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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement April 29, 2006 [an error occurred while processing this directive] Birds killed by cholera, technicians confirm By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Test results Friday proved that avian cholera killed dozens of ducks found dead this past week in Upper Klamath Lake, and more dead birds are expected into mid-May as the spring migration there winds down, authorities said. Technicians at the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisc., confirmed the dead ducks contained the cholera bacteria that is highly contagious among waterfowl but not dangerous to people or pets, state and federal biologists said Friday. The results match similar findings for an outbreak in lower Klamath Basin marshes, where an estimated 500 birds died from cholera in February and March, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The cholera sprouted toward the end of this year's spring migration through the Klamath Basin, which served as a major staging ground for an estimated 1.5 million migratory birds this year, said Dave Mauser, wildlife biologist with the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex based in Tulelake, Calif. "As outbreaks go here in the Klamath Basin, it's not that huge," Mauser said. "Back in the '70s, we'd lose tens of thousands of birds. It would hit so hard and so fast that birds would literally fall out of the sky." Though the die-off has remained light, the outbreak has drawn more attention because of the expectation that the avian influenza strain known as the H5N1 virus is expected to surface among some Pacific Flyway waterfowl later this year. Avian cholera, also known as fowl cholera, is one of the most common diseases among wild North American waterfowl and is tracked monthly by the U.S. Geological Survey. The disease is the result of infection with the bacteria that can kill within six to 12 hours after infection, according to the USGS. Live bacteria released into the environment by dead and dying birds can subsequently infect healthy birds. As a result, avian cholera can spread quickly through a wetland and kill hundreds to thousands of birds in a single outbreak. While surveying Upper Klamath Lake on Wednesday, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Tom Collom counted at least 60 dead ducks, mainly scaup and buffleheads. Eight ducks were collected and sent to the national center in Madison, Wisc., for testing.No new reports of groups of dead waterfowl have been reported in the Rogue Valley or elsewhere in Oregon since the weekend discoveries in Upper Klamath Lake. The Rogue Valley is considered a minor stop in the spring migration along the Pacific Flyway, ODFW biologist Vince Oredson said. Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy