Chemical deicer poisoning was suspected as a cause of the 2005-2006 wintertime mortality of small wild birds in Hokkaido.
Many small wild birds died in the 2005-2006 wintertime in Hokkaido. Thirteen birds were pathologically examined and it was attempted to detect West Nile and influenza viruses from their organs. Consecutive pathological changes were fresh hemorrhage and acute circulatory failure. Viral detections were negative. Selective occurrence in wintertime, literature review and the results of pathological and virological examinations suggested chemical deicer poisoning as the cause of wild bird death. Chicks treated orally with deicer showed acute death and their pathological changes were similar to those of the wild birds. Because the chicks showed significant elevation of plasma Na concentration, plasma electrolyte analysis of the affected wild birds might be crucial to confirm our tentative diagnosis.
Tanaka
Tomohisa
T
Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Tanoue
Ginpei
G
Yamasaki
Masahiro
M
Takashima
Ikuo
I
Sakoda
Yoshihiro
Y
Ochiai
Kenji
K
Umemura
Takashi
T
D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015636:Magnesium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D020308:Songbirds
D015636:Magnesium Chloride; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012964:Sodium