Friday Top of the Scroll: Bird bacteria found in carcasses at Tulare Lake
In March, heavy rain flooded canals and broke levees in Tulare County, leaving thousands of acres under water as the once-dry Tulare Lake reemerged from the farmland in central California. With the water came birds. And now avian botulism in two dead birds, according to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. The bacteria, which is not a threat to humans, was detected in two carcasses — a mallard duck and a white-faced ibis — collected from the lake and confirmed through testing, the department said in a statement Tuesday. … Outbreaks typically occur in park ponds, sewage treatment plants and rivers or creeks with shallow, pooled water, especially as the water becomes stagnant and temperatures rise.
Related article:
- CA Department of Fish and Wildlife: Avian botulism detected in waterfowl and shorebirds at Tulare Lake