For Release: August 17, 1998

Contact: Lori Suprock 222-1267 or 789-0281

PROVIDENCE - Songbirds in 14 Eastern and Midwestern states are falling prey to a bacterial disease, says the Department of Environmental Management's Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Although there have been no reported cases in Rhode Island, Lori Suprock, supervising wildlife biologist for the Division says that the disease, salmonellosis, is considered pandemic through the East and Midwest, and that the disease has spread to some domestic cats that prey on birds. Although not a significant health threat to humans, she says, there have been reports elsewhere that some cat owners have contracted the disease.

"We would rather make the public aware of this so they can act accordingly," Suprock says. "It is simply another common sense reminder when interacting with wildlife."

The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell University in New York began receiving reports of dying birds in late January from participants in Project FeederWatch, a 13,500-member citizen-science organization whose members count feeder birds throughout North America. And, the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin has since confirmed salmonellosis as the cause of songbird sickness or mortality in states including New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Similar incidents of mortality without lab confirmation have been reported in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine to the National Wildlife Health Center according to Cornell.

The disease, which is transmitted by infected fecal matter, probably occurs wherever flocking species gather, but since many of the affected birds were discovered at or near bird feeders, Suprock says, the Division is offering tips on how to help prevent the spread of songbird salmonellosis.

• Don't feed songbirds in warm weather. They do not depend on your help then, and the disease thrives in warm, wet conditions.

• Clean bird feeders with 10 percent bleach solution whenever seeds or bird droppings accumulate. Place bird feeders over an easily cleaned surface like concrete.

• Remove spilled and soiled seeds, using gloves to prevent contamination.

• Do not try to rehabilitate sick birds without a legal required permit. Birds not appropriately treated with antibiotics can become carriers.

• If you must handle a dead bird, do so with care. Do not touch it directly, wear gloves, and wash hands thoroughly.

• Keep your cats indoors. Cats are a significant source of mortality among birds that come to feeders and are put in danger when stalking them.

Songbirds with salmonellosis exhibit the following symptoms: ruffled feathers, convulsions, intense thirst, loss of appetite, and listlessness. Although all of these symptoms can be found in other diseases, sick birds tend to stay near bird feeders, shedding illness and susceptible to predators.

Persons suspected of having salmonellosis - which is an illness reportable to the health department in Rhode Island - often exhibit systems of diarrhea, and nausea.