Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study
Date of this Version
July 2001
Abstract
• West Nile virus (WNV) recently was detected in wild birds found dead in Florida and Georgia.
• The cause of avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) remains undetermined despite extensive diagnostic and research investigations conducted since the disease was first recognized as a significant cause of eagle mortality in 1994.
• The spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) that began in the United Kingdom in February 2001 has slowed dramatically.
• A test of the animal disease emergency management system was conducted July 9-12, 2001, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
• Several cases of anthrax have been reported this summer in deer and livestock on ranches in Edwards, Uvalde, and Val Verde counties in southwest Texas, and there are suspected cases in three additional counties.
• During the past year, three significant Atlantic brant dieoffs have occurred on the New Jersey coast.
• USDA Lab Upgrade Deserves Support: the place in the United States with the most expertise in animal diseases is Ames, Iowa.
• Dr. Joe Gaydos, Dr. Rick Gerhold, Dr. Nicole Gottdenker, Dr. Samantha (Sam) Gibbs