are used for teals and fulvous whistling ducks, and the 30-gramme ones for comb ducks, which are larger. They are fitted to the body of each bird, like small backpacks, using teflon straps. The location of each bird is determined using the Argos system. The transmitter emits a signal that is picked up by satellites in polar orbit at a height of 850 km. The satellites then send the signal back to terrestrial reception stations. The data received are subsequently processed by centres specializing in the Argos system. Lastly, once processed, the data are passed on to users. The maps available on the Wild birds and avian influenza in Africa website can be used to monitor bird movements, virtually in real time. At the moment, the teals from Nigeria are moving towards Lake Chad. They should be heading north in the next few days. http://wildbirds-ai.cirad.fr |
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Archive Number 20070407.1172
Published Date 07-APR-2007 Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (16) AVIAN INFLUENZA, POULTRY VS MIGRATORY BIRDS (16) ************************************************ 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: Wed 4 Apr 2007 From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> Source: China's follow-up report No. 5, OIE (World Animal Health Organization), ref 4997 [edited] <http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/reports/en_fup_0000004997_20070306_172454.pdf> [This official follow-up report included data on the recent outbreak in Lhasa, Tibet (already covered in updates 47, 48, and 52), as well as data on the findings in dead wild birds, which had been collected during April/May 2006 in Tibet, Qinghai, and Liaoning, and are reported here for the 1st time. We present the data pertaining to the wild birds.- Mod.AS] Disease: Highly pathogenic avian influenza Animal type: Terrestrial Causal Agent: Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus Serotype(s) H5N1 Clinical Signs: Yes Reason: Reoccurrence of a listed disease Date of confirmation of Event: 19 Apr 2006 Date of Start of Event: 13 Apr 2006 Date of report: 6 Mar 2007 Diagnosis: Clinical, Laboratory (advanced) Date of last occurrence: Mar 2006 Number of reported outbreaks Submitted= 8, Draft= 0 Name of Sender of the report: Mr Jia Youling <xmjwjch@agri.gov.cn> Address: Ministry of Agriculture, BEIJING Position: National Chief Veterinary Officer 1. Province / Location / Latitude / Longitude / Date TIBET / Dangxiong /31.7338/ 87.2254 /26 May 2006 Cases (Deaths): 57 Affected population: migratory birds 2. Province / Location / Latitude / Longitude / Date TIBET / Lhasa / 31.6319 / 88.3465 / 26 May 2006 Cases (Deaths): 28 Affected population: migratory birds 3. Province / Location / Latitude / Longitude / Date TIBET / Naqu (district) / 31.9376 / 89.2637 / 21 May 2006 Cases (Deaths): 2579 Affected population: 300 bar-headed geese, 65 widgeons, 6 crows, 6 hawks, one black-necked crane, and 82 other wild birds. 4. Province / Location / Latitude / Longitude / Date QINGHAI / Guolou (district) / 35.3008 / 96.4995 / 21 May 2006 Cases (Deaths): 451 Affected population: 235 bar-headed geese, 5 brown-headed gulls, 23 ruddy shelducks, 9 grebes, 3 owls, one black-neck crane, 6 common cormorants, one grassland vulture, and 2 condors. 5. Province / Location / Latitude / Longitude / Date QINGHAI / Yushu (county)/ 35.6065 / 95,8881/ 23 Apr 2006 Cases (Deaths): 533 Affected population: 404 bar-headed geese, 3 brown-headed gulls, 4 ruddy shelducks, one tern, 6 grebes, one egret, 2 goosanders, and 2 _Casmerodius_. 6. Province / Location / Latitude / Longitude / Date LIAONING / Panjin / 39 / 121 / 13 Apr 2006 Cases (Deaths): 1 (2) Affected population: a magpie and a wild duck found dead. 7. Province / Location / Latitude / Longitude / Date LIAONING / Jinzhou / 39.1 / 121.7 / 13 Apr 2006 Cases (Deaths): 1 (2) Affected population: a magpie and a wild duck found dead. Outbreak summary (wild birds): total 3650 birds -- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org> [see also: Avian influenza (52): China (Tibet), Kuwait, Afghanistan 20070312.0871 Avian influenza (47): China (Tibet), Kuwait, Viet Nam 20070307.0805 Avian influenza (48): China (Tibet), bar-headed geese breeding 20070308.0814 Avian influenza (51): Russia, Viet Nam, China 20070309.0844 Avian influenza (54): Egypt, Nigeria, China (Jiangsu): RFI 20070317.0938 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (15) 20070321.0993 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (14) 20070314.0905 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (13) 20070216.0587 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (12) 20070214.0556 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (11) 20070213.0539 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (10) 20070131.0394 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (09) 20070124.0323 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (08): RFI 20070120.0262 Avian influenza, poultry vs. migratory birds (07) 20070111.0135 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (06) 20070108.0082 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (05) 20070107.0071 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (04) 20070105.0049 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (03) 20070103.0024 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds (02) 20070103.0017 Avian influenza, poultry vs migratory birds 20070102.0013] .............................................arn/mj/lm http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1001:4326725834056541844::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1010,36987 |
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Satellite-tracking the flight of the godwit
Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 12:14 pm Press Release: Massey University Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Satellite-tracking the flight of the godwit As the last bar-tailed godwits leave New Zealand estuaries on their northern migration to Alaska this week, Massey scientists will trace their journey via satellite-tagged individuals. Dr Phil Battley, an ecologist at the University’s Palmerston North campus, says the shorebirds’ northern migration is of particular interest because the birds touch down in Asia and are potential carriers of the H5N1 bird-flu virus to the Alaskan region. Dr Battley says that while the 11,000 km southern migration of the godwit from Alaska to New Zealand is thought to be the longest non-stop migration of any bird, not much is known about their northern route. He is leading the New Zealand component of a collaborative research project with the United States Geological Survey and PRBO Conservation Science in the US to learn more about global migration patterns of declining shorebird species in the Pacific Basin. With Dr Brett Gartrell, a wildlife veterinarian with the University’s New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre, and veterinarian Dan Mulcahy from the United States Geological Survey, Dr Battley oversaw the tagging of 16 godwits in the Firth of Thames and Golden Bay. Eight of the birds were fitted with backpack tracking devices, and another eight had devices surgically implanted. Dr Gartrell says the implants are more secure than the backpack harnesses and do not affect the aerodynamics of flight. The information gathered from the birds’ flight will answer questions about their stops en route and their routes from New Zealand to Alaska. Dr Battley, who has been working on movements and demographics of godwits for the past three years, says the birds have a major stopover in the Yellow Sea region of eastern Asia. He says three birds have recently landed in the Yellow Sea, with one covering 11,000 km in just over seven and a half days, at an average speed of 56 km/hr. “This probably qualifies as the longest migratory flight of its type measured in the world. Everything points to this bird having flown from non-stop from New Zealand to China.” Other birds have stopped in Papua New Guinea, the Southern Philippines and on an island in Micronesia, and the rest are flying towards China or the Korean peninsula. “They fly in reasonably small flocks of 30 to 70 birds, and if one has touched down somewhere it is probable that a flock has landed.” The tagging project will also provide crucial information about the migratory behaviour of declining species. Throughout the East Asian and Australasian flyways, 85 per cent of shorebird populations are declining, and 40 per cent of shorebirds inhabiting Oceania are classified as threatened or near threatened. Godwits arrive in New Zealand in September each year and the adults leave in mid-March, with adolescent birds staying until they are up to three or four years old. They are widely distributed, and the largest populations are found in the Kaipara Harbour, Manukau Harbour and Farewell Spit. Dr Battley says annual population counts at these major sites show a decline in numbers, the reasons behind for which are not yet known. The increasing reclamation of tidal mud flats in Korea and China and the change in geography due to dams such as the Three Gorges Dam are also impacting heavily on bird life. “We are entering a critical decade for these birds, so the research is timely and crucial,” he says. The satellite track of the godwits’ navigation can be viewed online at: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/sattrack/shorebirds/overall.html and more information on the project is available at http://www.prbo.org/cms/index.php ENDS http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0703/S00067.htm |
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Possibly not the most appropriate thread for this post , but I could not see the normal "Unexplained bird deaths " thread .
Namibia: Mysterious Pigeon Deaths The Namibian (Windhoek) April 10, 2007 Absalom Shigwedha A NUMBER of pigeons died mysteriously in the Omaruru area last month, but no disease was detected in the birds. The State Veterinarian at Omaruru, Dr Elvira Kleber, told The Namibian yesterday that post-mortems and tests for bird flu were done by the Central Veterinary Office in Windhoek, "but everything was negative." She said around 100 birds died in the Okombahe area but no new deaths have been reported since then. She said they also took some water samples from the area where the birds died but these were not analysed because of financial reasons. Kleber said she has been informed of more pigeon deaths around Omaruru itself, but has not fully investigated these reports yet. She called on the public to inform the State Veterinary Service if they notice any unusual deaths among birds or poultry. |
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CIRAD is tracking migratory birds by Satellite . Their website currently show the path of a "Garganey" duck on itsway from Northern Nigeria ( a known H5N1 area ) up through central Africa and across the Mediterranean towards Israel and the Middle East . Although only 1 ducks path is shown , we can safelyassume it is part of a larger seasonal migration now underway.
Abundant, highly migratory small duck. Widespread
breeding visitor during northern summer across most of Europe and central
Palaearctic Asia, east to Pacific coast as far as Kamchatka. Core of
distribution over central and eastern Europe and central Asia. HabitatShallow freshwater lakes and marshes with extensive fringe vegetation in open country. On passage moves over sea, and may be found roosting on inshore waters in flocks. During the northern winter, often found in very large concentrations; its preferred habitats in Africa are shallow freshwater wetlands, including marshes, flooded grasslands and ricefields. Breeding
Pair-formation occurs chiefly in winter quarters. Arrives on breeding grounds across Europe and Asia from late March onwards, breeding from late April to June. Nests hidden among dense grassy vegetation close to water.
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Questions: The human species has managed to spread to most areas of the earth. Some were migrational in a since, following herds of animals. Obviously a single bird, can only fly so far. It has been stated many times that the most likely vector for Avian flu transmission will not be migratory wild birds. There is a much greater possibility of poultry meat or live chickens transported by jets or people and then resold as being what we now consider a more likely threat of bird flu spreading. In reality, wild birds have infected domestic poultry, and domestic poultry have infected people. There may have been a very low chance of infection from wild poultry in the past, but viruses, and species to species jumps present us with new scenarios in 2007 than in the past. Frequently low path strains which can evolve to high path and have in domestic poultry are not tested for. There were voluminous reports on the absence of high path Avian from Alaska, but it was acknowledged that when tested for, there have been instances of low path Avian which can evolve to high path and that this high path Avian... for sure in China and in some isolated cases in Japan in low path form, have been transmitted to humans. Perhaps a comprehensive look at the test for other strains of bird flu in our birds would be interesting. Perhaps it would point to the fact that low path in the bird population, even in the U.S. is endogenous. It certainly is in Indonesia. Do we have studies and tests done by independent sources which would indicate the bird flu is not endogenous in North American wild birds? This is simply a question, not a supposition. Just a matter of curiosity. Finally: How far can a bird migrate. And do migratory paths cross? Could a bird at the southern point of one path infect another bird who would then leap frog carry if further south? Obviously Nigeria is a long way from the frozen northlands. And it was infected with Avian. |
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Medclinician A strong justification for the role of migratory birds can be found at the web-page below. I have no doubt that local trade can play a significant role in the spread of the disease , especially in countries like Indonesia , Egypt , Nigeria , Bangladesh etc etc. However I am sure that the vast majority of long distance movement has been driven by wild birds. It seems to be becomming "politically incorrect to blame wild birds" . I have not been tracking the H5N2 story in the USA and feel I should not respond to that part of your comment. There is already evidence that H5N1 has arrived ( atleast once ) on the NE Coast of Canada and it is likely to arrive again this year as a result of bird migration from the west coast of Africa . I would suggest it is only a matter of time before it becomes entrenched in NE Canada from where it will eventually spread to the whole of North America. http://www.********.com/News/04200701/H5N1_Migration_Europe_Africa.html
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