-Caveat Lector-
I can't help but think of the canaries miners took down with them...if the
canaries died, that was a warning that gas was reaching levels that would
soon be deadly to humans...
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Date: Thu, 01 Apr 1999 07:35:20 -0800
From: Bob Shannon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Gangs;
We have wondered at the ability of birds to pick up on the geomagnectic
field. And we have guessed that they may have an ability to predit
quakes....but we have so far not come to any conclusions...yet in that
light I found the following posted on CNN this AM. I also noted that USGS
was involved..I was not aware of their involvement in this type of
deal.....Web Posted today on cnn:
[INLINE]
A mysterious brain disease is killing birds in the southeastern United
States and scientists can't find the cause.
Birds with avian vacuolar myelinopathy typically fly erratically or
are unable to fly completely. According to USGS wildlife disease
specialist Dr. Kimberli Miller, birds may crash land, swim tipped to
one side with one or both legs or wings extended, or be in the water
on their backs with their feet in the air.
"On land," said Miller, "birds appear intoxicated -- they stagger and
have difficulty walking and may fall over and be unable to right
themselves." Affected birds, however, are usually alert and still may
bite when handled.
Miller said that the only consistent finding in affected birds is the
microscopic change in the nervous system.
Despite extensive testing by USGS, SCWDS, and others, the cause of the
disease and the route of exposure is still unknown.
"All of the diagnostic, field and laboratory efforts indicate the
cause is most likely a toxin, either one that is naturally occurring
or manmade," Miller said.
In addition to toxicology tests, USGS pathologists have tested the
tissues of dead birds for bacteria, viruses, parasites and none have
been found. In humans and other mammals, similar lesions have been
associated with genetic disorders, certain types of chemicals or toxic
plants. Tests for these chemicals in the affected birds have been
negative or inconclusive
"This is very frustrating for our scientists," said Dr. Robert McLean,
director of the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. "We have
CNN - Avian brain disease puzzles scientists - March 30, 1999 (p6 of 10)
examined more than 4,000 bald eagle carcasses from around the country
to determine the cause of death, and have conducted thousands of
wildlife mortality investigations on many other species, and we are
accustomed to identifying and resolving these problems. With this
disease, however, despite all our efforts and despite the extensive
involvement of leading scientists from diverse disciplines and
numerous organizations, we have yet to solve the puzzle about the
exact cause of the disease."
McLean noted that "vexing" questions about the disease still need to
be answered. "Is it emerging and spreading to new locations and new
species, or has it been around for a long time and just now being
recognized because more people are aware of the problem? If it is an
emerging disease, finding out what is causing it may be just the tip
of the iceberg."
USGS wildlife specialists have discovered the disease in two species
of ducks found dead at Woodlake, N.C. It was previously found only in
bald eagles and American coots.
The disease affects the brain and spinal cord by damaging the myelin
sheath that insulates the nerve fibers. It is diagnosed by microscopic
examination of very fresh brain and spinal cord tissue.
Dr. Nancy Thomas, the USGS pathologist who first described the lesion,
explained that "in affected birds the disease appears as open spaces
in the white matter of the brain." When the coating surrounding the
myelin is damaged, Thomas said, "communication in the nervous system
is impaired, causing a bird to become uncoordinated or paralyzed".
Dr. Thomas used an electron microscope to determine that the spaces
are caused by separation of the myelin layers that surround nerve
fibers. Using the same techniques, Dr. John Fisher, a SCWDS
pathologist, confirmed the lesion in a North Carolina mallard and
ringnecked duck, and a Strom Thurmond Lake bald eagle.
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