Bald Eagle Nestling Mortality Associated with Argas radiatus and Argas ricei Tick Infestation and Successful Management with Nest Removal in Arizona, USA.

Eight Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) nestlings heavily infested with larval ticks were found in or under a nest near the confluence of the Verde and Salt rivers in Arizona in 2009-11. The 8-12-wk-old nestlings were slow to respond to stimuli and exhibited generalized muscle weakness or paresis of the pelvic limbs. Numerous cutaneous and subcutaneous hemorrhages were associated with sites of tick attachment. Ticks were identified as Argas radiatus and Argas ricei. Treatment with acaricides and infection with West Nile virus (WNV) may have confounded the clinical presentation in 2009 and 2010. However, WNV-negative birds exhibited similar signs in 2011. One nestling recovered from paresis within 36 h after the removal of all adult and larval ticks (>350) and was released within 3 wk. The signs present in the heavily infested Bald Eagle nestlings resembled signs associated with tick paralysis, a neurotoxin-mediated paralytic syndrome described in mammals, reptiles, and wild birds (though not eagles). Removal of the infested nest and construction of a nest platform in a different tree was necessary to break the cycle of infection. The original nesting pair constructed a new nest on the man-made platform and successfully fledged two Bald Eagles in 2012.

Patterns of mortality in free-ranging California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus).

We document causes of death in free-ranging California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) from the inception of the reintroduction program in 1992 through December 2009 to identify current and historic mortality factors that might interfere with establishment of self-sustaining populations in the wild. A total of 135 deaths occurred from October 1992 (the first post-release death) through December 2009, from a maximum population-at-risk of 352 birds, for a cumulative crude mortality rate of 38%. A definitive cause of death was determined for 76 of the 98 submitted cases, 70% (53/76) of which were attributed to anthropogenic causes. Trash ingestion was the most important mortality factor in nestlings (proportional mortality rate [PMR] 73%; 8/11), while lead toxicosis was the most important factor in juveniles (PMR 26%; 13/50) and adults (PMR 67%; 10/15). These results demonstrate that the leading causes of death at all California Condor release sites are anthropogenic. The mortality factors thought to be important in the decline of the historic California Condor population, particularly lead poisoning, remain the most important documented mortality factors today. Without effective mitigation, these factors can be expected to have the same effects on the sustainability of the wild populations as they have in the past.

Lead poisoning and the reintroduction of the California condor in northern Arizona.

Since 1996, The Peregrine Fund has released California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) in the Grand Canyon region of northern Arizona with the goal of establishing a self-sustaining population, disjunct from other released populations in California and Baja California. A free-ranging population of more than 60 individuals now ranges within northern Arizona and southern Utah and has produced 9 wild young. The most frequent cause of death is lead poisoning from the ingestion of lead bullet fragments and shotgun pellets in the remains of gun-killed animals. In response, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has effectively reduced lead occurrence within the foraging range of the condors through hunter education and the promotion of nonlead ammunition. Most hunters have participated in the program. Throughout the course of the reintroduction effort, veterinary science and application have played essential roles in diagnosing fatalities and treating lead-exposed condors, a species with such a low natural reproductive rate that every adult is significant to the population.

Oral ciprofloxacin or trimethoprim reduces bacteriuria after flexible cystoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: To report a large prospective, pragmatic, double-blind randomized controlled trial to determine whether oral prophylactic antibiotics reduce the risk of bacteriuria after flexible cystoscopy (FC), as up to 10% of patients develop urinary infection afterwards, with significant morbidity and costs for health services. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 2481 patients were recruited into a three-arm placebo controlled trial and 2083 completed it. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three treatments; (i) placebo; (ii) one oral dose of trimethoprim (200 mg); or (iii) one oral dose of ciprofloxacin (500 mg), each administered 1 h before a FC under local anaesthetic. A mid-stream urine specimen was taken before and 5 days after FC; significant bacteriuria was defined as a pure growth of >10(5) colony-forming units/mL. RESULTS: The rate of bacteriuria after FC was reduced from 9% in the placebo group to 5% and 3% in patients receiving trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin prophylaxis, respectively. When rates of bacteriuria before FC were considered the odds of developing bacteriuria after FC relative to baseline were 5, 2 and 0.5 for placebo, trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin, respectively. CONCLUSION: This large trial shows clearly that one dose of oral ciprofloxacin significantly reduces bacteriuria after FC.