Lead concentrations in liver and kidneys of snow geese during an avian cholera epizootic in California.
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.
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Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California 95521.
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
D007854:Lead