I'm not sure if this information on sick birds in Perth parks is linked
to Denis Wilson's earlier COG posting...
Robin Hide
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:47:01 -0500 (EST)
From: ProMED-mail m("promed.isid.harvard.edu","promed");"><>
Subject: PRO/AH> Botulism, avian - Australia
BOTULISM, AVIAN - AUSTRALIA
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: 15 Jan 2008
Source: Perth Now [edited]
<http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,27574,24917540-2761,00.html>
Poisoned birds sick in Perth parks
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Birds sick with a paralytic disease from the ingestion of toxins have been
found in Perth lakes and parks. The City of Belmont said several appear to
have been affected by avian botulism, which causes paralysis of the legs,
wings and neck.
The 1st sign is usually a drooping head. Birds may drown, fall to
predators, or suffocate due to paralysis of the respiratory system. A
number of sick waterbirds have been found at the lakes of Centenary Park,
Tomato Lake and Faulkner Park -- all in Belmont.
Treatment involves tube feeding to flush toxins from the bird's system. The
bacteria causing avian botulism thrive in warm conditions, with stagnant
water and high nutrient levels. Bird feeding is one of the contributing
factors that results in high nutrient levels in waterways.
The bread that is fed to birds contains between 1 and 2 grams of
phosphorus. This is enough to make a volume of lake water the size of a
backyard swimming pool nutrient-rich.
Mayor Glenys Godfrey said locals and visitors to the area need to stop
feeding the birds to prevent the occurrence of botulism. "If you need to
feed birds feed them snails and worms instead of bread," she said. "The
city would also like to urge you to report any sick birds to our
Environment Team on 9477 7295, who can contact nearby wildlife carers who
treat avian botulism."
[byline: Glenn Cordingley]
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[The sporulating anaerobic Gram positive bacillus _Clostridium botulinum_
elaborates 7 types of antigenically distinct neurotoxins, 4 of which affect
humans: type A, B, E, or rarely type F toxin. Types A and B toxins are
highly poisonous proteins resistant to digestion by GI enzymes. About 50
per cent of foodborne outbreaks in the USA are caused by type A toxin,
followed by types B and E.
Type C botulism occurs principally in waterfowl and other birds living in
an aquatic environment and causes tremendous losses, most notably in
waterfowl in the western US. In addition to North America, it has been
reported in birds in Europe, South Africa, Uruguay, and Australia. In the
Great Lakes region, it was 1st identified in 1936 in ducks on Green Bay of
Lake Michigan and in 1941 in Monroe County [Michigan] marshes along Lake
Erie. Type C is most often associated with limberneck paralysis in birds.
Type E botulism is connected with consumption of fish and occurs mainly in
gulls and loons, and to a lesser extent in mergansers, mute swans, grebes,
and shore birds. It now appears any birds or mammals susceptible to
botulinal toxin run a risk of becoming poisoned if they scavenge dead fish.
Evidence for this includes the identification of type E toxin in a bald
eagle, wood ducks, and muskrats with fish remaining in their digestive tracts.
_C. botulinum_ spores are highly heat resistant and may survive boiling for
several hours at 100 degrees C (212 degrees F); however, exposure to moist
heat at 120 degrees C (248 degrees F) for 30 minutes will kill the spores.
Toxins, on the other hand, are readily destroyed by heat, and cooking food
at 80 degrees C (176 degrees F) for 30 min safeguards against botulism.
Toxin production (especially type E) can occur at temperatures as low as 3
degrees C (37.4 degrees F), that is, inside a refrigerator, and does not
require strict anaerobic conditions.
Human illness from Type E is most often associated with improperly smoked
fish. Since the toxin is destroyed by heat, it appears that no problem with
botulism will result from eating cooked waterfowl. - Mod.TG
Denis Wilson wrote:
Emailed Article
Hi Cog forum members
Thousands of juvenile
Budgerigars and Zebra Finches are reported to have died in a heat wave
in WA, following a huge breeding season, late last year.
The location is 200 Km south
of Carnarvon.
There may be more to this
story, eg, possible pollution of water, as turned out to be the real
issue, in a similar "event" in Albany last year, which turned out to be
lead poisoning from dust from ore being transported to the Port of
Albany.
Some of the images of piles
of dead birds may be disturbing to some readers.
There are also images of
thousands of live birds, which are reminiscent of the old images of
the Rabbit plagues. Equally amazing.
Follow this link - if you
wish to view the slide show - 11 images.
Cheers
