Publications

Lead poisoning of waterfowl is neither a new disease nor a subject without controversy. The use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting within the United States has been prohibited and efforts are underway to ban the use of lead fishing sinkers and prohibit the use of lead shot for nonwaterfowl hunting. The first documented reports within the United States of lead-poisoned waterfowl were from...

Epizootics of scaly leg disease caused by infection with the submacroscopic mite Knemidokoptes jamaicensis (Acari: Knemidokoptidae) in migratory American robins (Turdus migratorius) from a residential area of Tulsa (Oklahoma, USA) are documented during the winters (December through February) of 1993–94 and 1994–95. Estimates of 60 to >80% of the birds in several different flights...

Hematologic and serum chemistry values are reported for 105 brown boobies (Sula leucogaster) from Johnston Atoll, Central Pacific. Hematocrit, estimated total plasma solids, total and differential white cell counts, serum glucose, calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, total protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase, and creatinine phosphokinase were analyzed. Hematologic and serum...

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for detecting duck plague virus. A 765-bp EcoRI fragment cloned from the genome of the duck plague vaccine (DP-VAC) virus was sequenced for PCR primer development. The fragment sequence was found by GenBank alignment searches to be similar to the 3′ ends of an undefined open reading frame and the gene for DNA polymerase protein in...

No abstract available.

Avian botulism is an important disease affecting many species of waterbirds in North America, but the environmental conditions that initiate outbreaks are poorly understood. To determine wetland attributes associated with outbreaks of avian botulism in waterbirds at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR), California, we compared environmental characteristics between wetlands...

Periodic blooms of algae, including true algae, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria or blue-green algae have been reported in marine and freshwater bodies throughout the world. Although many blooms are merely an aesthetic nuisance, some species of algae produce toxins that kill fish, shellfish, humans, livestock and wildlife. Pigmented blooms of toxinproducing marine algae are often...

Mycotoxins are toxins produced by molds (fungi) that, when they are ingested, can cause diseases called mycotoxicosis. These diseases are are not infectious. The effects on the animal are caused by fungal toxins in foods ingested, usually grains, and are not caused by infection with the fungus. Many different molds produce mycotoxins and many corresponding disease syndromes have been...

Bloodsucking leeches of the genus Theromyzon sp. are the only leeches in North America known to feed directly in the nasal passages, trachea, and beneath the nictitating membrane of the eyes of migratory birds. Three species of nasal leeches have been reported from North America, T. rude, T. tessulatum, and T. biannulatum. Other genera of leeches feed on the exposed surfaces of waterfowl...

Specimens are used to provide supporting information leading to the diagnosis of a cause of disease or death. A specimen may be an intact carcass, tissues removed from carcasses, parasites, ingested food, feces, or environmental samples. The specimen should be as fresh and undamaged as possible.

Chlamydiosis refers to an infection with organisms of the genus Chlamydia sp., which are bacteria that live within animal cells. Chlamydia psittaci is the species generally associated with this disease in birds. The severity of the disease differs by the strain of C. psittaci and the susceptibility of different species of birds. As a result, chlamydiosis may range from an inapparent...

Selenium is a naturally occurring element that is present in some soils. Unlike mercury and lead, which also are natural environmental components, selenium is an essential nutrient in living systems. The amount of dietary selenium required by animals depends upon many factors, including the availability of certain other metals such as zinc and copper, as well as vitamin E and other...