Botulism Killing Great Lakes Birds
Posted on: Tuesday, 15 January 2008, 12:00 CST
U.S. scientists said botulism spread by zebra mussels is killing thousands of birds along the Great Lakes.
Zebra mussels and round gobies arrived in ship ballast tanks in the 1980s and 1990s. Zebra mussels filter naturally occurring botulism and other toxins from the water. Gobies eat the mussels and birds eat the gobies, the Chicago Tribune said Tuesday.
Studies suggest the new food chain is concentrating botulism and other toxins and passing them up to predators.
Scientists have been studying the problem since 1999, when 311 birds in Lake Erie appeared to have died from Type E botulism. The next year the number increased to 8,000. The toxin spread through Lakes Erie, Ontario and Huron before hitting Lake Michigan in 2006.
The Tribune said researchers estimate 3,500 to 8,500 birds died last year along hundreds of miles of Lake Michigan beach in seven northern Michigan counties.
Source: United Press International
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User Comments (1)
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Posted by Don Mitchel on 05/19/2009, 14:50 Dear Sirs, Starting with the president , vice president, and secretary of state they know the serious game of Russian roulette being played on the issue of states rights and ballast dumping. As they were all senators who were not able to pass legislation protecting all Americans from the disease, virus and invasive species that ballast dumping delivers to American waters daily. They know it will only be a matter of time before a mutating virus kills. Marine algae has been known to harbor cholera, African swine virus since the 90's. The day of designer algae s are here and they could easily act as host to new more deadly pathogens. To leave our countries natural resources and our peoples health in a position for foreign sea captains to determine, should be considered treason as the lobbyist from countries who control our national debt and our banks, control our leaders from performing their duty, because of their economic dominance . God help us if terrorist learn the damage they can do by silently pirating a ship. Sincerely Don Mitchel |
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