Thousands of Ducks Mysteriously Dying In Idaho

[RestoreGore]

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/39472/story.htm


US: December 14, 2006


SALMON, Idaho - Officials scrambled on Wednesday to determine what has caused the deaths of thousands of mallard ducks in south-central Idaho near the Utah border.

Although wildlife experts are downplaying any links to bird flu, they have sent samples to government labs to test for the deadly H5N1 flu strain, among other pathogens. Officials with the federal Bureau of Homeland Security have been also called in to help with the probe.

"We think the possibility of avian flu is very remote but we're not ruling anything out at this point in time," said Dave Parish, regional supervisor for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. "We want to make sure all the bases are covered."

Wildlife officials are calling the massive die-off alarming, with the number of dead mallards rising from 1,000 on Tuesday to more than 2,000 by Wednesday afternoon.

"We've never seen anything like this -- ever," Parrish said.

A hunter alerted state conservation officials after finding a handful of dead ducks along Land Creek Springs, about 150 miles southeast of Boise, on Friday.

Officials have posted signs warning hunters and others not to touch or eat the birds until a cause of death has been identified.

end of excerpt.

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Should we be concerned? I know I am.

[bananas]

1. Polonium? nt

[achtung_circus]

2. Avian botulism?

http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/nature/migratorybirds/avianb/ce00s02.en.html

[Syncronaut Seven]

3. Avian botulism is less species specific.

Looks more like Avian Cholera.

http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/avian_cholera/index.jsp