RED TIDE, DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS - USA (TEXAS)
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Date: 11 Feb 2012
Source: KRIS TV
<http://www.kristv.com/news/cormorants-dying-from-red-tide-effects/?>
Cormorants Dying from Red Tide Effects
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So far this year the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) in Port Aransas has received 48 calls about large birds that are acting, for lack of a better term, drunk. It turns out the Double Crested Cormorants are suffering from a potentially life-threatening problem linked to red tide.
Tony Amos and the hard working volunteers at the ARK believe the birds' diet is to blame. Cormorants are fish eaters. Since the end of last year they've been eating fish that have been exposed to the red tide.
"High concentrations of the red tide in the organs of these birds is unusual and it's quite a find because it means that perhaps this thing is lingering in the fish that these birds eat," says Tony Amos.
He's sent tissue samples from infected birds to labs at Texas A&M Corpus Christi for analysis and the results confirm his suspicions...
"Greatly elevated levels of what's called brevetoxin in the muscle and liver samples sent in so far from the cormorants," says Tony Amos
There is nothing that the ARK can do for the birds in the wild, however, birds that are captured and brought to the ARK can be detoxified by introducing them to clean water and clean fish.
Unfortunately, some birds don't make it, but Tony says the survival rate is pretty high once the cormorants receive treatment. The red tide affected fish will eventually die out, until then cormorants run the risk of getting sick.
The cormorant has a very sharp beak and is very dangerous if not handled correctly. So, if you see a sick bird - don't approach it - call the professionals at the ARK - 361-749-6793.
[Byline: Dave Fraser]
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Communicated by:
Promed Mail from HealthMap alerts
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[Red tides are often caused by blooms of the dinoflagellate _Karenia brevis_. _Karenia brevis_ is principally distributed throughout the Gulf of Mexico, with occasional red tides occurring along the mid and south Atlantic coast. _K. brevis_ produces nerve toxins (neurotoxins) known as brevetoxins that can cause serious public health effects and significant animal mortalities.
_K brevis_ red tides are responsible for the annual mass mortalities of thousands of fish. Sometimes it is notable for mass mortalities of marine mammals, birds, and sea turtles have been reported.
Brevitoxin is a neurotoxin which binds to sodium channels of cell membranes. Binding results in persistent activation of neuronal cells, skeletal muscle cells and cardiac cells. This binding and cell death usually, eventually results in death of the organism that live in these waters and become affected by this toxin.
Whether or not an animal can be affected and not die seems to be the basis of this article. If the animal is affected with the paralysis only slightly, then perhaps the fish is slow and more easily caught by the cormorant. If the bevetoxin then affects the cormorant this would be a secondary toxin that is capable of passing through a food chain.
This is not surprising as oysters and other marine food animals
(shellfish) are generally made off limits to consumers during a red tide situation. How many layers up the food chain this brevitoxin can pass seems to be a somewhat unknown at the moment.
Port Aransas, Texas may be found on the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map at: <http://healthmap.org/r/1Mjp> - Mod.TG]
[For a picture of the double crested cormorant, see <http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant/id/ac>. - Mod.MPP]
[see also:
Red tide, fish - USA: (FL) bird, turtle 20120116.1011990
2011
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Red tide, fish - USA (04): (FL) 20111231.3720 Red tide, shellfish - USA (02): (TX) oyster 20111216.3608 Red tide, fish - USA (03): (FL) 20111202.3513 Red tide, fish - USA (02): (TX) 20111104.3283 Red tide, fish - USA: (TX) 20111026.3180 Red tide, shellfish - USA: (MA) alert 20110506.1400] .................................................sb/tg/mpp/ll
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