Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study
Title
SCWDS BRIEFS: Volume 21, Number 2 (July 2005)
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
July 2005
Unexplained Sea Bird Mortality: Since June 12, 2005, there have been numerous reports of dead or dying sea birds along the beaches of the eastern seaboard from Florida to Maryland.
Deer as Hosts of Anaplasmosis: Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative
agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA)
Vesicular Stomatitis Update: Vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) infection was confirmed in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Utah.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that four
transplant recipients had developed severe illnesses after receiving organs from a Rhode
Island donor. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus
(LCMV) infection was confirmed in all four
patients, making it the second time that organ
transplant transmission of this virus has been
recorded. Department to identify the source of the
virus. It was found that a member of the
donor’s family recently had acquired a pet
hamster, and LCMV subsequently was isolated
from this animal. The house mouse (Mus musculus) is the
primary reservoir of LCMV and both have
world-wide distribution. Although rates vary by
location, it is estimated that 5% of house mice
in the United States carry the virus.
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) recently
was identified in the United States for the
fourth time. In this occurrence, approximately
100 rabbits died at a backyard rabbitry in
Vanderburgh County, Indiana. In late May
2005, 8 of 11 rabbits that were purchased at a
flea market in Kentucky died 3 days after being
introduced into the Indiana rabbitry.
The Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) and
the American Association of Wildlife
Veterinarians (AAWV) have established a
memorial fund honoring Drs. E. Tom Thorne
and Elizabeth S. Williams.
The Second International Symposium on
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was held in
Madison, Wisconsin, July 12-14, 2005,
The University of Georgia’s
College of Veterinary Medicine formed a new
Department of Population Health, which
includes SCWDS, the Poultry Diagnostic and
Research Center, the Food Animal Medicine
Program, and the Laboratory Animal Medicine
Program.
Recent publications authored or co-authored by SCWDS staff.

Comments
SCWDS Briefs is available online at http://www.uga.edu/scwds/briefs.htm
Published by the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study. Used by permission.