 | Notices, Surveys, Requests for Help, & Openings |
| Notices, Surveys, Requests for Help, & Openings |
In recent weeks, Connecticut residents have followed the news of the outbreak of St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) in NYC. This week human cases of SLE were also identified in Westchester Co, and mosquitoes with the virus were trapped in Greenwich and found in the brain of a dead crow in Westport.To monitor the occurence of SLE virus in Connecticut, mosquito trapping and testing is being conducted statewide with extra emphasis in selected Fairfield County towns. Selective testing of crows and other birds is being done as well.
The finding of SLE in a dead crow has created considerable public and scientific interestest in testing dead birds for SLE. Most native North American birds do not develop illness when infected with the SLE virus. That a crow died with encephalitis and that SLE was isolated was a surprise. This crow was one in a group of crows that died in Westport. Initially the crow had been submitted to test for poisening. In the wake of this, we are interested in examining birds, especially crows, that are associated with a local bird"'die-off" or outbreak in deaths of birds. The goal is to determine the cause of the die-off and to determine who many maybe associated with the SLE virus.
Birders who know of crow roosts, or see results of a die-off event in their travels should contact the local health department; particularly in the towns of Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Wilton, Westport, Weston, Fairfield, Easton.
Selection Criteria of Birds
* Died within the previous 24 hours
* May have died from encephalitis - do not have obvious sign of injury or
other diseases.
* History of numerous deaths of the same species.
* Crows from the towns mentioned above - Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New
Canaan, Norwalk, Wilton, Westport, Weston, Fairfield, Easton.
* Crows from other areas of the state when associated with numerous deaths.
Handling and Shipping
* Birds should be double wrapped in plastic bags, labeled with date bird
died and street address where it was found.
* Birds must be refrigerated - if collected Friday-Sunday, bird should be
frozen.
* DEP will arrange for pick ups from town health departments.
For health related questions regarding SLE, contact the Epidemiology
Program, Department of Public Health at 860-509-7994.
For questions regarding mosquito trapping and testing or insecticide
spraying, contact Communications, DEP at 860-675-4100.
*To arrange for testing of SLE birds if you can't get in contact with your
local health department call the Non-harvested Wildlife Program, DEP at
860-675-8130.
Remember if you find dead crows/birds and want to submit them for testing contact your local health department. The number should be available through your town hall. The Department of Public Health and the Department of Environmental Protection is reaching out to the birding community for assistance on this matter.
Thanks for paying attention to this and pass it along to other bird stalkers not on this list.
Patty Pendergast
Posted Sept. 28, 1999
American crows still appear to be the most susceptible species to this disease. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Fort Collins, Co. have confirmed that 17 native bird species have tested virus positive for WNV; Connecticut has added a Cooper's Hawk as an 18th species. The specific cause of mortality was not determined for all birds. Except for American crows, most species are represented by few specimens.
| The species include the following: | ||
|---|---|---|
| American crow | Ring-billed gull | Yellow-billed cuckoo |
| Rock dove | Sandhill crane* | Blue jay |
| Bald eagle* | Laughing gull* | Black-crowned night-heron* |
| Mallard* | American robin | Fish crow |
| Red-tailed hawk | Broad-winged hawk | Cooper's hawk |
| Belted kingfisher | American kestrel | Herring gull |
WNV has been diagnosed in birds from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Geographically the virus has been detected in birds from central New York (a single crow in Saratoga County), western New Jersey (Hunterdon &Warren Counties), south-central New Jersey (Burlington County), and east to Suffolk County on Long Island and the East Haven area of Connecticut.
At this time it is difficult to assess the magnitude of the mortality. While there have been reports of high bird mortality (1000's) in some of the affected areas, mostly American crows, a number of the birds have died from other causes. Of the 255 specimens tested by CDC only about 55% have tested positive for WNV. The earliest confirmed isolate was from a specimen collected on August 9, 1999 in Nassau County, NY.
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center, along with CDC and state and federal agencies, are continuing to carry out a national surveillance effort to document bird mortality. We are particularly interested in receiving reports of sick or dead birds with neurological symptoms from states along the Atlantic seaboard. Specimens collected during this surveillance will be examined by USGS at the National Wildlife Health Center and tested for the presence of WNV.
Concurrently, USGS, along with several state and federal natural resource and public health agencies, and other interested groups, are continuing to conduct field investigations in the area of the outbreak. The investigation will continue to focus on collecting information and samples that will help determine the extent of wildlife species involved, the geographic and temporal distribution of the virus in bird populations, and if the range of the virus is expanding beyond the currently reported sites.
For further information and to report sick or dead crows or other
unusual bird mortality, please contact USGS Wildlife Disease
Specialists Drs. Linda Glaser (608-270-2446, linda_glaser@ usgs.gov)
or Kathryn Converse (608-270-2445, kathy_converse@usgs.gov).
Patty Pendergast
Posted October 31, 1999
There is a Roseate Tern Project being conducted by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. They are requesting any Roseate tern sighting to be
reported to them. They are looking for the following details: location,
behavior, how many, other terns with them, and (if possible without
disturbing them) leg bands and patterns of the bands
on the legs. Any sighting can be sent to:
USFWS
Stewart B. McKinney NWR
P.O. Box 1030
Westbrook CT. 06498
ATTN: Jim Zingo
or Call: (860) 399-2513, Fax (860) 399-2515
E-mail: r5rw.sbmnwr@fws.gov
Posted June 24, 1999
Posted Dec. 11, 1998.
Posted Feb. 25, 1999.
Additonal alerts may be found at the Conn. Ornithogical Association Conservation Page.
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