Posted on 09/07/2002 8:14:30 AM PDT by bonesmccoy
Reporting Dead Birds
Dead birds in an area may mean that West Nile virus is circulating between the birds and the mosquitoes in that area. Over 110 species of birds are known to have been infected with West Nile virus. Although birds, particularly crows and jays, infected with WN virus can die or become ill, most infected birds do survive.
The public can play an important role in monitoring West Nile virus through reporting dead birds to state and local health departments. However, in some areas, birds are no longer being collected. Inaddition, state and local agencies have different policies for collecting and testing birds. See the Links to State and Local Government Sites page to find information about reporting dead birds in your area.
PLEASE NOTE: Because CDC is a federal agency, we do not deal directly with the reporting of dead birds. State and local health departments are responsible for initiating these investigations. They report their findings to CDC.
Analysis of avian morbidity and mortality data in 2000 indicated:
American crow was the most sensitive species for avian morbidity/mortality surveillance. However, some areas, particularly those distant from NYC, did not have positive American crows, but only positive birds of other species.
Almost all of the positive birds were found singly and not as part of a mass die-off in a single time and place.
Approx. a third of positive birds had signs of trauma on necropsy.
Many positive birds did not have pathology indicative of West Nile infection on necropsy. No lesions are pathognomonic for WN virus infection.
Positive dead birds usually provided the earliest indication of viral activity in an area.
Detection of positive dead birds always preceeded reporting of human cases.
Counties with human cases tended to have high dead bird surveillance indices, both West Nile positive and sightings.
Audubon Society |
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Christmas Bird Count Data |
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1941 (2,331 Observers) |
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vs. 1960 (8,928 Observers) |
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Species |
Count |
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Count/Observer |
Ratio/Observer |
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1941 |
1960 |
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1941 |
1960 |
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1960/1941 |
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|
Eagle |
197 |
891 |
|
0.08 |
0.10 |
|
1.18 |
Gull |
124,470 |
635,642 |
|
53.40 |
71.20 |
|
1.33 |
Raven |
667 |
2,669 |
|
0.29 |
0.30 |
|
1.04 |
Crow |
185,519 |
250,307 |
|
79.59 |
28.04 |
|
0.35 |
Quail |
2,060 |
10,276 |
|
0.88 |
1.15 |
|
1.30 |
Pheasant |
6,839 |
19,731 |
|
2.93 |
2.21 |
|
0.75 |
Mounring Dove |
7,411 |
72,958 |
|
3.18 |
8.17 |
|
2.57 |
Swallow |
14,347 |
242,303 |
|
6.15 |
27.14 |
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4.41 |
Grebe |
2,501 |
27,826 |
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1.07 |
3.12 |
|
2.90 |
Pelican |
4,450 |
10,562 |
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1.91 |
1.18 |
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0.62 |
Cormorant |
3,246 |
27,162 |
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1.39 |
3.04 |
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2.18 |
Heron |
2,254 |
16,253 |
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0.97 |
1.82 |
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1.88 |
Egret |
1,469 |
16,800 |
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0.63 |
1.88 |
|
2.99 |
Swan |
18,554 |
33,994 |
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7.96 |
3.81 |
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0.48 |
Goose |
182,820 |
696,777 |
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78.43 |
78.04 |
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1.00 |
Ducks |
2,137,093 |
2,739,517 |
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916.81 |
306.85 |
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0.33 |
Balckbird |
137,502 |
20,552,375 |
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58.99 |
2,302.01 |
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39.02 |
Grackle |
24,937 |
12,570,458 |
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10.70 |
1,407.98 |
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131.61 |
Cowbird |
40,019 |
3,286,314 |
|
17.17 |
368.09 |
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21.44 |
Chickadee |
21,330 |
55,906 |
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9.15 |
6.26 |
|
0.68 |
Titmouse |
5,038 |
18,268 |
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2.16 |
2.05 |
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0.95 |
Nuthatch |
4,214 |
13,439 |
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1.81 |
1.51 |
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0.83 |
Robin |
19,616 |
928,639 |
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8.42 |
104.01 |
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12.36 |
English Sparrow |
53,335 |
358,769 |
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22.88 |
40.18 |
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1.76 |
Bluebird |
3,742 |
6,903 |
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1.61 |
0.77 |
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0.48 |
Starling |
211,836 |
8,673,095 |
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90.88 |
971.45 |
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10.69 |
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Sources: |
42nd Christmas Bird Count |
Audubon Magazine , 1942 |
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61st Christmas Bird Count |
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Audubon Field Notes , 15, 1961 |
Thanks to Dr. J. Gordon Edwards, Professor Emeritus of Entomology
at San Jose State University, for providing this information.
West Nile Virus- Bring Back DDT? | ||||||
Salman Pak: In 1985, the CDC sent three shipments of West Nile Fever virus to Iraq for use in medical research. Valerie Kuklenski, "Western Firms Supplied Iraq with Chemical Weapons," UPI, October 2, 1990.
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Seriously, thanks for posting that again.
That's a good question... those links were the tail end of a small collection of links I have tying this stuff together- and being a few days old, they are already outdated. There are just too many stories and names that dovetail together for there not to be some kind of connection.
She had not traveled outside the region, meaning the possible infection occurred locally, said Maria Iacobo, a spokeswoman for the county Department of Health Services.The diagnosis surprised health officials because ongoing monitoring of birds and mosquitoes had shown no trace of the virus in California.
"The virus' arrival in California is anticipated, but unexpected at this time since it is not present in any contiguous states," said Dr. Thomas Garthwaite
This makes me wonder if she contracted the problem through some means other than a mosquito bite. (I'm thinking of the reports of it being contracted through organ transplants and blood transfusions.)
I'm also wondering if She had not traveled outside the region means this past summer only, or if it means never. If it's showing up in organs and blood, then it seems to me that people can carry the virus without ever showing any symptoms of disease. Then if something weakens the immune system sufficiently, they could develop symptoms at that time.
If that's true, it's likely to freak people out when the news breaks.
Spock sez ... "That's all well and good, McCoy...what are you going to do about it?"
Let's see, West Nile Virus is spread among birds and to people by mosquitos, and perhaps among birds by mites or lice (no data there?).
Any effort to control human infection, other than by vaccination (your bailiwick), would concentrate upon control of disease carriers in addition to "monitoring." You clearly thought reporting dead birds was on topic. You apparently don't consider mosquito abatement on topic. Both are carriers. Effective public health policy would seek the most effective means to control disease transmission by carriers. You don't want that discussed and didn't make that clear at the top of the thread.
That's pretty narrow control freaking for FreeRepublic, sir, and probably not even decent public health policy, doctor.
No thank you. Threads on FreeRepublic are not private property. Lucky for you I have a lot to do today.
I've never said that mosquito abatement was off-topic. My point is that dead birds need to be identified by Freepers and then reported to public health so that viral analysis can be conducted by local labs. All of your other arguments are unfounded. Mosquito abatement is relevant, so start another thread and post your opinions on DDT there.
This thread is about how to help government identify where the West Nile Virus is. This thread was not started to provide you a podium to pontificate on DDT.
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