spectr17
09-05-2003, 08:23 PM
West Nile linked to sage grouse deaths
By MARK HENCKEL, Bliings Gazette Outdoor Editor
8/30/03
Wildlife officials in Montana have found that West Nile virus is the culprit in recent sage grouse deaths in south Phillips County.
With hunting season for grouse beginning Monday across the state, they are asking hunters to be alert for more dead birds.
West Nile in radio-fitted sage grouse was documented in a Wyoming study area northwest of Gillette in early August by veterinarian Todd Cornish, of the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab.
"We've had 15 birds so far that have been diagnosed positive for West Nile Virus," he said. "There were 11 from Campbell County (the sage grouse study area where the first fatalities were found), one each from Sheridan and Sweetwater counties in Wyoming and the two from Phillips County, Mont.
"It surprises me a little bit," Cornish admitted. "We don't have reports of West Nile Virus causing problems in other gallinaceous birds - pheasants, quail, wild turkeys and all the other relatives of sage grouse. We don't have reports coming out of the East and Midwest where the virus has been present longer. So it is a little bit surprising."
The Montana birds came from an ongoing sage grouse study where birds were fitted with radios in southern Phillips County.
"For the last four years, we've had a Ph.D. study going on by Brendan Moynahan of the University of Montana," said Randy Matchett, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist stationed at the C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Lewistown.
"We started out with 99 birds that were radioed. We wound up finding 13 mortalities," he said. "That seems very high for this time of year. They're all adult hens, so survival should be good. That mortality rate is a cause for concern."
Taking samples from some of the dead sage grouse was impossible.
"Things out here on the prairie in 100-degree weather melt down pretty quickly. Some were just dried up bones and feathers," Matchett said. "We did send five samples to the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab."
Matchett added that mosquitoes, which spread the disease, were definitely in the area where sage grouse were found in Phillips County.
"In places, especially when you get closer to the water, you notice mosquitoes," he said. "In one place where I picked up a bird, I was getting bitten right and left."
"Brendan just confirmed that two of the original five carcasses submitted for testing at the Wyoming lab were usable and were confirmed as positive (for West Nile virus)," said Jeff Herbert, who is monitoring the situation for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' Wildlife Division in Helena.
Four dead sage grouse were also reported in southern Alberta this week with West Nile virus considered the cause of the deaths.
Herbert said people shouldn't overreact.
"This isn't cause for concern for sage grouse populations to go out of the picture. There is some mortality with those birds. We're going to look at how localized or widespread it might be," Herbert said.
"In my mind, it's an interesting opportunity we've got here," he added. "Obviously, the disease has been present since last year. By having a couple of these research investigations going on with these marked birds, we can see what's going on."
Keith Aune, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife Laboratory supervisor in Bozeman, said the only other verified West Nile birds among 60 received were three pelicans from Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where an avian botulism outbreak was killing a variety of species.
Aune said that hunters venturing out in the opening weeks of the upland bird season should be aware of the possibility of running into ailing or dead birds.
"If there are some sick grouse that hunters see in the field, they should report that to their local game warden or biologist," Aune said. "If they find old dead carcasses, there isn't much we can do with them. You have to have suitable tissue for a good diagnosis. Maybe the carcass is good for 48 hours. But more likely you'd have to find that bird 24 or 30 hours after it died.
"And it may not be West Nile that killed it. There are other things out there," he said. "It could be a poisoning. It could be something else."
Aune said the state Department of Public Health is handling human health in relation to West Nile, but added that he felt there are far more dangers from being bitten by an infected mosquito than by handling a bird that died from the disease.
"Consuming birds is not thought to be a cause for the disease," he said. "Just use good hygiene in handling the birds you may shoot. Wear latex or rubber gloves. Clean them well. Cook them well.
"Do not consume sick birds if you shoot one," he added. "Turn it in to the department and we can do the diagnostics on it.
"When you head into the field, prevent mosquito bites," Aune said. "That's the main way people are exposed to the virus."
For upland bird hunters, that will likely mean a mosquito repellent. For bowhunters, whose season opens Sept. 6 and who may be concerned about the heavy odor of repellents, he suggested full body mosquito netting.
"In central and Eastern Montana, there are going to be birds dying from West Nile virus now and forever," Aune said. "This disease is endemic to Montana now, and we'll be living with it forever."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Henckel is the outdoor editor of The Billings Gazette. Contact him at 657-1395 or at henckel@billingsgazette.com.
On the Net
For more information on West Nile disease, check out these Web sites:
http://www.cdc.gov
http://www.ycchd.org
http://www.dphhs.state.mt.us/news/west_nil..._nile_virus.htm (http://www.dphhs.state.mt.us/news/west_nile_virus/west_nile_virus.htm)
Or download the CDC fact sheet (PDF format) to learn how to keep you and your family safe.
By MARK HENCKEL, Bliings Gazette Outdoor Editor
8/30/03
Wildlife officials in Montana have found that West Nile virus is the culprit in recent sage grouse deaths in south Phillips County.
With hunting season for grouse beginning Monday across the state, they are asking hunters to be alert for more dead birds.
West Nile in radio-fitted sage grouse was documented in a Wyoming study area northwest of Gillette in early August by veterinarian Todd Cornish, of the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab.
"We've had 15 birds so far that have been diagnosed positive for West Nile Virus," he said. "There were 11 from Campbell County (the sage grouse study area where the first fatalities were found), one each from Sheridan and Sweetwater counties in Wyoming and the two from Phillips County, Mont.
"It surprises me a little bit," Cornish admitted. "We don't have reports of West Nile Virus causing problems in other gallinaceous birds - pheasants, quail, wild turkeys and all the other relatives of sage grouse. We don't have reports coming out of the East and Midwest where the virus has been present longer. So it is a little bit surprising."
The Montana birds came from an ongoing sage grouse study where birds were fitted with radios in southern Phillips County.
"For the last four years, we've had a Ph.D. study going on by Brendan Moynahan of the University of Montana," said Randy Matchett, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist stationed at the C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Lewistown.
"We started out with 99 birds that were radioed. We wound up finding 13 mortalities," he said. "That seems very high for this time of year. They're all adult hens, so survival should be good. That mortality rate is a cause for concern."
Taking samples from some of the dead sage grouse was impossible.
"Things out here on the prairie in 100-degree weather melt down pretty quickly. Some were just dried up bones and feathers," Matchett said. "We did send five samples to the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab."
Matchett added that mosquitoes, which spread the disease, were definitely in the area where sage grouse were found in Phillips County.
"In places, especially when you get closer to the water, you notice mosquitoes," he said. "In one place where I picked up a bird, I was getting bitten right and left."
"Brendan just confirmed that two of the original five carcasses submitted for testing at the Wyoming lab were usable and were confirmed as positive (for West Nile virus)," said Jeff Herbert, who is monitoring the situation for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' Wildlife Division in Helena.
Four dead sage grouse were also reported in southern Alberta this week with West Nile virus considered the cause of the deaths.
Herbert said people shouldn't overreact.
"This isn't cause for concern for sage grouse populations to go out of the picture. There is some mortality with those birds. We're going to look at how localized or widespread it might be," Herbert said.
"In my mind, it's an interesting opportunity we've got here," he added. "Obviously, the disease has been present since last year. By having a couple of these research investigations going on with these marked birds, we can see what's going on."
Keith Aune, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife Laboratory supervisor in Bozeman, said the only other verified West Nile birds among 60 received were three pelicans from Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where an avian botulism outbreak was killing a variety of species.
Aune said that hunters venturing out in the opening weeks of the upland bird season should be aware of the possibility of running into ailing or dead birds.
"If there are some sick grouse that hunters see in the field, they should report that to their local game warden or biologist," Aune said. "If they find old dead carcasses, there isn't much we can do with them. You have to have suitable tissue for a good diagnosis. Maybe the carcass is good for 48 hours. But more likely you'd have to find that bird 24 or 30 hours after it died.
"And it may not be West Nile that killed it. There are other things out there," he said. "It could be a poisoning. It could be something else."
Aune said the state Department of Public Health is handling human health in relation to West Nile, but added that he felt there are far more dangers from being bitten by an infected mosquito than by handling a bird that died from the disease.
"Consuming birds is not thought to be a cause for the disease," he said. "Just use good hygiene in handling the birds you may shoot. Wear latex or rubber gloves. Clean them well. Cook them well.
"Do not consume sick birds if you shoot one," he added. "Turn it in to the department and we can do the diagnostics on it.
"When you head into the field, prevent mosquito bites," Aune said. "That's the main way people are exposed to the virus."
For upland bird hunters, that will likely mean a mosquito repellent. For bowhunters, whose season opens Sept. 6 and who may be concerned about the heavy odor of repellents, he suggested full body mosquito netting.
"In central and Eastern Montana, there are going to be birds dying from West Nile virus now and forever," Aune said. "This disease is endemic to Montana now, and we'll be living with it forever."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Henckel is the outdoor editor of The Billings Gazette. Contact him at 657-1395 or at henckel@billingsgazette.com.
On the Net
For more information on West Nile disease, check out these Web sites:
http://www.cdc.gov
http://www.ycchd.org
http://www.dphhs.state.mt.us/news/west_nil..._nile_virus.htm (http://www.dphhs.state.mt.us/news/west_nile_virus/west_nile_virus.htm)
Or download the CDC fact sheet (PDF format) to learn how to keep you and your family safe.