A Comprehensive Monitoring of The High Mortality Rate of Wild Waterbirds in Miankaleh Wetland in 2020

Document Type : Full Research Paper

Authors

1 Head of Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO)

2 Faculty Member of Institute of Agricultural Education and Extension, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran

3 Iran Veterinary Organization. Habibi, M., General Director of Central and Referance Laboratory and Applied Studies

4 General Director of Central and Referance Laboratory and Applied Studies

5 Research Center and Department of Environment in Mazandaran, Sari, Iran

6 Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran

7 National Reference Laboratory, Diagnosis and Applied Studies Center, Iran Veterinary Organization

Abstract

One of the most important environmental problems of Miankaleh wetland in recent years was high mortality of wild waterbirds occurrence in 2020. The present study was conducted to perform a comprehensive monitoring of this event and accurate diagnosis of the cause of death, due to the environmental significance of wild waterbirds mortality, through standard passive Surveillance methods and clinical, autopsy and laboratory studies. The estimated death of birds was 38587, during 50 days. The highest losses were related to Common Coot (about 85%) and flamingos (6%). 198 birds were sampled from different species of birds in two areas (Behshahr and Galuogah). Tissue samples included samples of pharyngeal and tracheal swabs, cloaca, whole blood and blood serum of live birds, and brain, tracheal, lung, gizzard and anterior gastric tissues, intestines and its contents, liver, spleen, pancreas and Chest muscle of dead birds. Tests performed on the samples included: influenza serotypes, Newcastle disease, avian Cholera, pasteurella, duck viral enteritis, duck viral hepatitis, differential diagnosis between gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, presence of mercury, Arsenic and the remnants of pesticides in tissues and samples, cyanide in water. All tests were negative, except for botulin toxin. According to the results, Clostridium botulinum poisoning is cause of high casualties of waterfowl in Miankaleh Wetland. Laboratory results were shown that the physicochemical properties of alluvium and water create favorable conditions for the production of biotoxins and if it will be not managed, they may recur in the coming years.

Keywords

References

1. A. Perez-Fuentetaja, M. D.ClaPsad, D. Einhouse, P.R. Bowser, R. G. Getchell and W.T. Lee. 2006. Influence of limnological conditions on Clostridium botulinum type E presence in eastern Lake Erie sediments (Great Lakes, USA). Hydrobiologia 563(1): 189–200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-0011-1
2. Anza, I., D. Vidal, J. Feliu, , E. Crespo and R. Mateoa. 2016. Differences in the vulnerability of waterbird species to botulism outbreaks in Mediterranean wetlands: An assessment of ecological and physiological factors. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 48(10): 3092–3099. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM16-00119
3. Anza, I., H. Skarin, D. Vidal, , A. Lindberg, , V. Båverud and R. Mateo. 2014. The same clade of Clostridium botulinum strains is causing avian botulism in southern and northern Europe. Anaerobe 26: 20–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2014.01.002
4. Bagherzadeh Karimi, M. 2014. Wetland Management. Peik-Andishe- Amozgar ltd. Iran 214pp.
5. Blaker, D. 1967. An outbreak of botulinus poisoning among waterbirds. Ostrich 38(2):144–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/00306525.1967.11783617
6. Bollinger, T.K., D.D. Evelsizer, K.W. Dufour, , C. Soos, R.G. Clark and G. Wobeser. 2011. Ecology and management of avian botulism on the Canadian Prairies. Prairie Habitat. Joint Venture Science Committee. https://www.phjv.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/BotulismReport_FINAL_FullReport_Aug2011.pdf
7. Brickell, N. 1988. Ducks, geese and swans of Africa and its outlying islands, Frandsen Publishers, Fourways.
8. Cohen, G.M., A.L. Pates, D.M. Easton and M.G. Peterson. 1969. Vulture and rooster resistance to botulinus toxin. American Zoologist 9: 584. (abstract)
9. Cromie, R.L., R. Lee, R.J. Delahay, J.L.Newth, M.F. O’Brien and H.A. Fairlamb. 2012. Ramsar wetland disease manual: Guidelines for assessment, monitoring and management of animal disease in wetlands, Ramsar Technical Report No. 7, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland.
10. Espelund, M. and D.Klaveness. 2014. Botulism outbreaks in natural environments – an update. Frontiers in Microbiology 5: 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb. 2014.00287
11. Getchell, R.G. and P.R. Bowser. 2006. Ecology of type E botulism within dreissenid mussel beds. Aquatic Invaders 17(2): 1–8.
12. Grubb, W.B. 1964. Avian botulism in Western Australia. The Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science 42(1): 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1038/icb.1964.2
13. Iranian National Standardization Organization. 2013a. Determination of mercury and inorganic mercury compounds- Method by cold-vapour atomic absorption spectrometry or atomic fluorescence spectrometry. ISIRI Code No:21659. ICS: 13.040.30
14. Iranian National Standardization Organization. 2013b. Foods of Plant origin— Determination of Pesticide residues using GC-MS and/or LC-MS/MS following acetonitrile extraction/partitioning and cleanup by dispersive SPE— QuEChERS-method. ISIRI Code No:17026. ICS: ICS:67.050
15. Iranian National Standardization Organization. 2016. Collection of settled dust samples using wipe sampling methods for subsequent lead determination-Guidelin. ISIRI Code No:21649. ICS: 3.020.99.
16. Jaafari, S., Y. Sakieh, S. Dejkam, S. Alavianpetrudi, M. Yaghubzadeh, A. Danehkar. 2013. Developing of management strategies for conservation of Miankalehwetland by using SWOT analysis. Wetland Ecobiology. 5 (2) :5-18. URL: http://jweb.iauahvaz.ac.ir/article-1-53-fa.html
17. Martinovich, D., M..E. Carter, D. A. Woodhouse and I. P.McCausland. 1972. An outbreak of botulism in wild waterfowl in New Zealand. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 20(5): 61–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.1972.34012
18. Mereb G., F. Rosetti, E. Castelli, R. Ganuza, L. Ottavioni, D. Cavallero, A.Calderon. 1999. Description of a botulism type C outbreak among waterbirds in the province of La pamp, Argentina. Anaerobe. 5: 191-193.
19. OIE (World organization for animal health). 2012. Standard Operating Procedures for Official recognition of disease status and for the endorsement of official control programmes of Member Countries for FMD. https://www.oie.int/scientific-expertise/collaborating-centres/sops/
20. Ramollo, P., 2016. Jewel of the Northern Cape is fading due to pollution. The Water Wheel: 36–38.
21. Rocke, T. E. & M. D. Samuel. 1999. Water and sediment characteristics associated with avian botulism outbreaks in wetlands’, Journal of Wildlife Management 63(4), 1249–1260. https://doi.org/10.2307/3802842
22. Rocke, T. E. and M. Friend. 1999. Avian botulism. in M. Friend & J.D. Franson (eds.), Field manual of wildlife disease: General Procedures and diseases of birds. pp. 271–281. USGS National Wildlife Health Center. Washington, DC.
23. Rocke, T. E. and T. K. Bollinger. 2007. Avian botulism. in N.J. Thomas, D.B. Hunter & C.T. Atkinson (eds.), Infectious diseases of wild birds. pp. 377–416. Blackwell Publishing. Ames. IA.
24. Rocke, T.E., 2006, ‘The global importance of avian botulism’, in G.C. Boere, C.A. Galbraith & D.A. Stroud (eds.), Waterbirds around the world, pp. 422–426, The Stationery Office, Edinburgh.
25. Russell, I., R. Randall, D. Zimmerman and D. Govender. 2019. Outbreak of avian botulism and its effect on waterbirds in the Wilderness Lakes, South Africa. Koedoe. 61. https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1553
26. Smith, G.R. 1976. Botulism in waterfowl. Wildfowl 27, 129-138.
27. Uzal, F. A., J. Glenn Songer, J. F. Prescott and M. R. Popoff. 2016. Clostridial Diseases of Animals, John Wiley & Sons.
28. Van Heerden, J. 1972. Botulisme breek uit in Welkom. Bokmakierie 24(3): 60–61.
29. Vidal, D., I. Anza, M. A. Taggart, E. Pérez-Ramírez, E. Crespo, U. Hofle and R. Mateo. 2013. Environmental Factors Influencing the prevalence of a Clostridium botulinum Type C/D Mosaic Strain in Nonpermanent Mediterranean Wetlands. Appl Environ Microbiology 79(14): 4264–4271. httPs://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01191-13
30. Włodarczyk, R., P. Minias, E. Kukier, T.Grenda, , K. Śmietanka, and T. Janiszewski. 2014.The first case of a major avian type C botulism outbreak in Poland. Avian Diseases 58(3): 488–490. https://doi.org/10.1637/10669-091913-Case.1
31. Wobeser, G.A. 1997. Diseases of wild waterfowl, Plenum Press, New York.
32. Woudstra, C., H. Skarin, , F. Anniballi, , L. Fenicia, , L.Bano and I. Drigo. 2012.Neurotoxin gene profiling of Clostridium botulinum types C and D native to different countries within Europe. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 78(9): 3120–3127. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.07568-11
Veterinary Research & Biological Products
Volume 33, Issue 3
September 2020
Pages 130-139

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 02 July 2020
  • Revise Date: 02 August 2020
  • Accept Date: 05 August 2020

Share

How to cite

Statistics