Infectious Diseases 2010

14 August 2010

The discovery of about a thousand dead birds in northwest Saskatchewan has the province thinking it's an outbreak of the Newcastle disease virus.
Birds found in the Meadow Lake and Jackfish Lake areas are being tested for the disease. Double-crested cormorants and gulls were found to have lesions consistent with NDV.
The Ministry of Environment says there are occasional outbreaks that happen naturally, but they are short-lived and kill limited numbers.
The province says anyone who comes across dead cormorants or gulls shouldn't touch or pick up the birds, and should report them to the nearest Ministry of Environment Office.