Sarcocystis calchasi Outbreak in Feral Rock Pigeons ( Columba livia) in California.

Twenty-two feral rock pigeons ( Columba livia) from 10 counties in California with ataxia, torticollis, and difficulty standing and flying were admitted to rehabilitation centers in late winter and spring of 2017 and died or were euthanized. Common necropsy findings included thin body condition, generalized deep red discoloration of organs, and hemorrhagic subcutaneous neck tissues. Meningoencephalitis was observed microscopically in 16 pigeons, and 3 also had protozoal schizonts in the brain. The most consistently affected regions of the brain were cerebellum and brainstem. Skeletal muscles, and less frequently the heart, contained large intrasarcoplasmic bradyzoites typically without inflammation. Fifteen of the 22 birds tested positive using pan- Sarcocystis polymerase chain reaction. The sequence of the amplicon was most closely related to S. calchasi, and the 8 subtyped sequences had 100% homology with S. calchasi. This investigation demonstrated the transcontinental and North American spread of S. calchasi causing a disease outbreak in free-ranging rock pigeons, thus warranting increased surveillance in susceptible native columbids.

Entanglements of marine mammals and seabirds in central California and the north-west coast of the United States 2001-2005.

Entanglement records for seabirds and marine mammals were investigated for the period 2001-2005. The entanglement records were extracted from databases maintained by seven organizations operating along the west coast of the United States of America. Their programmes included beach monitoring surveys, rescue and rehabilitation and regional pinniped censuses. Records of 454 entanglements were documented in live animals and in carcasses for 31 bird species and nine marine mammal species. The most frequently entangled species were Common Murres, Western Gulls and California sea lions. The entanglement materials identified were primarily fishing related. Entanglements were recorded every year suggesting that although the incidence level differs annually, entanglement is a persistent problem. It is recommended that each programme records details in standardized categories to determine entanglement material sources. Numbers of entanglements observed during these surveys are likely to be a conservative view of the actual entanglement rate taking place at sea.