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At least 1,027 records · Page 57Linked to original sources

USGS2022

Annual summer submersed macrophyte standing stocks estimated from long-term monitoring data in the Upper Mississippi River

System-scale restoration efforts within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge have included annual monitoring of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) since 1998 in four representative reaches spanning ∼ 440 river kilometers. We developed predictive models relating monitoring data (site-scale SAV abundance indices) to diver-harvested SAV biomass, used the models to back-estimate annual standing stock biomass between 1998 and 2018, and compared biomass estimates with previous abundance measures. We modeled two morphologically distinct groups of SAV with differing sampling efficiencies and estimated each separately: the first category included only wild celery Vallisneria americana, which has long, unbranched leaves and dominates lotic environments, while the second category included 17 branched morphology species (e.g., hornwort Ceratophyllum demersum and Canadian water weed Elodea canadensis ) and dominates lentic environments. Wild celery accounted for approximately half of total estimated total biomass in the four reaches, combined branched species accounted for half, and invasive species (Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum and curly-leaf pondweed Potamogeton crispus ), a fraction of the branched species, accounted for < 1.5%. Site-scale SAV estimates ranged from 0 to 535 g·m −2 (dry mass). We observed increases in biomass in most areas between 1998 and 2009 and substantial increases (e.g., from < 10 g·m −2 to ∼ 125 g·m −2 ) in wild celery in extensive impounded areas between 2002 and 2007. Analyses also indicate a transitional period in 2007–2010 during which changes in biomass trajectories were evident in all reaches and included the start of a 9-y, ∼ 70% decrease in wild celery biomass in the southernmost impounded area. Biomass estimates provided new insights and illustrated scales of change that were not previously apparent using traditional metrics. The ability to estimate biomass from Long Term Resource Monitoring data improves conservation efforts through better understanding of changes in habitat and food resources for biota, improved goal setting for restoration projects and improved quantification of SAV-mediated structural effects such as anchoring of sediments and feedbacks with water quality.

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin↗

USGS1983

Azodrin poisoning of waterfowl in rice fields in Louisiana

During the period 2-4 April 1981 about 100 birds, mostly ducks and geese, were found dead and dying in a rice field near Sweet Lake, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. Fresh specimens were collected to determine the cause of mortality. Birds were placed individually in polyethylene freezer bags, tagged, and frozen soon after collection. Four snow geese (Chen caerulescens), two blue-winged teal (Anas discors), one green-winged teal (Anas crecca), and one mottled duck (Anas fulvigula) were shipped to the National Wildlife Health Laboratory (NWHL), Madison, Wisconsin, for necropsy and pathological examination. Ten snow geese, 10 blue-winged teal, three green-winged teal, three great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus), and eight red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were transported to the Gulf Coast Field Station, Victoria, Texas, for brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity determinations and preparation for chemical residue analysis. Additionally, apparently healthy specimens of the affected species were collected near Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Victoria, Texas, to serve as controls in the analyses.

Louisiana;Texas↗

USGS1984

A survey of North American migratory waterfowl for duck plague (duck virus enteritis) virus

A survey of migratory waterfowl for duck plague (DP) virus was conducted in the Mississippi and Central flyways during 1982 and in the Atlantic and Pacific flyways during 1983. Cloacal and pharyngeal swabs were collected from 3,169 migratory waterfowl in these four flyways, principally mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos L.), black ducks ( Anas rubripes Brewster), and pintails ( Anas acuta L). In addition 1,033 birds were sampled from areas of recurrent DP outbreaks among nonmigratory and captive waterfowl, and 590 from Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge, the site of the only known major DP outbreak in migratory waterfowl. Duck plague virus was not found in any of the samples. Results support the hypothesis that DP is not established in North American migratory waterfowl as an enzootic disease.

Pacific, Central, Mississippi, and Atlantic Flyway↗

USGS1987

Lead poisoning in Canada geese on Plum Island, Massachusetts (USA)

During December 1983 and early January 1984, about 200 Canada geese (Branta canadensis) died of lead poisoning at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, Massachusetts. In an effort to determine the source of lead, 100 bottom samples were taken from a refuge impoundment where much of the mortality/morbidity occurred. An average of 157,150 pellets/ha was found with a range of 64,582 to 322,910 pellets/ha. Water levels in this impoundment were low when Canada geese arrived, making shot more readily available to the geese and contributing to the outbreak. To minimize the risk of Canada geese being exposed to lead shot poisoning at this location in the future, we recommend several corrective manipulations of habitat.

Massachusetts↗

USGS1993

Perinatal mortality in caribou from the Porcupine herd, Alaska

During the 1989 caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) calving season on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska (USA), 61 calf carcasses were examined for cause of death and associated pathology. Dead calves were located by low-level aerial searches with two fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter over high density calving areas between the Hulahula and Aichilik rivers. Primary diagnoses included emaciation (39%), malnutrition (8%), stillbirth (21%), trauma (16%), other primary causes (7%), and undetermined causes (8%). Twenty calves had contributory renal tubular degeneration. The findings indicate that factors contributing to nutritional deprivation in calves were the major cause of neonatal mortality; however, factors affecting stillbirth, abortion, or the urogenital system may have major effects on neonatal caribou and warrant further investigation.

Alaska↗

USGS1994

Use of sentinel mallards for epizootiologic studies of avian botulism

Captive-reared mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were used as sentinels to study the epizootiology of avian botulism at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Willows, California (USA) from 1986 to 1989. Sentinel mallards were wing-clipped, and 40 to 50 birds were confined in 1.6-ha enclosures in 11 selected wetlands (pools). Enclosures were searched intensively three to four times weekly from July through October. Sick and dead wild and sentinel birds were collected, necropsied, and tested for type C botulism toxin. Botulism epizootics occurred in sentinel mallards in 1986, 1987, and 1989, but only a few isolated cases of botulism were detected in 1988. In most epizootics, botulism also was detected simultaneously in wild birds using the same pool outside the enclosure. Epizootics in sentinels were initiated and perpetuated in the absence of vertebrate carcasses. A sex-specific trend in the probability of intoxication was detected, with males contracting botulism at a higher rate than females. Daily mortality rates of sentinels during botulism epizootics ranged from 0.0006 to 0.0600, with a mean of 0.0190. These rates would result in the daily loss of 0.6 to 60 birds per thousand at risk. The use of sentinel birds provided an effective means of gathering site-specific epizootiologic data.

California↗

USGS1995

Lead poisoning of spectacled eiders (Somateria fischeri) and of a common eider (Somateria mollissima) in Alaska

Lead poisoning was diagnosed in four spectacled eiders ( Somateria fischeri ) and one common eider ( Somateria mollissima ) found dead or moribund at the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska (USA) in 1992, 1993, and 1994. Ingested lead shot was found in the lower esophagus of one spectacled eider and in the gizzard of the common eider. Lead concentrations in the livers of the spectacled eiders were 26 to 38 ppm wet weight, and 52 ppm wet weight in the liver of the common eider. A blood sample collected from one of the spectacled eiders before it was euthanized had a lead concentration of 8.5 ppm wet weight. This is the first known report of lead poisoning in the spectacled eider, recently listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Alaska↗

USGS1998

Preliminary evaluation of a simple in vitro test for the diagnosis of type C botulism in wild birds

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the detection of type C botulinum toxin ( Clostridium botulinum ) in wild birds. This simple, antigen-capture ELISA utilizes polystyrene immunosticks as the solid substrate, chicken antitoxin (IgY) as the coating antibody, rabbit antitoxin as the primary antibody, and peroxidase-labeled goat-anti-rabbit as the secondary antibody. To evaluate the immunostick ELISA as a diagnostic test for avian botulism, known concentrations of toxin were added to heparinized blood collected from healthy birds and tested by both the ELISA and mouse bioassay. Also, blood samples from 236 bird carcasses submitted to the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) for cause of death determinations were tested by both procedures. Using ≤ 0.5 ml as the test volume for both procedures, the ELISA was less sensitive, detecting 0.25 ng/ml of toxin compared to 0.12 ng/ml for the mouse bioassay. Using the same volume of test sample for diagnostic submissions (≤ 0.5 ml), the ELISA was positive for 60% of the 149 clinically-diagnosed cases of botulism, whereas the mouse bioassay was positive for 79%. However, we demonstrated that with larger sample volumes (≥ 1.0 ml), the sensitivity of the ELISA may be equivalent or better than the mouse test due to the concentrating effect of the ELISA procedure. These preliminary results suggest that when adequate sample volumes are available, the immunostick ELISA can replace the mouse test for the diagnosis of botulism in wild birds.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗

USGS2004

Mortality in Laysan ducks (Anas laysanensis) by emaciation complicated by Echinuria uncinata on Laysan Island, Hawaii, 1993

In November 1993, unusual mortality occurred among endangered Laysan ducks on Laysan Island, one of the remote refugia of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge (USA). Ten live ducks were emaciated, and blood samples documented anemia, heterophilia, and eosinophilia. Pathology in 13 duck carcasses revealed emaciation, marked thickening of the proventricular wall, abundant mucus, and nodules in the gastrointestinal tract. Histology revealed granulomata associated with nematodes in the proventriculus, small intestines, and body walls of nine of 10 ducks examined on histology. We suspect that low rainfall and low food abundance that year contributed to enhanced pathogenicity of parasite infection, either through increased exposure or decreased host resistance. Because the Laysan duck is found only on Laysan island and is critically endangered, translocation of this species to other islands is being considered. Given that we have not seen pathology associated with Echinuria spp. in native waterfowl on other Hawaiian Islands and given the parasite's potential to cause significant lesions in Laysan ducks, it will be important to prevent the translocation of Echinuria spp.

Hawai'i↗

USGS2004

Peracute sodium toxicity in free-ranging black-bellied whistling duck ducklings

From 23 to 25 July 2002, 98–103 newly hatched black-bellied whistling ducks ( Dendrocygna autumnalis ) were observed alive at an inland saline lake (La Sal Vieja) in Willacy County, Texas (USA). Seventy-one (71%) died after showing signs indicative of sodium toxicity within 5 hr of entering the water; some died within minutes. Six carcasses were sent to the United States Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center (Madison, Wisconsin, USA) for analysis, and brain sodium levels of all ducklings were above 2,000 parts per million wet weight. More black-bellied whistling duck ducklings are likely to have been affected, but they were not observed after hatching.

Texas↗

USGS1972

Immunologic status of mourning doves following an epizootic of trichomoniasis

An epizootic of trichomoniasis in mourning doves at the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge began in 1969 and continued into 1970. The disease was seen in 16% of the adults and 2% of the immatures in 1970, but only one immature bird out of 37 surveyed (3%) carried Trichomonas gallinae . Challenge infection of 33 doves from the epizootic area showed 85 percent to be resistant to trichomoniasis, compared to 69 percent resistance in doves from Maryland, where no epizootic has occurred for at least 3 years. Plasma protein changes which occurred following challenge infection were identical in CSNWR and Maryland doves which showed evidence of disease. Of the doves which showed no signs of disease, those from the CSNWR exhibited no change in beta globulins, identical to the response in pigeons which survive an infection by T. gallinae , but they had some tissue invasion by the parasite.

South Carolina↗

USGS2014

Nonlethal screening of bat-wing skin with the use of ultraviolet fluorescence to detect lesions indicative of white-nose syndrome

Definitive diagnosis of the bat disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) requires histologic analysis to identify the cutaneous erosions caused by the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus [formerly Geomyces] destructans (Pd). Gross visual inspection does not distinguish bats with or without WNS, and no nonlethal, on-site, preliminary screening methods are available for WNS in bats. We demonstrate that long-wave ultraviolet (UV) light (wavelength 368–385 nm) elicits a distinct orange–yellow fluorescence in bat-wing membranes (skin) that corresponds directly with the fungal cupping erosions in histologic sections of skin that are the current gold standard for diagnosis of WNS. Between March 2009 and April 2012, wing membranes from 168 North American bat carcasses submitted to the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center were examined with the use of both UV light and histology. Comparison of these techniques showed that 98.8% of the bats with foci of orange–yellow wing fluorescence (n = 80) were WNS-positive based on histologic diagnosis; bat wings that did not fluoresce under UV light (n = 88) were all histologically negative for WNS lesions. Punch biopsy samples as small as 3 mm taken from areas of wing with UV fluorescence were effective for identifying lesions diagnostic for WNS by histopathology. In a nonlethal biopsy-based study of 62 bats sampled (4-mm diameter) in hibernacula of the Czech Republic during 2012, 95.5% of fluorescent (n = 22) and 100% of nonfluorescent (n = 40) wing samples were confirmed by histopathology to be WNS positive and negative, respectively. This evidence supports use of long-wave UV light as a nonlethal and field-applicable method to screen bats for lesions indicative of WNS. Further, UV fluorescence can be used to guide targeted, nonlethal biopsy sampling for follow-up molecular testing, fungal culture analysis, and histologic confirmation of WNS.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗

USGS2016

Survey for West Nile virus antibodies in wild ducks, 2004-06, USA

Detection of West Nile virus (WNV) in ducks has been reported in North America in isolated cases of mortality in wild waterbirds and following outbreaks in farmed ducks. Although the virus has been noted as an apparent incidental finding in several species of ducks, little is known about the prevalence of exposure or the outcome of infection with WNV in wild ducks in North America. From 2004–06, we collected sera from 1,406 wild-caught American Wigeon ( Anas americana ), Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ), and Northern Pintail ( Anas acuta ) ducks at national wildlife refuges (NWRs) in North Dakota and Wood Ducks ( Aix sponsa ) at NWRs in South Carolina and Tennessee. We measured the prevalence of previous exposure to WNV in these ducks by measuring WNV antibodies and evaluated variation in exposure among species, age, and year. Additionally, we evaluated the performance of a commercial antibody to wild bird immunoglobulin in duck species that varied in their phylogenetic relatedness to the bird species the antibody was directed against. As determined by a screening immunoassay and a confirmatory plaque reduction neutralization assay, the prevalence of WNV antibody was 10%. In light of experimental studies that show ducks to be relatively resistant to mortality caused by WNV, the antibody prevalence we detected suggests that wild ducks may be less-frequently exposed to WNV than expected for birds inhabiting wetlands where they may acquire infection from mosquitoes.

North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee↗

USGS2017

Mass mortality attributed to acanthocephaliasis at a Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) colony in coastal California

From 12 May 2013 to 29 May 2013, the Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica ) colony at the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California, experienced a mass die-off of at least 92 adults, representing 71–92% of the breeding population on the US west coast. Cause of death was determined to be peritonitis due to perforations of the intestine by a large quantity of acanthocephala ( Profilicolis [= Polymorphus ] altmani ). This is a unique report of P. altmani infecting G. nilotica , and a report of a great impact to a tern population in southern California. Mole crabs ( Emerita analoga ), the intermediate host for P. altmani and a major component of the Gull-billed Tern diet in San Diego, were found in the stomachs of necropsied terns along with cystacanths, and are the presumed source of the parasite infection. The tern's dietary reliance upon mole crabs likely amplified parasite transmission and infection. We suggest additional research to determine factors that influence parasite infection of intermediate and definitive hosts, particularly mole crabs, given that they are a vital resource for migrating birds within the coastal zone.

California↗

USGS2019

Lethal infection of wild raptors with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 and H5N2 viruses in the USA, 2014–15

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) led to heavy losses of poultry in commercial farms in North America in 2014–15. Enhanced surveillance by virologists and pathologists at the US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center and its partners resulted in the identification of lethal infections with clade 2.3.4.4 subgroup icA2 H5N8 and novel reassortant H5N2 viruses in diverse wild raptor species that died concomitant with the poultry epizootic in the US. A range of pathologic abnormalities were present in dead raptors, including necrotizing encephalitis and myocarditis, pancreatic necrosis, and pulmonary congestion and edema. Raptors are highly susceptible to disease caused by infection with HPAI clade 2.3.4.4 viruses.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗

USGS2020

Canine distemper virus in the sea otter population (Enhydra lutris) in Washington State, USA

Before 2001, all serosurveys for morbilliviruses in sea otters ( Enhydra lutris ) in California, Washington, and Alaska, USA, documented a 0% seroprevalence. The first published serologic detections of morbillivirus in sea otters occurred in 2001–02 in live-captured Washington sea otters, with a documented 80% seroprevalence. We conducted a retrospective study of sea otter cases from 1989 to 2010 compiled at the US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center to identify cases of morbilliviral disease in Washington sea otters and to characterize the disease using immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, genetic sequencing, virus isolation, and serology. We identified six cases of morbilliviral disease and 12 cases of morbilliviral infection in this population of sea otters during 2000–10. Significant histologic findings included inflammation in the white and gray matter of the brain characterized by lymphoplasmacytic perivascular cuffing, neuronal necrosis, and satellitosis in gray matter and by spongiosis, myelin degeneration, spheroids, and gemistocytes in white matter. Intranuclear and intracytoplasmic viral inclusion bodies were found in neurons, Purkinje cells, and glia. Immunohistochemistry for canine distemper virus (CDV) showed positive staining in neurons, glial cells, and cell processes. A pan-morbillivirus RT-PCR with subsequent restriction endonuclease digestion or sequencing identified CDV. Virus isolation was not successful. Two sea otters with morbilliviral encephalitis showed greater antibody titers to CDV than phocine distemper virus. Histologic changes were confined to the central nervous system and resembled neurologic canine distemper in domestic dogs. Cases of sea otters with morbilliviral infection without histologic changes could represent early infections or incompletely cleared sublethal infections. We found that morbillivirus was present in the Washington sea otter population as early as 2000, and we provide a description of the pathology of canine distemper in sea otters.

Washington↗

USGS2021

Pathology of Lagovirus europaeus GI.2/RHDV2/b (rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2) in native North American lagomorphs

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease, a notifiable foreign animal disease in the US, was reported for the first time in wild native North American lagomorphs in April 2020 in the southwestern US. Affected species included the desert cottontail ( Sylvilagus audubonii ), mountain cottontail ( Sylvilagus nuttallii ), black-tailed jackrabbit ( Lepus californicus ), and antelope jackrabbit ( Lepus alleni ). Desert cottontails ( n =7) and black-tailed jackrabbits ( n =7) collected in April and May 2020 were necropsied at the US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center and tested positive for Lagovirus europaeus GI.2, also known as rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (GI.2/RHDV2/b), by real-time PCR at the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Gross and microscopic lesions were similar to those reported in European rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) and other hare ( Lepus ) species with GI.2/RHDV2/b infection; they included epistaxis (12/13; 92%); massive hepatocellular dissociation (14/14; 100%) and necrosis or apoptosis (11/11; 100%); pulmonary congestion (12/12; 100%), edema (12/13; 92%), and hemorrhage (11/12; 92%); and acute renal tubular injury (3/8; 38%). As in previous reports, massive hepatocellular dissociation and necrosis or apoptosis were the most diagnostically distinct finding. As North American Sylvilagus and Lepus species appear to be susceptible to fatal GI.2/RHDV2/b infection, additional work is needed to understand the host range, pathogenicity, and potential population effects of GI.2/RHDV2/b in North America.

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas↗

USGS2023

Accounting for spatial habitat and management boundaries when estimating forest bird population distribution and density: Inferences from a soap film smoother

Birds are often obligate to specific habitats which can result in study areas with complex boundaries due to sudden changes in vegetation or other features. This can result in study areas with concave arcs or that include holes of unsuitable habitat such as lakes or agricultural fields. Spatial models used to produce species’ distribution and density estimates need to respect such boundaries to make informed decisions for species conservation and management. The soap film smoother is one model for complex study regions which controls the boundary behaviour, ensuring realistic values at the edges of the region. We apply the soap film smoother to account for boundary effects and compare it with thin plate regression spline (TPRS) smooth and design-based conventional distance sampling methods to produce abundance estimates from point-transect distance sampling collected data on Hawai‘i ‘Ākepa Loxops coccineus in the Hakalau Forest Unit of the Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Hawai‘i Island, USA. The soap film smoother predicted zero or near zero densities in the northern part of the domain and two hotspots (in the southern and central parts of the domain). Along the boundary the soap film model predicted relatively high densities where ‘Ākepa occur in the adjacent forest and near zero elsewhere. The design-based and soap film abundance estimates were nearly identical. The width of the soap film confidence interval was 16.5% and 0.8% wider than the width of the TPRS smooth and design-based confidence intervals, respectively. The peaks in predicted densities along the boundary indicates leakage by the TPRS smooth. We provide a discussion of the statistical methods, biological findings and management implications of applying soap film smoothers to estimate forest bird population status.

Hawaii↗