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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Avian influenza detected in Tromsø
Avian influenza was confirmed in four seagulls in Tromsø, Norway, prompting authorities to advise the public against handling dead or sick birds without protection.
Tromsø, Troms og Finnmark, Norway
NRK Troms og Finnmark

Fish and Game kills 2 Dall sheep due to likely exposure to pathogen
Alaska Fish and Game shot two young Dall sheep near Salcha after potential exposure to Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae to prevent disease spread threatening the state’s declining population.
Salcha, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States
KUAC.org

Avian influenza detected in gull
High pathogenic avian influenza was detected in a wild black-backed gull in Vadsø, Norway.
Vadsø, Troms og Finnmark, Norway
iFinnmark

Bird Flu Detected in Arctic Foxes in Svalbard
Highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed in four Arctic fox pups near Barentsburg, Svalbard—the first detection of bird flu in Arctic foxes in Norway. Sick cubs and adult foxes were euthanized to prevent further spread.
Barentsburg, Svalbard, Norway
High North News

Infectious Salmon Anemia Detected at Fish Farm in Troms
Infectious salmon anemia (ILA) has been confirmed at a SalMar aquaculture facility in Trettevik, Senja municipality in Troms, triggering a 10–20 km restriction zone to prevent disease spread.
Trettevik, Senja, Troms, Norway
NRK Troms og Finnmark

New Hampshire resident dies after testing positive for mosquito-borne encephalitis virus
A New Hampshire resident's death from EEE prompts concerns over the virus's spread, leading to nighttime outdoor activity bans in Massachusetts towns.
Hampstead, New Hampshire, United States
AP News

50 Massachusetts beaches closed for unsafe bacteria as residents try to enjoy weekend before Labor Day
Over the past few months, the Mass Department of Public Health, working with the Department of Recreation and Conservation, has deemed dozens of water locations throughout the state closed due to high bacteria levels.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
CBS Boston

The first case of a walrus dying of bird flu registered on Svalbard
“Last year we got several reports from tourists and scientists that they saw around six walruses dead here on the west side of Svalbard. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sample them as the dead walruses drifted away by the time we got to the place. But it’s not normal to get so many reported dead walruses in such a small area," said Christian Lydersen, senior scientist at the Norwegian Polar Institute. Now samples (collected by a Station Manager in July 2023) have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
The Independent Barents Observer

Influenza found in pigs at Oakland County Fair
Officials say several pigs at the Oakland County Fair tested positive for the Influenza A virus, with is the causative agent of the swine flu.
Detroit, Michigan, United States

5 people contract malaria within U.S. borders — first such cases in two decades
The last confirmed instance of local transmission happened in 2003, when eight people became infected in Palm Beach County, Fla., the CDC said.
United States
Washington Post

Burlington bat has rabies. 1st case this year, Halton public health officials say
Halton Region Public Health confirmed the first case of rabies in a bat this year after finding the infected animal in Aldershot, a neighbourhood in Burlington.
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
CBC

ADF&G dispatches rabid moose roaming through Teller
A moose that was killed in Teller last week had been infected with rabies, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game confirmed.
Teller, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Avian Influenza suspected on Yukon Delta
Dead birds suspected to have died from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza have been found on Kigigak Island and Tutakoke River in Alaska, with other bird species displaying unusual behaviors.
Kigigak Island and Tutakoke River, Alaska, United States
January Frost, Bryan Daniels, Andrew Ramey, Bob Gerlach, Brian Lefferts, Sarah Yoder, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Joey Billy, John Stedman

New avian flu virus subtype found in P.E.I. birds and raccoons
H5N5, a new subtype of the avian influenza virus, has been found in birds and raccoons in P.E.I. It's closely related to the H5N1 virus that's caused mass death among seabird populations in Atlantic Canada.
Prince Edward Island, Canada
CBC

Hemorrhagic Disease Reported in Deer in Numerous Counties
Scattered observations of sick and dead deer due to an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease have been reported in numerous counties across the Mountains, Piedmont and Coastal Plain of North Carolina over the last month. Officials with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are asking that citizens report dead or obviously sick deer to their local district wildlife biologist to help monitor the impact of the disease on deer herds across the state.
North Carolina, United States
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Alaska’s first monkeypox case recorded in Anchorage
Anchorage Health Department officials say the person who tested positive is an Anchorage resident and is isolating at home. Officials say the person did not require hospitalization, and was a close contact of a person who recently traveled out of state.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Sea cucumber die-off near Vancouver Island
When Kathleen Reed descended for her usual weekly dive off the coast of Nanaimo, B.C., last Saturday she was shocked by how many dead sea cucumbers she saw. Experts and harvesters fear that sea cucumbers are being hit by an illness similar to sea star wasting disease.
Dolphin Beach, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

B.C.'s heat wave may be to blame for several cases of shellfish poisoning
Several people have fallen ill with food poisoning after eating shellfish in B.C. in the last 10 days, and health officials are warning that warm ocean waters might be to blame.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

N.W.T. has now detected mosquito borne viruses
Of the 92 pools of mosquitoes tested, 30 had at least one mosquito that tested positive for California serogroup viruses. There has been one confirmed diagnosis of meningoencephalitis — a severe neurological condition — caused by the snowshoe hare virus. There have been no positive cases yet of West Nile Virus.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Rabid bat discovered in Toronto's High Park
A bat in High Park tested positive for rabies on Wednesday, according to Toronto Public Health.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Advisory
The Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research program found that all shellfish species in Settler's Cove and Seaport Beach in Ketchikan and Starrigavan North beach in Sitka are affected by high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Toxin, posing the risk of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning for consumers.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
Southeast Tribal Ocean Research

Russia begins mass vaccination against bubonic plague in danger areas near border with Mongolia
Urgent steps were taken after a wide spread of the pathogen via fleas was detected in two districts - Ovyursky and Mongun-Taiginsky So far 2,500 adults, and 623 children were vaccinated to prevent flea-spreading of the decease.
Republic of Tuva
Siberia Times

A person was fatally poisoned by mussels in Dutch Harbor, and now Alaska warns of high toxin levels
A person has died from paralytic shellfish poisoning after eating blue mussels and snails in the Aleutian Island community of Unalaska, state health officials confirmed Wednesday.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
KCUB Unalaska

Mongolia Quarantines Russian Border Region Over Bubonic Plague Suspicion
Lab tests confirmed that two individuals had contracted the illness after eating marmot meat.
Khovd, Hovd, Mongolia
The Moscow Times

Mosquito species that could spread malaria found in Finland
*Anopheles daciae*, commonly found in eastern Europe and the Balkan States and thought to be possible carriers of malaria, has been observed in several regions of Finland.
Finland
Yle Uutiset

Plastic pollution in Thailand soars during Covid-19 pandemic
Thai canals are clogged with discarded packaging, landfills are overflowing with mountains of bags, and trash bins are stuffed full of crumpled food wrapping.
Thailand
South China Morning Post

Walrus tongue tests positive for trichinella in Rankin Inlet
A public health advisory sent out Friday says anyone who has eaten uncooked walrus recently, and has experienced stomach pain, muscle pain, diarrhea, swollen eyelids, sweating and weakness, may be infected with trichinella, 'a parasite that causes worm disease.'
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada

Hospital workers in PPE suffering in the heat
Hospital staff in protective gear are suffering as central Sweden experiences a heatwave.
Södertälje, Stockholm, Sweden
Radio Sweden

"Uncontrolled outbreak" says city in northern Sweden and imposes lockdown
Regional authorities report about 55 new cases since yesterday, with major outbreaks reported from both local retirement homes and among workers at LKAB mining company.
Gällivare, Norrbotten, Sweden
The Independent Barents Observer

After infection of more than 2,000 workers, situation comes under control at Belokamenka construction site
Meanwhile, the spreading of the virus appears to have moved to other towns in the region. Among the new local hotspots for the virus is the city of Monchegorsk where 26 new cases were registered on the 16th June.
Murmansk, Murmansk, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Sea Lice Plagues Return and Threat to Wild Salmon Increases
Major sea lice epidemics have erupted on Atlantic salmon fish farms on Vancouver Island’s west coast over the last three months, according to industry, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and independent reports.
Clayquot Sound, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

New England Seals Test Positive for Avian Flu and Distemper
Preliminary results suggest that avian flu and/or phocine distemper virus may be contributing to the elevated seal strandings in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts since June 1, 2018.
Lewiston, Maine, United States
NOAA

Experts warn of threat of born-again smallpox from old Siberian graveyards
There was a town where up to 40% of the population died. Naturally, the bodies were buried under the upper layer of permafrost soil, on the bank of the Kolyma River. Now, a little more than 100 years later, Kolyma's floodwaters have started eroding the banks.'
Zashiversk
Siberia Times

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