title: Lead concentrations in liver and kidneys of snow geese during an avian cholera epizootic in California.
abstract: During an avian cholera epornitic, between December 1982 and January 1983, 58 dead, 23 sick, and 106 hunter-killed lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) were collected at Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Colusa County, California, USA. Fifty-one of the dead and sick geese were infected with Pasteurella multocida. Lead concentrations in the livers ranged from < 1 to 253 parts per million (ppm) (dry weight). Lead concentrations in the kidneys ranged from < 1 ppm to 547 ppm (dry weight). Snow geese with > 30 ppm lead, considered diagnostic of acute lead poisoning, had significantly (P < 0.05) lower heart weights and a smaller band of heart fat, compared to geese with tissue lead concentrations of < 30 ppm. Tissue lead concentrations in geese dying from avian cholera generally were lower than concentrations in hunter-killed geese, but the differences were not significant for either kidney (P = 0.08) or liver (P = 0.30) tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California 95521.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Gordus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005777:Geese; D005895:Gizzard, Avian / Q000737:chemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D010326:Pasteurella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016979:Pasteurella multocida; D012737:Sex Factors; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D007854:Lead