Canada: Thousands of Bird deaths in Saskatchewan likely Newcastle disease
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Pastor Dale Morgan
Aug 14, 2010, 2:03:08 AM8/14/10
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Plagues, Pestilences and Diseases
Canada: Thousands of Bird deaths in Saskatchewan likely Newcastle disease
Last Updated: Friday, August 13, 2010 | 6:17 PM CST
CBC News
Thousands of double-crested cormorants and gulls in Saskatchewan may have been killed by an outbreak of Newcastle disease, provincial wildlife officials say.
"Sick and dead cormorants and gulls were reported in early August," Saskatchewan's Ministry of Environment reported Friday in a news release, noting that as of Aug. 12 about thousands of dead birds were found, with many others appearing sick.
The areas affected are Jackfish Lake and Meadow Lake Provincial Park, northwest of Saskatoon.
The province said that preliminary examinations of the dead birds suggests they were killed by the Newcastle disease virus, though further testing is being done to confirm that.
A government scientist told CBC News Friday that it is not unusual for such outbreaks to take place in nature.
Yeen Ten Hwang is a wildlife health specialist with the environment ministry.
"We have a pretty healthy [and] an increasing population of cormorants nesting in the area," she said. "And we are looking at perhaps 1,000 out of tens of thousands of birds. So in fact, in context, it's only affecting a small population of the cormorants and gulls."
According to the province, there is no health risk to humans, although people who see a dead bird are being told not to touch it.
The strain of the virus found in wild birds is not considered lethal to domestic poultry, according to the ministry release.
Canada: Thousands of Bird deaths in Saskatchewan likely Newcastle disease
Last Updated: Friday, August 13, 2010 | 6:17 PM CST
CBC News
Thousands of double-crested cormorants and gulls in Saskatchewan may have been killed by an outbreak of Newcastle disease, provincial wildlife officials say.
"Sick and dead cormorants and gulls were reported in early August," Saskatchewan's Ministry of Environment reported Friday in a news release, noting that as of Aug. 12 about thousands of dead birds were found, with many others appearing sick.
The areas affected are Jackfish Lake and Meadow Lake Provincial Park, northwest of Saskatoon.
The province said that preliminary examinations of the dead birds suggests they were killed by the Newcastle disease virus, though further testing is being done to confirm that.
A government scientist told CBC News Friday that it is not unusual for such outbreaks to take place in nature.
Yeen Ten Hwang is a wildlife health specialist with the environment ministry.
"We have a pretty healthy [and] an increasing population of cormorants nesting in the area," she said. "And we are looking at perhaps 1,000 out of tens of thousands of birds. So in fact, in context, it's only affecting a small population of the cormorants and gulls."
According to the province, there is no health risk to humans, although people who see a dead bird are being told not to touch it.
The strain of the virus found in wild birds is not considered lethal to domestic poultry, according to the ministry release.
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