APRIL, 1998
Wildlife Diseases Newsletter
JWD Vol. 34: No. 2

Charlotte F. Quist, Editor
Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Georgia
Athens, GA USA 30602
Telephone: 706-542-5349
Fax: 706-542-5977
E-mail: CQUIST@ADL300.VET.UGA.EDU

President's Corner....

In February, I accompanied one of the multi-agency field teams that are investigating the epidemiology of brucellosis in bison in the Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and discovered the difficulties that are encountered in studying diseases at the population level, particularly in a free-ranging, wildlife species like bison and in a location that limits some of the procedures used and the types of access to the animals. However, the value of examining disease maintenance and transmission within wildlife populations through multiple sampling of individuals and adult-offspring pairs far exceeds these difficulties. Population factors of social behavior, daily and seasonal movement patterns, age and sex ratios, reproductive patterns, and many others, contribute to the epidemiology of the diseases and would be missed or only estimated if investigations are limited to a few individual animals or for a short time period. Better tools and techniques are being obtained, some unique ones are being used in this study, that allow us to more thoroughly study the impact of diseases on wildlife populations. In addition, the new sources of information from remote sensing and satellite and GPS radio transmitters and the new analysis tools of GIS enable us to examine more clearly the interaction of populations and their diseases with environmental variables. Good scientific data obtained in this way can be effectively used by wildlife and health managers to make sound judgements about what actions are needed to alleviate or prevent disease risk; in this case, the risks of infected bison transmitting brucellosis to domestic cattle outside of YNP. This information can also be used to plan disease control strategies, including wildlife vaccination, to reduce the incidence of the disease in the infected wildlife population. Such long-term and comprehensive studies are not easy but give us the best look at the dynamics of wildlife diseases.

I would like to personally invite you to submit abstracts for presentation and/or attend the 47th annual conference of the Wildlife Disease Association at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, on August 1-13, 1998. Details about abstract submission and local arrangements are given on the inside of this issue of the Newsletter. Robert G. McLean, WDA President.

WDA ACTIVITIES

1998 WDA Conference. The 47th Annual Conference of the WDA will be held August 10-13, 1998, at the historic Memorial Union of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. The meeting will be co-sponsored by the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the University of Wisconsin (School of Veterinary Medicine and Institute for Environmental Studies), and the International Crane Foundation. As usual, the Editorial board and Council meetings will be held prior to the Conference on Sunday, August 9, and a welcoming reception will be held on Sunday evening. The general sessions will open on Monday, August 10, continue through Thursday afternoon, and possibly Friday morning. The general sessions will include two Symposia: Algal Biotoxins and Amphibian Decline. The student presentation competition will be held early in the week. Posters will be on display Wednesday and Thursday. Social events include a picnic and tour at the International Crane Foundation on Monday evening, featuring local brews and a variety of Wisconsin cheeses, and the annual wildlife auction on Tuesday evening (don't forget to bring your auction items!). A banquet on Wednesday evening will be followed by music and dancing on the Memorial Union terrace overlooking beautiful Lake Mendota. Madison is easy to get to via flights into the Dane County Regional Airport or by flying to Chicago's O'Hare Airport and traveling on to Madison via the Van Galder busline which drops off and picks up at the Memorial Union. Various accommodations will be available for conference participants, including inexpensive dormitory rooms, hotels within walking distance of the Memorial Union, and bed & breakfasts in the vicinity. Madison's August weather is warm and humid but beautiful. At the end of the day, the casual campus atmosphere will invite you to enjoy a cool drink while watching the sailboats and a beautiful sunset over the lake. Nearby State Street is a great place to shop and browse through many unique-to-Madison shops or to sip a café latte at a sidewalk table. A wide variety of other activities are available to conference attendees and their families, including tours of the Aldo Leopold Reserve; boat trips on Lake Mendota and other lakes surrounding Madison; visits to local Norwegian and/or Swiss communities, the Madison's Children's Museum, and the Henry Vilas Zoo; tours of local Frank Lloyd Wright architectural attractions; and fishing trips on the local lakes or on Lake Michigan. Get ready to join us in Madtown for a great conference in America's #1 place to live!!!!

We have set up an electronic mailbox to correspond with you for general information and abstract submission (WDAmail@usgs.gov) or you can contact Tonie Rocke, Local Arrangements Chair, at the National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53711. USA. Phone: (608) 270-2451; Fax: (608) 270-2415; Email: tonie_rocke@usgs.gov. For information on the scientific program see below.

For additional information on the Madison area and sites of interest see the National Wildlife Health Center's home page at http://www.emtc.nbs.gov/ nwhchome.html. We will be adding detailed information about the WDA meeting to this home page in the near future, including a meeting outline, area accommodations, and other items of interest.

Second and Final Call for Papers. Requests to contribute a paper at the 1998 WDA conference, as well as the accompanying abstracts, should be received no later than May 15, 1998. Please send the abstract via electronic mail to the Program Chair at: WDAmail@usgs.gov. If electronic mailing is not possible, please send a copy of your abstract in ASCII format on a computer diskette along with your printed copy to the Program Chair at the address below. Please include the names and complete addresses for all authors on the abstract and underline the individual presenting the paper, following the format of the attached sample abstract. Indicate whether you prefer to present your paper during a platform session, as a poster presentation, or if either option is acceptable. Abstracts of papers being submitted for the student competition should be clearly identified as such, and a copy also submitted to the Chairman of the Student Activities Committee (see Student Activities announcement).
Oral presentations will be limited to a maximum of 15 minutes. A presentation of approximately 12 minutes is recommended to allow time for questions and discussion at the end of each presentation. In fairness to others, please plan for the time allotted. Carousel 2 x 2 inch slide projectors will be provided. Slides should be given to the projectionist at the beginning of your session. It is the author's responsibility to have the slides loaded into the carousel correctly. If other audiovisual equipment is needed, please request these when the abstract is submitted.
For poster presentations we will provide mounting board, 6' wide x 4' high, and push pins for your use in mounting your poster display.
Submit abstracts to the Program Chair, Nancy Thomas, at the National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53711. USA. Phone: (608) 270-2400; Fax (608) 270-2415. Abstract Email: WDAmail@usgs.gov; Other Email: nancy_thomas@usgs.gov

Sample Abstract - All scientific names should be italicized

EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF WINTER TICK, DERMACENTOR ALBIPICTUS, SURVIVAL IN ALASKA.

RANDALL L. ZARNKE, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1300 College Road, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701; AL FRANZMANN, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, P.O. Box 3150, Soldotna, Alaska 99669; RICHARD BARRETT, State-Federal Animal Health Lab, P.O. Box 1088, Palmer, Alaska 99645; and W. M. SAMUEL, Department of Zoology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9.

Dermacentor albipictus is an ectoparasite of both wild and domestic animals in North America. It is a serious pest of moose in western Canada causing, among other things, premature loss of winter hair. Historically, 60o North Latitude has been accepted as the northern range limit of D. albipictus and this tick is not known from Alaska. Weather's effect on survival of tick stages of the moose (i.e., over summer) is thought to be important in determining population fluctuation and, possibly, distribution of D. albipictus. Because minimum temperature and rainfall requirements for survival and propagation of D. albipictus may be met in parts of Alaska, and as the potential for tick introduction rises, engorged adult female D. albipictus from Alberta, Canada, were placed in tick-proof cages near Fairbanks (central), Palmer, and Soldotna (southern), Alaska. Females laid eggs at all 3 locations. Eggs subsequently hatched at Fairbanks and Palmer, but not at Soldotna. Cooler microhabitat conditions are believed responsible for the eggs not hatching at Soldotna. These results suggest that this parasite could survive and propagate in Alaska if introduced into the State. Strict enforcement of existing domestic animal importation regulations will hopefully prevent such an introduction.

WDA Student Activities. The Wildlife Disease Association offers several awards to encourage student participation in the Association and our annual conference, and to recognize outstanding student research. Students are defined as undergraduate or graduate students in the basic or veterinary sciences, and veterinary interns or residents. Potential recipients must be members of the Wildlife Disease Association or must apply for membership at the time of application for the award. Student supervisors are encouraged to bring these awards to the attention of their students well in advance of deadlines. The following awards are available:

1) Terry Amundson Student Presentation Award. Deadline June 1, 1998. This award recognizes the best student paper presented at the annual conference. The award is based on the scientific content of the research and the quality of the presentation. The winner receives a plaque, $100 US and a conference registration fee rebate. In addition, up to three students receive Honorable Mention which includes a plaque and a conference registration fee rebate.
Students wishing to be considered for this award should submit an abstract by June 1, 1998 to the Dr. Nancy Thomas, Program Chair of the 1998 Annual Meeting (see above guidelines) and a copy of this abstract to Todd O'Hara, Chairman of the WDA Student Activities Committee, North Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife Management, P.O. Box 69, Barrow, Alaska 99723, USA. Telephone: 907-852-0350. FAX: 907-852-0351. E-mail: TOHARA@co.north-slope.ak.us

(Editor's note: As the deadline for application for the next two awards will be passed by the date of this publication, students considering these awards should check the January 1998 Supplement or the webpage for guidelines for application for next year.)

2) Student Research Recognition Award. Deadline April 15, 1998. This award is given to the student judged to have the best research project in the field of wildlife disease, based on written communication and scientific achievement. The winner receives a plaque and up to $1,000 US to cover travel, housing, registration, etc. related to the annual conference. The student will be the featured presenter during the Student Presentation Session at the conference.

3) Wildlife Disease Association Scholarship. Deadline April 15, 1998. This scholarship acknowledges outstanding academic and research accomplishment, commitment, and potential in pursuit of new knowledge in wildlife disease (or "health"). The scholarship has a value of $2,000 US and is awarded annually to an outstanding student who is pursuing a master's or doctoral degree specializing in research on wildlife disease.

Our Website has changed! To allow for inclusion of the Supplement to the Journal of Wildlife Diseases onto our website, we have moved the website to a new address. In addition to the Supplement, we have added information on the upcoming annual conference, as well as requirements for publication in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases. We will continually add additional volumes of the Supplement to the site as they are published, which will provide ready access to WDA happenings. Please visit us at: http://vet.uga.edu/wda

WDA Educational Aids. Starting in May, look for diagnostic mystery disease cases of the month on the WDA website. Anyone wishing to submit a classic and/or intriguing case should contact Lauren Richey, richeyl@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu, University of Florida, Department of Pathobiology, P.O. Box 110880, Gainesville, FL 32611-0880 (phone 352-846-2783).
A resource booklet, including lists of valuable reference materials and educational opportunities in the field of wildlife disease, is being assembled for email or hard copy distribution. Any individuals or organizations wishing to list field manuals, media materials, books, or any other reference materials along with information on how they can be purchased should contact Lauren Richey. This information will be provided on request as a service to WDA members, and does not represent WDA endorsement of these materials. Also, any individuals or organizations who would like to be listed as contacts for students interested in volunteer or paid externship opportunities in any area of wildlife disease should submit the appropriate information to Lauren Richey. Although paid externships are nice, there are some students out there who can volunteer their time in exchange for valuable educational experiences.

WDA 1997-1999 Officers, Council, Editors, Committees

Officers
President:  Robert McLean
Vice President:  Tonie Rocke
Secretary:  Elizabeth Howerth
Treasurer:  Leslie Uhazy
Past President:  Anne Fairbrother

Council Members-at-Large
1998:  F.A. Leighton
1998:  Charles Rupprecht
1999:  Marilyn Spalding
1999:  Scott Wright
2000:  Paul Barrows
2000:  James Sikarskie

Editors
Journal:  Danny Pence
Newsletter:  Charlotte Quist

Section Chairs
Australasian:  Rosemary Booth
African:  Nancy Kock
European:  Torsten Momer
Latin America:  Alonso Aguirre
Nordic:  Hans-Henrik Dietz
Wildlife Veterinarians:  Sarah Shapiro Hurley

Committee Chairs
Budget and Audit:  Leslie Uhazy
Nominations:  Michael Miller, Cathleen Hanlon, Todd Comish
Information:  Charlotte Quist, Ian Barker, Bill Samuel
Teller:  Elizabeth Howerth
Awards:  Scott Wright, Victor Nettles, Randy Zamke
Public Awareness:  Lynn Creekmore
Student Activities:  Todd O'Hara, Ellis Greiner, Sarah Shapiro Hurley, Thijs Kuiken, William Samuel (advisor)

Sections:  David Stallknecht
Time and Place:  Tonie Rocke, Nancy Thomas
Membeship/Promotions:  Joanna Mazet, Charles Rupprecht
Educational Aids:  Lauren Richey, Charlotte Quist, Ed Addison, Scott Terrell
Liaisons:  David Jessup
Electronic Communication:  Charles Rupprecht, Josh Dean, Walter Boyce
Carlton Hemlan Fund:  Thomas Yuill, Donald Forrester, Werner Heuschle

HAPPENINGS IN THE FIELD

Chronic Wasting Disease Found in South Dakota. According to an advisory by the State Veterinarian of the South Dakota Animal Industry Board, chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been diagnosed in two permitted captive elk herds in South Dakota. While this transmissible encephalopathy of cervids has been diagnosed in research facilities and in free-roaming cervids in other states (Colorado and Wyoming), these are believed to be the first confirmed cases of CWD in privately owned cervid herds in the United States. Captive non-domestic cervids are regulated in South Dakota by the Animal Industry Board for health and for possession permit. These regulations require inventories, identification, reports of all additions and disappearances, and reporting of illness. Upon report of illness, sample submission and laboratory diagnosis may be required by the State Veterinarian. It was through these methods that the disease was diagnosed. Epidemiology and a program of control for this disease currently are being developed. Extracted from the AAWV Newsletter; January 1998.

Barbiturate Poisoning in Eagles. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service (Wildlife Health Centre Newsletter, Winter 1997), three bald eagles were poisoned in British Columbia after ingestion of a barbiturate euthanizing agent, sodium pentobarbital. Two of the birds were found alive but profoundly sedated and unresponsive. The third eagle attempted to fly but collided with a tree and fell to the ground. Chemical analysis of regurgitated stomach contents (apparently liver or spleen tissue) confirmed the presence of pentobarbital. The birds were maintained at a local wildlife rehabilitation facility and were eventually released. Previous cases of fatalities in eagles due to secondary barbiturate poisoning have been reported in the Supplement's Quarterly Mortality Reports and in an excellent presentation by Dr. Nancy Thomas at the 41st WDA Annual Conference in El Paso, Texas in 1992.
In the United States, euthanasia solutions containing pentobarbital are controlled drugs and, therefore, are only available to licensed veterinarians. In the current report from Canada, as in Dr. Thomas' abstract, birds apparently were scavenging exposed carcasses of euthanized animals at local landfills. Euthanized animals are frequently disposed of in municipal landfills where the carcasses are supposed to be immediately and completely buried. This current case serves as a reminder to veterinarians and others who regularly handle and disposed of euthanized animals that these carcasses create a substantial risk to wildlife if left exposed. While eagles are the species most commonly reported as becoming poisoned, other scavengers would also be at risk.
In response to the Canadian incident, the Canadian Wildlife Service and the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment are investigating the incident and policies with regard to disposal of euthanized animals in landfills to determine if the procedures are legal or sanctioned. In most jurisdictions in British Columbia, euthanized animals are generally incinerated. This case serves as a reminder that we should all endeavor to reduce the potential for the occurrence of this type of wildlife poisoning. Editor's note: Thanks to the Laurie Wilson and John Elliot (CWS), and Dr. Malcolm McAdie (Ministry of the Environment) for contributing information for this report via the wWildlife Health Centre Newsletter.

Morbillivirus infection in four lynx. Several lynx (Lynx canadensis) from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia were submitted to our laboratory over the last year. For a few days in November 1996, an immature male lynx was observed hiding beneath vehicles in the community of Long Point. This aberrant behavior eventually resulted in the animal's death by a fatal vehicle accident. At necropsy, it was in very poor body condition. There was an inflammatory reaction in the meninges and brain sufficient to account for the behavioral abnormalities and the animal's debilitated condition. In December 1996, a second immature male lynx was shot when it acted aggressively towards a deer hunter, and other methods of scaring it away failed. Again, microscopic examination of the brain revealed a significant inflammatory reaction in the brain and meninges. A third lynx, also an immature male, was found by snowmobilers on the highlands in late February 1997. This animal had absolutely no fear of humans, readily submitting to capture and handling. It was maintained in a private home for a few days, then was sent to Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in Truro, NS, for rehabilitation. However, fine muscular tremors and an apparent lack of awareness persisted, and the lynx was euthanized. Microscopically, there was a severe inflammatory reaction in the brain, meninges and spinal cord. Extensive demyelination was present in the brainstem and spinal cord. Laboratory examination of the brain for rabies virus was negative. A fourth lynx, a mature female, was observed staggering and disoriented on a woods road in late July 1997. The animal could easily be approached and touched, as it was hand-captured by wildlife officials, taken to a local veterinarian and euthanized. Gross examination revealed an extremely emaciated animal, and microscopic lesions in the brain and spinal cord were similar to those identified in the third lynx. Laboratory examination of the brain for rabies virus was negative. Seven uterine scars were present in this animal'' uterus. It is doubtful that the young would have survived without their mother.
Further diagnostic work (i.e., immunohistochemistry and serology) has confirmed a morbillivirus as the cause of the neurological disease in these animals. A morbillivirus infection was previously diagnosed at our laboratory in two bobcats (Lynx rufus) from New Brunswick (see CCWHC Newsletter 3(1). Canine distemper is a well-known disease of canids, mustelids and raccoons that is caused by a morbillivirus. It can reoccur in a cyclical manner, thus acting as a limiting factor to population growth. Distember morbillivirus infection in cats is a recent event, with epizootics reported in captive exotic felids in North American zoological parks, and in free ranging lions in the Serengeti region of Tanzania. We are currently attempting to isolate the morbillivirus from two of the infected lynx. If this is successful, the virus can be characterized more completely, and this may help in identifying its origin and prediction its biological behavior. (Scott McBurney - CCWHC, Atlantic Region and Dan Banks/Don Anderson - Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources) Extracted from the Canadian Wildlife Health Centre Newsletter, Winter 1997.

DIAGNOSTIC RIDDLE

History: A 5-year-old bull elk (Cervus elaphus) was found dead in the woods by a wildlife biologist in late August, 1997. The only gross lesions observed were markedly deformed antlers, one of which is pictured below (Figure 1.). These antlers were bilaterally affected. While still in velvet, the numerous protuberances seen were hard, bony cystic structures. Based on the gross appearance of this deformed antler, what is your diagnosis?   FIGURE 1. Gross appearance of the right antler from an adult bull elk.

QUARTERLY MORTALITY REPORT

Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report. The following highlights wildlife mortality and morbidity events reported to the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) from October through December, 1997. There were 41 reports this quarter.
Many of the botulism mortality events in the western United States and Canada which began this summer ended in late September and October. Several of these events were quite large. At Old Wives Lake in Saskatchewan, the estimated losses were between 500,000 and 1,000,000 water birds; 85% were ducks and coots and of the ducks, 23% were northern pintails and 18% were mallards. There were estimated losses of 50,000 birds at both Pakowki Lake in Alberta and Whitewater Lake in Manitoba. Eighty-five thousand waterfowl were picked up by US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and UT State Division of Wildlife Resources personnel on the northern part of the Great Salt Lake. Overall mortality at this site was estimated at 300,000 birds with the majority being green-winged teal, northern pintails, northern shovelers, mallards and American wigeon. In addition to these large outbreaks, botulism type C in fish-eating birds occurred once again at Salton Sea NWR in southern CA. The primary birds affected in this event included gulls, white and brown pelicans, herons and egrets; the total pick-up was about 2250.
The largest reported botulism outbreak in the eastern half of the United States in the past decade occurred during October at Chautauqua NWR in Havana, Illinois. Refuge staff picked up over 7,200 birds. The greatest losses included 3,500 green-winged teal, 1,200 mallards and 600 pintail. The mortality slowed after water was added to the refuge and carcass collection was completed and continued on a daily basis. An estimated 20,000 waterfowl were migrating daily through this refuge and at risk throughout the mortality event.
Two mortality events involving approximately 150 western sandpipers, black skimmers, and a few other shorebirds occurred in July and again in October on Marco Island, Collier County, Florida. The cause of death in these events was poisoning by an organophosphorus compound. Subsequent contaminant analysis of birds from the July event confirmed an unusual combination of very high levels of phorate, diazinon, dimethoate, dursban and malathion in one bird and dursban in another. Western sandpipers are migratory while the black skimmers are resident birds in Florida. Biologists are baffled as to the route of exposure. To date there has been no analysis of stomach contents on birds collected during the second event to confirm these findings. NWHC and the University of Florida, Gainesville received birds from these events.
As in the winter of 1996-97, coots with neurologic clinical signs were detected in late November in DeGray Lake, Arkansas, and the presence of vacuolar myelinopathy of the white matter of the brain was confirmed. Despite an incredible amount of field work, diagnostic evaluation and research, the cause of this necrologic disease has not been determined. In late October, mortality of over 100 coots in a population of 1000 from Moore County, North Carolina was reported to NWHC by the USFWS. The site is a man-made 1100 acre lake that is developed as a retirement community. Coots that were necropsied had no lesions of infectious disease and histopathological examination of the brains revealed lesions similar to those found in coots and bald eagles from Arkansas. There was similar mortality in coots at this site in 1995. Brain changes were present at that time but no diagnosis could be made due to autolysis.
More than 300 ring-billed gulls have died in Lorraine county, Ohio since September. Clinical signs include convulsions and swimming in circles. Necropsy findings revealed birds in good body condition with a severe fibrinous hemorrhagic enteritis. To date, bacteriology, virology, parasitology and toxicology tests have been negative.
In the eastern United States, over 550 snow geese died of avian cholera out of an estimated population of 125,000 at Fomey Lake, Iowa. In the Westem states, avian cholera mortality occurred at multiple waterfowl wintering sites in Califomia and Texas during December. Sites with the most severe mortality include the Winchester Lakes in Haskell County Texas, state, federal and private lands (South Grasslands) and Los Banos oxidation ponds in Merced County CA, Lake Success in Tulare County CA, and the Salton Sea in Imperial and Riverside Counties Califomia. In Texas, the primary species involved are Canada geese while in Califomia, American coots, ruddy ducks, and white geese are the species comprising the greatest proportion of the pick-ups. By the end of December, 1300 birds had been picked up at Winchester Lakes and about 2500 birds had been found dead at South Grasslands and Los Banos oxidation ponds. Pick-ups at Lake Success totaled about 1800 birds. Cholera mortality at Salton Sea began the end of December and, by the first few days of January, 500 birds had been picked up. Califomia Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Investigations laboratory confirmed the diagnosis of avian cholera in birds from the South Grasslands, Los Banos oxidation ponds and Lake Success, while NWHC performed necropsies and cultures on birds from Winchester Lakes and Salton Sea.
Along with avian cholera mortality events, mycotoxicosis has been confirmed in Texas waterfowl and sandhill cranes this winter. In Howard County Texas approximately 150 sick and dead cranes were found and lesions of fusariotoxicosis confirmed, while in Eastland County about 150 dead northern pintails and mallards died from aftatoxicosis. The source of the toxins in both cases were unharvested or waste peanuts left in the field. Farmers were infommed of the problem and began plowing under peanuts to make them less available to the birds. Mycotoxicosis in the cranes was diagnosed at NWHC and in the waterfowl was confirmed by the TX Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.

[Webmaster's Note: Due to technical difficulties, to view the Table that usually accompanies this report, please refer to a hard copy or check the NWHC Internet site as listed below.]

e = estimate.
* National Wildlife Health Center (NW); Southeastem Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SC); Califomia Department of Fish and Game-Wildlife Investigations Laboratory (CA); Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Luboratory (TVD); Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Center (CCW); Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN).
Written and compiled by Kathryn Converse and Terry Creekmore, NWHC. The Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report is also available on the Intemet at http://www.emtc.nbs.gov/nwhcchrome.html/. To report mortality or if you would like specific infommation on these mortalities, contact one of the following NWHC staff: Eastem US-Kathryn Converse or Kimberli Miller: Westem US-Lynn Creekmore or Linda Glaser: Hawaiian Islands-Thierry Work. Phone (608)270-2400, Fax (608)270-2415 or E-mail kathy converse@usgs.gov. National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, WI 53711.

DIAGNOSTIC RIDDLE - Answer:

What is your diagnosis?
Answer: Bilateral antleromas. Microscopically, these antler deformities consisted of normal appearing antler bone, without any evidence of inflammation or neoplasia.
Comments: The causes of antler deformities include: genetic causes, injury to either the antler itself or the contralateral hindlimb, nutritional deficiencies, and physiologic-endocrine disturbances (GROSS, R.J. 1983. Abnormal antlers, In: Deer Antlers: Regeneration, Function, and Evolution. Academic Press, New York, pp. 193-217). This elk was part of a small and closely managed wild herd in which no previous antler deformities had been seen, making a genetic cause unlikely. Trauma generally causes hypertrophied antlers, not proliferative protuberances. This herd's nutritional status also has been closely studied, and no imbalances or deficiencies have been noted. The most likely cause appears to be a physiologic-endocrine disturbance, such as occurs in male cervids which have been castrated or have severe testicular dysfunction during the period of antler growth. This condition is reported most frequently and reaches its fullest development in castrated Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), in which it forms a tumor-like growth known as a peruke (GROSS, R.J. 1983. Castration, In: Deer Antlers: Regeneration, Function, and Evolution. Academic Press, New York, pp. 268-283). Since the carcass was in an advanced state of decomposition and was not submitted for full necropsy with the exception of the head and antlers, the underlying cause of this deformity remains unconfirmed.
Contributor: S.D. Fitzgerald, Dept. of Pathology and Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, PO Box 30076, Lansing, MI 48909-7576.

Editor's note: Submissions of Diagnostic Riddles are welcome; please include photographs to illustrate your case. If the answer is unknown or if further comments regarding a case are warranted, WDA membership are encouraged to respond to the Supplement Editor, and pertinent comments will be published in future editions of the Supplement.)

NEWS FROM EUROPE

Third International Conference of the European Section of the Wildlife Disease Association. This meeting follows on the success of the previous international conferences of the EWDA in Paris (1994) and Wroclaw (19960 and will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland from 16 to 20 September 1998. The conference will consist of offered papers and posters on any subject of wildlife diseases. The organizers hope to have at least one session on wildlife as reservoirs of infection for man and domestic animals. The conference will take place at the Moredun Research Institute situated approximately 8 km south of Edinburgh. Offered papers should be submitted before 30 June 1998. The organizing committee can be contacted as follows: Telephone; +44 131 445 5111; fax +44 131 445 6235; E-mail: currc@mri.sari.ac.uk.

NEWS FROM AUSTRALASIA
Over seventy years ago koalas were placed on Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia. The island is now grossly overpopulated and supports several thousand individuals, resulting in marked damage to habitat. The conclusions of a committee established to assess and deal with the problem have been rejected. The government decided that culling would be politically unacceptable. Consequently, a program of sterilization and relocation has been introduced. The long term success of this process has been questioned.
Ten yellow-footed rock wallabies were released back into the wild by the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia. Nine months after release eight are still alive and being monitored. Of the remaining two animals one died of pleuro-pneumonia and the other of an unknown cause.
Work has also been underway at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, near Canberra, to enhance reproduction of the endangered Gippsland brush-tailed rock wallaby. To date five pouch young have been transferred from rock wallaby pouches to tammar wallabies that were carrying similar sized pouch young. Three months later three of the tammars were still carrying the rock wallabies and all rock wallabies had recycled and were carrying pouch young. These joeys were also cross fostered and their progress is being monitored. This process, similar to double clutching in birds, has the potential to produce up to four young per wallaby per year, instead of the one young they would naturally produce. It is particularly applicable to rock wallabies as they cycle all year round.
The appearance of blind kangaroos and the identification of two "new" viruses in flying foxes helped provide the impetus to take the first tentative steps towards the establishment of a wildlife monitoring network. This would possibly be based at Australia's veterinary schools and may follow the format of the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centres.

Editor's note: This summary of Australasian events has been kindly provided by Dr. Peter Holz, Australasian Section Newsletter Co-Editor, Healesville Sanctuary, Healesville, Victoria.

AFRICAN SECTION. For information regarding the African Section, contact Nancy Kock, Department of Paraclinical Veterinary Studies, University of Zimbabwe, P.O. Box MP 167, Mount Pleaseant, Harare, Zimbabwe; telephone: 303211; fax:(263) (4) 333407/335249.

AUSTRALASIAN SECTION. For information regarding the Australasian Section, contact Rosemary Booth, c/o Currumbin Sanctuary, Tomewin Road, Currumbin Beach, Queensland 4223; telephone: (075) 5341 266; fax: (075) 5347 427.

EUROPEAN SECTION. Material suitable for publication in the Newsletter includes news of recent wildlife disease outbreaks in Europe, short case reports, announcements and reports of relevant meetings in Europe, and job and scholarship announcements. Submissions should be in English, but contributors for whom English is a second language and who send material in basic English or in their own language, will be accommodated as far as possible. Deadline for submission of articles for the next issue (July 1998) is 21 May 1998. Please mail (floppy disk preferred), fax or e-mail submissions to Seamus Kennedy, Veterinary Sciences Division, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Stoney Road, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3SD, Northern Ireland; telephone: +44 (1232) 525701, fax: +44 (1232) 525767, e-mail: kennedys@dani.gov.uk.

LATIN AMERICAN SECTION. For information regarding the Latin American Section, contact Alonso Aguirre, P.O. Box 8291, Honolulu, HI 96830 USA; telephone: (808) 592-8308; fax: (808) 592-8301; e-mail: Alonso.Aguirre@noaa.gov

NORDIC SECTION. For information regarding the Nordic Section, contact Hans-Henrik Dietz, Danish Veterinary Laboratory, Department of Fur Animal and Wildlife Diseases, 2 Hangovej, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark; telephone: 45-89-37-24-17; fax: 45-89-37-24-70; email: hhd@svs.dk

WILDLIFE VETERINARIAN SECTION. For information regarding the Wildlife Veterinarians Section, contact Sarah Shapiro Hurley, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 101 S. Webster Street, Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921; telephone: (607) 267-7472; fax: (608) 267-7857; e-mail: HURLES@DNR.STATE.WI.US

Note from the Editor: Please send meeting announcements, diagnostic riddles, position and grant announcements, miscellaneous items, etc. for the Supplement to the Journal of Wildlife Diseases to Charlotte F. Quist, SCWDS/Athens Diagnostic Lab, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602; telephone:(706) 542-5349; fax: (706) 542-5977; e-mail: CQUIST@ADL300.VET.UGA.EDU Double spaced typewritten or electronic mail files in WordPerfect 5.1 or Microsoft Word are preferred. The deadline for submission of articles for the next issue (July 1998, JWD Vol. 34, No. 3) is May 25, 1998.

TRAINING/EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Ninth International Training Course on Identification of Helminth Parasites of Economic Importance. July 6 - August 14, 1998. Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom. For further information, please contact Dr. L.M. Gibbons, The Royal Veterinary College (University of London), Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms Hatfield, Herts, AL97TA United Kingdom. Tel: (01707) 666208 Fax: (01707) 661464 E-mail: djacobs@rvc.ac.uk

1998 American College of Zoological Medicine Certification Examination. September 25-27, 1998. White Oak Conservation Center, Yulee, Florida.
The American College of Zoological Medicine Certification Examination will be offered at White Oak Conservation Center, Yulee, Florida on September 25-27, 1998. An applicant must be a licensed veterinarian and senior author on at least five refereed publications. Candidates who have completed a two year ACZM-approved post-graduate training program must have an additional year of experience under the supervision of an ACZM Diplomate. An alternate route requiring a minimum of six years post-graduate experience in zoological medicine also exists. A mentor program to assist all candidates is in place. The two part examination consists of a qualifying examination on the first day, which includes the medicine of avian, aquatic, reptilian, mammalian, and wildlife species. Candidates who pass may take the certifying examination in either general zoological (birds, reptiles, and mammals), wildlife, aquatic, or avian medicine offered on the following day. Successful candidates for Diplomate status must pass both the qualifying and certifying examinations.
The deadline for receipt of completed applications is March 31, 1998. For application materials, specific qualification requirements, or other questions concerning ACZM, contact Dr. Michael R. Loomis, ACZM Secretary, Hanes Veterinary Medical Center, North Carolina Zoological Park, 4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27203, phone (3363 879-7630.

Chemical Immobilization Training/Continuing Education. Safe-Capture International, Inc. will again present a series of 16 hour Chemical Immobilization Training programs in 1998. This program consists of 12 hours of multi-media, lecture presentations and a 4 hour "hands on" workshop. Lecture TOPICS Include: Techniques to minimize capture stress and mortality; Remote delivery technology: pole syringes, short/long range projectors, radio-tracking darts-what works, what doesn't, and why?; Capture Pharmacology: oral/injectable medications; Safe, consistent drug and dosage recommendations; Anesthetic monitoring under field conditions; How to recognize, prevent, and treat immobilization related medical emergencies; Record keeping/legal considerations; Human safety protocols/protective equipment; Handling accidental human exposure to immobilizing drugs. Workshop Topics Include: Developing proficiency with blowguns, short, and long range projectors; Comparative use of commercial dart systems; and Practical field emergency techniques. Dates and Locations 1998: *Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida: February 28-March 1, *Tampa, Florida: March 3-4, 1998; *West Palm Beach, Florida: March 9-10; *Nazareth, Pennsylvania: March 14-15; *Oskaloosa, Iowa: April 2-3; *Columbus, Texas (near Houston): April 29-30; San Antonio, Texas: May 2-3; *LaGuardia Airport, New York: May 1017; Buffalo, New York: May 19-20; *Columbus, Ohio: June 1-2; *Knoxville, Tennessee: June 6-7, *Winston-Salem, North Carolina: July 11-12; *Atlanta, Georgia: July 18-19; *Chicago, Illinois: September 12-13; *College Park, Maryland: September 26-27; *Boston, Massachusetts: Location TBA: October 3-4, *Walnut Creek, California (near Oakland): November 7-8; *Stevens Point, Wisconsin: November 14-15. Registration Fee is $350 Advanced/$400 General. The course is open to anyone interested in learning the technique, and is approved for Veterinary Continuing Education. For a detailed information packet please contact: Dr. Keith Beheler-Amass, Safe-Capture International, P.O. Box 206, Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin 53572 (Tel: (608~767-3071; Fax: (608~437-5287; E-mail: safecaptu~aol.com, Webehe: http://www.safecapture.com)

Continuing Education Available: "Sedation, Immobilization, and Anesthesia of Non-Human Primates": (16 hours). presented By: Dr. Keith Beheler-Amass, Safe-Capture International Inc., Dr. Jan Ramer and Dr. Carol Emerson, Wisconsin Regional Primate Res. Center; Dr. Joanne Paui-Murphy and Dr. Dave Brunson, University of Wisconsin, College of Veterinary Medicine. Topics Will Include: (For Captive and Free-ranging Conditions): *Human Gapture: How to Minimize Stress; *Taming and Training: What's Possible Without Drugs; *Oral Medications *Remote Drug Delivery Methods: The Latest in Equipment and Technology; *Pharmacology for Non-Human Primate Immobilization; *The Use of Analgesics in Non-human Primates; *Species Specific Immobilization Dosage Regimens and Protocols; *Anesthetic Monitoring for Captive and Field Procedures; *Capture Related Medical Emergencies: Recognizing, Treating, and Preventing Problems!!; *Personnel Safety Protocols: Procedures for Human Exposure to Immobilizing Agents; *The Effects of Immobilizing Agents on Hematology, Blood Chemistry, and Hormonal Studies; *Zoonotic Disease Implications with Chemical Immobilization of Non-Human Primates; *Developing Ethical Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Protocols. Dates and Locations 1998: *West Palm Beach, Florida: March 7-8; *San Antonio, Texas: May 2-3; *LaGuardia Airport, New York: May 16-17; *Winston-Salem, North Carolina: July 11-12; *Atlanta, Georgia: July 18-19; *Chicago, Illinois: September 12-13; *College Park, Maryland: September 26-27; *Boston Massachusetts: Location TBA: October 3-4; *Santa Ana, Califomia: Santa Ana Zoo: November 4-5 *Walnut Creek, Califomia (near Oakland): November 7-8. Registration Fee is $350 Advanced/$400 General. The course is open to anyone interested, and is approved for Veterinary Continuing Education.

For a detailed information packet please contact: Dr. Keith Beheler-Amass, Safe-Capture International, P.O. Box 206, Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, 53572 (Tel: (608)767-3071; Fax: (608)437-5287; E-mail: safecaptur.\aol.com, Webeite:www.safecapture.com)

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS

3rd International Raptor Biomedical Conference. August 9-11, 1998. Midrand, South Africa. This International Conference is the third in a series of which the first one was held in London (1980) and the second in St. Paul, Minnesota (1988). The conference will be held in conjunction with the 5th World Conference on Birds of Prey and Owls (August 4-11) and closed to the International Omithological Conference (August 16-22). The conference will start with practical labs on raptor orthopacdics, raptor ophthalmology and raptor rehabilitation techniques on Sunday August 9. The main conference is scheduled for August 10 and 11. Proposals for free communications and posters can be sent to the Chairman of the Scientific Committee: J.T. Lumeij, Division of Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine, University Utrecht, Yalelaan 8, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands, e-mail: J.T.Lumeij@ukg.dgk.ruu.nl
For further information on registration, hotel accommodations, the social program and field trips, please contact Local Arrangements Manager De. Gerhard H. Verdoom, P.O. Box 72155, Parkview 2122 South Africa; telephone: +27-11-646-4629/8617; fax: +27-11-646-4631; e-mail: nesher@global.co.za. He can also be contacted for infommation on the 5th World Conference of Birds of Prey and Owls. Please consult the websites of the respective conferences: http://www.unind.it/DSPA/wildvet/rapmed.htm and http: //ewt.org.za/raptor/conference/ for updates on the program and registration procedures. For information on the Intemational Omithological Conference, please contact BirdLife South Africa in Durban, Dr. Aldo Berutti; email: aldo@birdlife.org.za or the website: http://wwioc.org.zalothr_org.html

47th Annual Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association. August 10-13, 1998. Madison, Wisconsin USA. See full meeting announcement and call for papers under WDA Activites in this Supplement.

Fourth Meetings of Japanese Society of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. August 23-25, 1998. Hokkaido University. For further infommation on the meeting, please contact Dr. M. Asakawa, Department of Pathology, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582-1 Midori-cho, Bunkyo-dai, Ebetsu 069, Hokkaido, FAX: +8111-387-5890, E-mail:(askam@rakuno.acjp).

Third International Symposium of Aquatic Animal Health. August 30-September 3, 1998. Baltimore, Maryland. This meeting will be the first major international forum to focus comprehensive attention on a diversity of aquatic animals, including fish, shellfish, marine mammals and sea turtles, from a diversity of habitats including aquaria, aquaculture and the wild. The meeting will be held at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, located in Baltimore's picturesque Inner Harbor. For further information, please visit the symposium website at: www.soml.ab.umd.edu/AquaticPath/isaahweb, or contact Dr. Sarah Poynton or Ms. Sylvia Lee, Division of Comparative Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 459 Ross, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; tel: (410) 955 3273, fax: (410) 502 5068, E-mail: wellfish@welchlink.welchjhu.edu

Third International Conference of the European Section of the Wildlife Disease Association. September 16-20, 1998. Edinburgh, Scotland. Please see details under News from Europe.

AAZV/AAWV Annual Conference. October 16-22, 1998. Omaha, Nebraska. The American Association of Zoo Veterinarians will hold its' annual conference in Omaha, Nebraska, October 16-22, 1998, in conjunction with the American Association of Widllife Veterinarians. Program sessions include avian mammalian, reptilian and amphibian medicine, regulations/legislation/zoonotic disease, environmental enrichment/behavioral modification, aquatic species, Australasian species, case reports, computer assisted information management, emerging diseases, wildlife health as a monitor of marine ecosystem health, hot topics in wildlife medicine, reports from the field, northern species/Canadian issues, and a sesson organized by the World Association of Wildlife Veterinarians. There will also be a poster session, veterinary student and resident/graduate student paper competitions, and workshops/wet labs.
For information regarding session chairpersons, please contact either James Carpenter, DVM, or Keith Beheler-Amass, DVM. Dr. Carpenter may be reached at Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan, KS 66506. Phone (785) 532-5690, FAX (785) 532-4309. E-mail carpentr@vet.ksu.edu. Dr. Beheler-Amass may be reached at Safe Capture International, P.O. Box 206, Mt. Horeb, WI 53512. Phone (608) 767-3071. FAX (608) 437-5287. E-mail www.safecapture.com (available January 1998).
For additional conference information please contact Wilbur Amand, VMD, Executive Director/AAZV, 6 North Pennell Road, Media, Pennsylvania 19063, USA. Phone (610) 892-4812. Fax (610) 892-4813.

Second International Conference on Emerging Zoonosis. November 5-9, 1998. Strasbourg, France. The meeting promises to be of interest to investigators interested in zoonosis including veterinarians, infectious disease specialists, microbiologists, pediatricians, general practitioners and health administrators. The conference language is English. For information, contact: S.D. Pitlik, Target Tours Ltd, P.O., Box 29041, Tel Aviv 61290, Israel. Telephone: +972 3 5175150; fax: +972 3 5175155; email: trgt@netvision.net.il

Titles and authors of papers presented at the Symposium Causes and Risks of Wildlife Diseases in the Netherlands, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 11 October, 1996. The Proceedings, edited by J.E. van Dijk and J.T. Lumeij, were published in the Veterinary Quarterly, Vol 18, Supplement 3, 1996, pp. S121-S160 by the Royal Netherlands Veterinary Association, P.O. Box 14031, 3508 SB Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Wildlife diseases in the Netherlands; J.E. van Dijk1, J.T. Lumeij2, H.W. de Vries3. 1Department of Veterinary Pathology, Section of Laboratory and Exotic Animals, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands; 2Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Section of Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine, Yalelaan 8, 3584 CM Utrecht; 3Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, Netherlands.

Emerging diseases with a worldwide impact and the consequences for veterinary curricula; B.I. Osburn. Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA.

Impaired immunity in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) fed environmentally contaminated herring; R.L de Swart1, P.S. Ross2, J.G. Vos3 and A.D.M.E. Osterhaus4. 1Seal Rehabilitation Research Centre, Pieterburen, the Netherlands, Department of Virology Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Correspondence: Department of Virology Erasmus University, P.O box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Tel +31 10 4088280, Fax +31 10 43065145, E-mail deswart @viro.fgg.eur.nl. 2Seal Rehabilitation Research Centre, Pieterburen, the Netherlands, Contaminant Sciences Section, Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, Canada. 3National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Utrecht University, the Netherlands. 4Department of Virology Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

Effects of environmental contaminants in wildlife species. W. Seinen. Research Institute of Toxicology (RITOX), Utrecht University, Department of Veterinary Basic Sciences section Biological and Veterinary Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Fish diseases and environmental quality; D. Vethaak. National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management (RIKZ), Ecotoxicology section, P.O box 8039, 4330 EA Middelburg, The Netherlands.

Diseases of freshwater fish; O.L.M. Haenen, Fish Diseases Laboratory, Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-DLO), Laboratory of Fish Diseases, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad. the Netherlands.

Accumulation of cadmium and lead in red deer and wild boar at the Veluwe, the Netherlands; A.T. Kuiters. Institute for Forestry and Nature Research (IBN-DLO), Department of Animal Ecology, P.O. box 23, NL 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands. E-mail: a.t.kuiters@ibn.dlo.nl.

Calcium deficiency in wild birds. J. Graveland. Institute for Forest and Nature Research P.O. box 23, NL 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
The effect of parasites on wildlife; F.H.M. Borgsteede. Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-DLO), Department of Pathobiology and Epidemiology, Laboratory of Parasitology, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad. the Netherlands.
Tel. 31.320.238105. Fax. 31.320.238050. E.mail: f.h.m.borgsteede@id.dlo.nl.

Parasitic zoonoses in wildlife; F. van Knapen. Department of the Science of Food of Animal Origin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Diseases in wild animals in relation to nature management; S.Broekhuizen. Institute for Forest en Nature Research, Department of Animal Ecology P.O. box 23, NL 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.


Do roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) spread Borrelia-infected Ixodes ricinus ticks?; S.G.T. Rijpkema. Research Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, P.0. box 1 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands,

Survey of tick related problems in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the Netherlands; G.M. Dorrestein1, F. Jongejan2, S.G.T. Rijpkema3. 1Department of Pathology, Section Diseases of Laboratory and Special Animals, Department of Infectious Diseases, Section Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 8, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Leptospirosis in wild animals; R.A. Hartskeerl and W.J. Terpstra. Royal Tropical Institute, N.H. Swellengretel Laboratorium, Meibergdreef 39, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Syphilis in european brown hares (Lepus europaeus); J.T. Lumeij. Section of Avian and Exotic Animals Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 8 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands. E-mail: J.T.Lumeij@ukg.dgk.ruu.nl.

Health and welfare issues related to using (domestic) ungulates for the management of nature parks in the Netherlands; J. Oosterbaan1 and J.T. Lumeij2 1Koudhoornsewg 31 3886 PJ Garderen, the Netherlands. 2Division of Avian and Exotic Animals Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Utrecht University Yalelaan 8 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands. E-mail: J.T.Lumeij@ukg.dgk.ruu.nl.

Botulism in waterfowl; J.H Bongers and G.J. Tetenburg1. 1Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-DLO), Edelhertweg 15, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad. the Netherlands.

Veterinary science and nature management; H.J.Over. Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-DLO), Department for Research- and Public Affairs, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad. the Netherlands.