RESUMEN
In the original version of this article, there is a typographical error in the third sentence of the Results and Discussion section. The number of cases in which anticoagulant-facilitated hemorrhage was considered the cause of death was 19 (not 9). This has been corrected with this erratum.
RESUMEN
Diagnostic and analytical findings are presented for 105 common loons (Gavia immer) found dead or debilitated in New York (USA) from 1972-99. Aspergillosis (23% of cases) and ingestion of lead fishing weights (21%) were the most common pathologies encountered. Stranding on land, shooting, other trauma, gill nets, air sacculitis and peritonitis, and emaciation of uncertain etiology accounted for most of the remaining causes of disease or death. Analysis for total mercury in the liver of 83 loons yielded a geometric mean (gm) of 10.3 mg/kg (wet basis) and range of 0.07 to 371 mg/kg, with emaciated birds generally showing higher levels. Organochlorine contaminant levels in brain were generally low, principally consisting of PCB's (gm = 2.02 mg/kg) and DDE (0.47 mg/kg).
Asunto(s)
Aspergilosis/veterinaria , Enfermedades de las Aves/patología , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales , Animales , Aspergilosis/patología , Autopsia/veterinaria , Enfermedades de las Aves/mortalidad , Intoxicación por Plomo/patología , Intoxicación por Plomo/veterinaria , Intoxicación por Mercurio/patología , Intoxicación por Mercurio/veterinaria , New York , Peritonitis/patología , Peritonitis/veterinariaRESUMEN
From 1971 through 1997, we documented 51 cases (55 individual animals) of poisoning of non-target wildlife in New York (plus two cases in adjoining states) (USA) with anticoagulant rodenticides--all but two of these cases occurred in the last 8 yrs. Brodifacoum was implicated in 80% of the incidents. Diphacinone was identified in four cases, bromadiolone in three cases (once in combination with brodifacoum), and chlorophacinone and coumatetralyl were detected once each in the company of brodifacoum. Warfarin accounted for the three cases documented prior to 1989, and one case involving a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in 1995. Secondary intoxication of raptors, principally great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) and red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), comprised one-half of the cases. Gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), raccoons (Procyon lotor) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were the most frequently poisoned mammals. All of the deer originated from a rather unique situation on a barrier island off southern Long Island (New York). Restrictions on the use of brodifacoum appear warranted.