Fwd: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed die-off, penguins - Brazil: RFI

["J. Feldner" <kontakt@reisemedizin-giessen.de>]

FYI

Hello to all of You,

time to say THANK YOU for all Your great work all over these Years!!


BTW

got this news from the promed-mailinglist today.
Of course this does'nt matter to linux any way.
But maybe we all should be interested.
Any reactions inside/outside the communities?

Regards,

J. Feldner


comments please personally CC to johannes@feldner.eu


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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed die-off, penguins - Brazil: RFI
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:52:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu>
To: promed-ahead-edr@promedmail.org
Reply-To: promedNOREPLY@promed.isid.harvard.edu

UNDIAGNOSED DIE-OFF, PENGUINS - BRAZIL: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: 20 Jul 2010
Source: News Discovery [edited]
<http://news.discovery.com/animals/dead-penguins-marine-life-brazil.html>


Hundreds of dead penguins and other sea animals have washed up on Sao 
Paulo state's shores, and scientists are investigating the causes, 
environment officials told Folha Online news agency.

The Institute of Environment and Natural Resources said 530 penguins, 
numerous other sea birds, 5 dolphins and 3 giant sea turtles have 
been found in the coastal towns of Peruibe, Praia Grande and 
Itanhaem, with more likely on other nearby beaches.

Sao Paulo University biologists and a wildlife research center are 
looking into the possible reasons for the animal deaths, the 
institute said.

Praia Grande authorities have ruled out pollution, saying preliminary 
investigations point to starvation as the cause.

The most likely scenario for the penguin deaths is exhaustion and 
hunger during their long migration from the waters off Argentina's 
southern Patagonia region, said Andrea Maranho, a veterinarian for 
the Sea Animal Rehabilitation Center in Praia Grande.

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Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[Migration is exhausting for birds, and without a good store of fat 
before the journey, they will not make it. What is unusual here is 
that there are other seabirds, dolphins and sea turtles involved, 
which makes me wonder if these animals all died at approximately the 
same time from a related cause. Perhaps something like red tide? 
Perhaps a small bloom? Maybe domoic acid?

In the past, migrating penguins have died of starvation, avian 
influenza, and malaria. While some have suggested Newcastle disease, 
there are no confirmed reports of penguins dying of Newcastle disease.

While there may be environmental reasons for the die-off, it has not 
been indicated in this article that infectious reasons have been 
ruled out.

If necropsies have found empty stomachs in the birds, it would be 
nice to know what the fat stores of the birds are. Also, if it is 
starvation, is this the same cause for the dolphins and the sea 
turtles? Does this indicate over fishing of the same feeding area 
these animals need for survival? - Mod.TG]

[see also:
2009
----
Undiagnosed die-off, penguins - Chile (03) 20090405.1311
Undiagnosed die-off, penguins - Chile (02): clarification 20090403.1293
Undiagnosed die-off, penguins - Chile 20090331.122]
...............................................sb/tg/msp/lm

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