Avian Botulism in Alberta: a History
Ecology and Management of Avian Botulism on the Canadian Prairies Prepared for: Prairie Habitat Joint Venture Science Committee, August 2011 ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF AVIAN BOTULISM ON THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES Primary Authors: TRENT K. BOLLINGER1, DANIEL D. EVELSIZER3, KEVIN W. DUFOUR2,3, CATHERINE SOOS1,2, ROBERT G. CLARK2,3, GARY WOBESER1, F. PATRICK KEHOE4, KARLA L. GUYN4, and MARGO J. PYBUS5 Additional Contributors: Henry Murkin4, Brett Calverley4, Meagan Hainstock4 The following individuals are recognized and thanked for their strong support and leadership of PHJV’s response to avian botulism: Bruce Batt, Ducks Unlimited Inc. (retired) Brian Gray, Ducks Unlimited Canada (currently, Environment Canada) Bill Gummer, Canadian Wildlife Service (retired) Gerald McKeating, Canadian Wildlife Service (retired) Cover Page Design: Jeope Wolfe4 1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan 2 Environment Canada, Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre 3 Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan 4 Ducks Unlimited Canada 5 Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Avian botulism (Clostridium botulinum, Type C; hereafter ‘botulism’) has occurred on the Prairies and elsewhere for centuries. Botulism affects varying numbers of birds, often in multiple locations, at some time virtually every year. After the formation of the Prairie Habitat Joint Venture (PHJV) in 1988, and as early as 1994, it was becoming increasingly apparent that very large numbers of ducks and shorebirds were dying annually during botulism outbreaks at several large wetlands on the Canadian Prairies. The magnitude of these losses created considerable consternation in the North American waterfowl and wildlife management community. At the time, wetland surveillance and carcass removal (or ‘clean-up’) were used to try to limit the severity of these outbreaks, but the efficacy of this approach was unknown.
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