Spoiled Grain Primary Source of Disease in Midwestern Waterfowl
Josh Wolfe 05.27.12
Last year, there were 47 epizootic events reported or investigated by the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) in the Midwest. This included about 27,000 dead birds.
Of the Midwestern states, most of the mortality occurred in Minnesota and was caused by trematodiasis. Deaths by the disease constituted the largest mortality category, which is two and a half times larger than last year. In the case of the waterfowl, trematodiasis was caused by eating grain that had spoiled due to long periods off the stem and on the ground or in water. Most of the birds affected were American coots and lesser scaup, and were located in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Winnibigoshish.
Fungal pneumonia, or aspergillosis, which is an infection or allergic response due to the Aspergillus fungus, was the second largest mortality rate. The disease killed an estimated 7,000 mallards.
In other news relating to bird diseases, avian botulism (type C), which is a paralytic disease caused by ingestion of a toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, continues to be a significant factor in the death of birds. There were 11 events reported where about 2,200 birds were killed.
For more updates on diseases and mortalities involving wildlife, visit the NWHC website: www.nwhc.usgs.gov.
It didn’t take long for me, following in my father’s footsteps (literally), to develop a deep appreciation for the outdoors. Because it’s there in the wind, in the rain and a cool summer sunrise where I’ve learned more than in all the classrooms combined. My journalistic work is the sum of all I’ve taken from the outdoors and all I want to give back.
It was during a long, grueling two-year stint working as a banker in Huntsville, Alabama, I finally realized I needed to follow my dreams. After sojourning several places across the country, I now call Asheville, North Carolina, home, where I am the co-founder, publisher and editor of The Golf Sport (www.golfsportmag.com) magazine and editor of Sporting Classics Daily (www.sportingclassicsdaily.com). I am also a contributor to OutdoorHub and Global Outfitters, and hope to really inflate that balloon over the next couple years.
For me, it’s the power of the pen that makes the outdoor adventure live forever – as it is resurrected on the page in front of me. I am so fortunate to be a part of the outdoor community and make my passion a career.
