HOOK AND FUR: Avian cholera killing hundreds of ducks so far

By Bob Brown

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has confirmed an outbreak of avian cholera near Burbank, where in the past few weeks 1,200 ducks have been found dead. Avian cholera is caused by the bacterium Pasteurella Multocida, and is one of the most common diseases amoung wild ducks, geese and other North American waterfowl.
Avian cholera is believed  to have originated in Europe during the middle of the 1880s and was first recorded in North America in 1943-44 when hundreds of wild waterfowl were found dead in the Texas Panhandle and near San Francisco.
The emergence of avian cholera as a significant disease of North American waterfowl began in about 1970 and is the most prevalent disease found in North American waterfowl. In 2011, an outbreak okilled thousands of older ducks in the Arctic regions of Canada, and in March 2015, an outbreak killed roughly 2,000 snow geese in northern Idaho.
According to the USGS Nation Wildlife Health Center, the disease kills waterfowl swiftly, sometimes in as few as six to 12 hours after infection. Live bacteria released into the environment can subsequently infect healthy birds. It is highly contagious and spreads rapidly through bird-to-bird contact, ingestion of food or water containing the bacteria, and the scavenging of infected carcasses.
“As a result, avian cholera can spread quickly throughout a wetland and kill hundreds to thousands of birds in a single outbreak. The bacteria are hardy and can survive in water for several weeks and in soil for several months” said Kyle Spragens, WDFW waterfowl manager.
Treatment of fowl cholera in waterfowl isn't practical, however. In case of an outbreak, control is usually directed toward limiting transmission of the disease by collecting as many carcasses as possible and burned. That is exactly what the WDFW and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are doing in the Burbank area to minimize the spead of the disease.
“Humans aren't at risk for infection with the bacterial strain causing Avian cholera, through infections in humans are possible. We advise people to avoid handling sick or dead birds, and report any they find.” said Katie Haman, a WDFW wildlife veterinarian.

Bob Brown lives in Roy and is a freelance outdoors columnist. He can be contacted at robertb1285@centurylink.net.