AVIAN INFLUENZA (08): USA (MASSACHUSETTS) LPAI, SWAN
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Date: Tue 31 Jan 2012
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette [edited] <http://www.telegram.com/article/20120131/NEWS/101319875/1101/local?>
A battery of tests by state and federal inspectors on a dozen swan carcasses found in a local pond revealed that 4 of the dead birds tested positive for avian influenza.
The low pathogenic, or relatively mild, avian influenza the birds had does not pose a threat to human health, state officials said.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the US Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services collected the carcasses from Mill Pond after a local resident reported seeing them floating near the shore in December [2011].
Reginald Zimmerman, spokesman for the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, said the 4 birds tested positive for low pathogenic avian influenza.
"That is fairly common in water fowl here," Mr Zimmerman said. "This means they could have been exposed to it, or at the end of it, but I have to stress there is no human risk."
Mr Zimmerman said the remaining 8 birds tested came back negative for avian influenza and tests could not determine what caused their deaths.
A Maynard Street resident, first noted many dead swans while he was walking the trail system that meanders around the water. The area is near the headwaters of the Assabet River, and is usually populated by Canada geese. He reported the deaths to the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife on Rabbit Hill Road, and investigators removed about a dozen carcasses for testing.
Investigators from the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife were working with the US Department of Agriculture to test the animals.
Mr Zimmerman said no further testing will be done on the carcasses, and at this point, no further investigation will be done at Mill Pond.
[Byline: Donna Boynton]
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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Low pathogenic avian influenza is watched very carefully because of its potential to mutate and become highly pathogenic avian influenza.
We are not told of the sequences in this particular outbreak of influenza.
The area the swans were in may be of particular concern especially if there is contact with domestic fowl or if there is poultry industry in the area. - Mod.TG]
[The state of Massachusetts can be seen on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at <http://healthmap.org/r/1C4K>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
[see also:
2011
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Avian influenza (67): Canada (BC), LPAI H7, migratory birds
20111104.3286
Avian influenza, (LPAI) poultry - USA (05): (MN) 20110710.2083 Avian influenza, (LPAI) poultry - USA (04): (NE) 20110420.1230 Avian influenza (LPAI), poultry - USA: (MO) - H7, OIE 20110402.1019 2010
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Avian influenza (53): Canada (MB) LPNAI H5N2, turkey 20101126.4260 Avian influenza - Canada (53): (MB) LPNAI H5N2, turkey 20101126.4260
2008
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Avian influenza (72): USA (AR), LPAI H7 20080604.1782
2006
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Avian influenza - USA: wild bird surveillance 20060826.2418 Avian influenza - USA (NJ): LPAI susp. 20060430.1257
2005
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Avian influenza - USA: poultry, NC 20051202.3478 Avian influenza - USA (DE, MD, VA): Industry privacy issues 20050206.0404] .................................................sb/tg/mj/jw/ll
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