MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

“LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Hundreds of deer in eight Michigan counties have died from a viral disease that is on the rise nationwide because of hot, dry weather, state officials said Thursday.

Deer infected with epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, have been found in Barry, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Eaton and Montcalm counties, the state Department of Natural Resources said. Experts previously confirmed the illness had killed deer in Ionia and Branch counties.

EHD outbreaks have happened in isolated sections of Michigan repeatedly since 2006. The drought and high temperatures are contributing to this year’s uptick, the DNR said.

‘We are seeing a large die-off of deer in local areas. To date we have over 900 reports of dead deer across all (eight) counties,’ stated Tom Cooley, DNR wildlife biologist and pathologist. ‘Although it is difficult to see so many dead deer, this is still a localized issue and the regional deer population should not be impacted.'” Read more.

Biologists Believe Disease Killing Deer In Oklahoma – “Officials say a sick deer found in northeast Oklahoma was dying of a bleeding disease spread by a biting gnat. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation biologist Craig Endicott told the Tulsa World (http://bit.ly/NFC1kG) 10 other deer found dead near the Verdigris River likely had the same ailment, known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease. The virus is spread by a biting gnat. Eight deer were found last week after area residents reported seeing sick and dead deer in the river.” Read more.

Sick And Dead Deer Reported In Eastern Kansas – “The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) is asking anyone who sees a sick or dead deer to phone local KDWPT staff and report where and how many deer are involved. To help identify the extent of the disease, an online survey is also available for people to report fresh or decomposing carcasses… So far this year, KDWPT has received reports of dead or sick deer from at least 24 counties in northcentral and eastern Kansas.” Read more.

Biologists Investigate Disease Killing And Sickening Deer In Indiana – “Wildlife biologists from the Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Fish & Wildlife are investigating recent reports of sick or dead deer for possible epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD). Morgan and Putnam counties are experiencing the most intense outbreaks, but suspect reports have come from 11 counties in total. EHD is a viral disease that likely affects white-tailed deer every year, DNR deer biologist Chad Stewart said. It typically occurs during late summer and early fall, and there is evidence that outbreaks may be worse during drought years.” Read more.

Disease Killing Dozens Of Deer In Iowa– “This drought is a hassle for wildlife as well as for people and plants — from fish dying in shallow waters to deer killed by a virus carried by heat-thriving insects. Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials are warning of a threat to the state’s deer population from insects that have thrived in the dry conditions. State officials are sorting through reports of more than 40 dead deer likely killed by epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD.” Read more.

Virus Suspected After Deer Found Dead In Arkansas – “A blood- and insect-borne virus that kills deer each year in August and September could kill a larger number this year because of record drought and heat in Arkansas, according to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists. Three deer, all females that apparently had weaned fawns recently, were found dead this week in Marion County… The drought that has killed or stunted native and plotted grasses that deer thrive on has also made weaker deer more vulnerable to the virus, he said.” Read more.

Business Week – “LAKEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Two more cows have died from anthrax exposure in northeast Colorado, expanding the first outbreak of the disease in the state in 31 years to three ranches.

Last week, 60 cows died on a Logan County ranch, where anthrax was positively identified in one animal. Officials say it’s likely they all died of the disease.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture said Wednesday the additional cows were on two separate adjacent ranches. Both died from the disease.

State Veterinarian Keith Roehr said all three ranches involved share fences and the new cases likely are the result of cows grazing in an area with soil containing anthrax spores.

Neighboring herds have been vaccinated. No cows left the affected ranches so none entered the food supply and no human infection has been reported, Roehr said.

Anthrax kills livestock within hours of infection and can decimate herds if animals are not quickly treated, he said.

Anthrax is caused by a bacterium that forms in spores and can lie dormant in soil for decades until ingested. Humans get anthrax most commonly through direct contact with infected animals usually when spores get into a cut or abrasion on the skin. Without treatment it can be fatal, but early treatment with antibiotics is very effective.” Read more.

SOTT – “A unexplained illness has been plaguing the elk community of southern Sweden, with experts perplexed as to why so many are being found dead or dying.

The elk population around Blekinge in southern Sweden has been threatened by an unexplained disease.

14 adult elk have recently been found in the woods in severe states of paralysis, emaciation and blindness.

The blindness has resulted in some falling victim to traffic accidents; however experts have been left scratching their heads at to what is actually causing the illness.

‘There is no scientific explanation,’ said Lennart Balk of the Stockholm University to the Aftonbladet newspaper.

Balk has been researching the mortality of elk, and has pointed to the tens of thousands of wild birds that have also died in the area by a lack of thiamine, or vitamine B1, as a possible link.

‘We see that the elk are infected with the same clinical symptomatology, but it is too early to say whether it’s the same disease,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the National Veterinary Institute (Statens veterinärmedicinska anstalt, SVA) is making an investigation into the deaths, but is yet to find any concrete results.

Viral and parasitic infections have been ruled out, and so have possible contaminants in the environment.

‘It’s a mystery. These are animals that are in good condition. They are confused, and the one bull we had in was emaciated. We don’t know what’s causing it,’ said Torsten Mörner of the SVA to the paper, adding that it’s ‘strange’ that something would stop an elk from eating over the summer.” Source – SOTT.

By MARIA ELENA BACA, Star Tribune – “Hundreds of cormorants, pelicans, gulls, herons and egrets are dead on two lakes in west-central and southern Minnesota, most likely the result of a virus that strikes wild birds every other summer.

Following a tip from Ontario, Department of Natural Resources officials began investigating Minnesota lakes; they discovered carcasses and obviously ill birds at Pigeon Lake, near Litchfield, and Minnesota Lake, southeast of Mankato, said Erika Butler, a DNR wildlife veterinarian. Test results are pending, but DNR officials believe the cause is Newcastle disease, a virus that is spread by droppings and body fluids. Butler described ‘stereotypical presentation’ among diseased birds, including paralysis, drooping heads and the inability to walk or swim. Diseased birds were being euthanized; other carcasses were being quickly cleared and incinerated to prevent the spread.

As of last week, DNR officials had discovered 700 cormorants, 100 pelicans and smaller numbers of the other birds dead and diseased at Pigeon Lake. The toll amounted to fewer than 100 at Minnesota Lake.

Butler noted that the dead birds tested negative for avian influenza.

This year’s Newcastle outbreak, which is smaller than those reported previously, is not exacerbated by climate conditions; the biennial outbreaks more likely have to do with the way immunity is passed from bird to chick, Butler said. The disease does tend to strike juvenile birds hardest. This year’s relatively lower numbers could be the happy result of an early spring, she said; many juveniles already have grown enough to leave their colonies. It’s not clear why the virus hits cormorants so hard, she said, but she added that even such a large die-off will not have a big effect on the statewide population, which has been healthy.” Read more.

“Eight million chickens have been slaughtered in Mexico and another 66 million have been vaccinated in an ongoing effort to contain a bird flu outbreak that began in June in the western state of Jalisco.

Eradication efforts were stepped up after more diseased chickens were found as authorities worked to vaccinate the fowl against the disease, according to an Agence France-Presse report.

A national health emergency was declared at the beginning of July, prompting the prices of both eggs and chickens to skyrocket, AFP reported.

The western state of Jalisco produces around 11 percent of the country’s poultry meat and 50 percent of its eggs, Reuters reported in July.

At that time, officials told Reuters aid there was no risk of infection in humans from eating chicken.

The virus responsible for the outbreak, H7N3, has occasionally caused human disease in some parts of the world, but is not easily transmittable between humans, AFP said.

Health officials have been on alert for new viruses in Mexico since the 2009 outbreak of H1N1 virus, known as ‘swine flu’ that shut down the capital city for several days when it was detected in humans, Reuters reported.” Source – Chron.com.

By Mathews Ndanyi and Janet Yego, allAfrica – “The government will vaccinate livestock in Kerio Valley where a disease outbreak suspected to be East Coast Fever has killed more than 1,300 animals in three weeks. Bernard Mwenga who is in charge of Disease Control at the Ministry of Livestock says they are waiting for test results on the disease’s identity before beginning the exercise. The outbreak has been reported in Marakwet East and West, Pokot Central and East Baringo districts all located in the Kerio Valley.

Marakwet West district livestock and veterinary officer Dr Joseph Keying confirmed that the outbreak has been reported in the region but could not give details on the number of animals that have died. ‘The symptoms indicate the disease to be East Coast Fever. We have sent officers to the ground to establish the situation before we put in place control measures,’ said Keying.

Yesterday Mwenga said they feared the disease could affect the livestock and meat market hence the decision to carry out the vaccination. Keying said the disease is spread by ticks especially during the rainy season. The valley has experienced heavy rains in the last few month. East Coast Fever is prevalent in East and Central Africa. The ticks host the parasite responsible for the disease. Indigenous cattle are more resistant to the disease than their foreign counterpart.

However reports from Kerio indicate that both have died from the mysterious disease. ‘It is unfortunate that farmers have lost livestock. They ought to be sensitised about control measures,’ said Keying.” Read more.