[ad_1]
Bromethalin, a common poison in rats, is the causative agent of a neurological disease that has sickened or killed birds of a popular group of naturalized parrots residing primarily in the Telegraph Hill area , north of San Francisco, according to a new study by the University of Georgia Infectious Diseases Laboratory and funded by Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue.
The study, published today in PLOS ONE, limits a multi-year effort to determine the cause of the disease observed in parrots of this herd since at least 1999.
"The investigation, inspired and funded by Mickaboo, required a team of veterinarians, pathologists and researchers.This is only because the poisoned birds were wild parrots that the state has been the subject of such a thorough investigation. "said the first author, Fern Van Sant, whose clinic, For the Birds, in San Jose, California, has provided care to many affected parrots. "The results offer us the opportunity to evaluate the real risk that this rodenticide presents to domestic animals and wildlife and to pinpoint the risk of potential contamination of soil and water."
The study focused on four parrots presented in 2018 with a series of characteristic neurological signs reported by veterinary veterinarians to varying degrees: ataxia, cerclage, convulsions and tumbling. Three of these parrots, like many before them, were euthanized when their condition worsened and they could no longer feed themselves.
The research team looked for bromethalin, or its active metabolite, demethyl bromethalin, based on their findings in 15 historical cases from 2013 to 2017. Historical cases lacked evidence of viruses known to cause disease Neurological in parrots, as well as exposure to lead. or other toxins. However, pathologists have found consistent lesions in the central nervous system suggestive of bromethalin poisoning.
Bromethalin is difficult to detect, especially in live animals and especially in wild birds. Some badays have detected bromethalin in adipose animal tissues, but birds usually do not show excess fat from which samples can be taken and tested. In their study, the team led by UGA examined fecal samples of live birds as well as liver and brain samples from deceased parrots. The co-author, Sayed M. Hbadan, director of the UGA laboratory for environmental badysis of the Center for Applied Studies on Isotopes, detected bromethalin and desmethyl bromethalin in brain and liver samples. and stool using high performance liquid chromatography.
The results of the study suggest that parrots do not metabolize potent neurotoxin in the same manner as described in other species and / or that they ingest a sublethal dose. The authors do not know how parrots are exposed to bromethalin, but they plan a follow-up study to determine the source.
"We now need funds from individuals and groups interested in protecting our environment to help us understand if this toxin is accumulating in a space where it could pose a health risk to people." other wild animals or possibly pets and people, "said co-author Branson W. Ritchie, professor of veterinary research and co-director of the Infectious Diseases Laboratory.
Birds reside primarily in neighborhoods near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and frequent the area's parks, but infected birds have been found throughout San Francisco, including the busy downtown streets and sidewalks. . The total number of birds affected so far is difficult to estimate, but from 2003 to 2018, Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue had set records for 158 San Francisco parrots, including 55 dead, 53 adopted, 22 released, including three who had escaped and 25 remain in foster care. Many foster and adopted birds have persistent neurological deficits, including paresis and ataxia, that require special care.
Members of the public who come in contact with a parrot likely to be affected should immediately report the bird and its location to San Francisco Animal Care and Control, at 415-554-9400; Poisoned birds need the help of a professional and should not be handled or injured. If necessary, a towel can be used to move the bird in a secure box or kennel.
"Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue is grateful to Dr. Van Sant, of the University of Georgia, and to all the skilled professionals who have worked so hard and so long to discover what had killed these magnificent birds," said Michelle Yesney. , Current CEO Mickaboo. Parrots and their plight gained notoriety after being featured in a book and documentary titled "Telegraph Hill's Wild Parrots".
Explore further:
Neuroscientists discover the secret of intelligence in parrots
More information:
Fern Van Sant et al, Bromethalin addiction was confirmed in San Francisco's "Telegraph Hill" conures, PLOS ONE (2019). DOI: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0213248
Source link
