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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

Lassa fever killed 72 people in six weeks
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said no fewer than 2,122 suspected human cases, 411 confirmed cases, and 72 deaths have been recorded from Lassa fever in Nigeria this year.
Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
Punch Newspapers

Kenai Peninsula man is the first person to die of Alaskapox virus
An immunocompromised man from Kenai Peninsula is the first known fatality from the Alaskapox virus, a rare zoonotic disease primarily transmitted through animal contact.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Rachel Cassandra, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

First deer with Chronic Wasting Disease found in B.C
The first known cases of Chronic Wasting Disease in British Columbia have been discovered in two deer in the Kootenays. Officials have been keeping an eye on the southeastern area of B.C. for some time, as nearby outbreaks have occurred in Alberta, Montana and Idaho. The two recent positive samples came from an area south of Cranbrook.
Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada
Castanet

Tick carrying Lyme disease bacteria found on dog in N.W.T.
A Lyme disease-carrying tick was found on a dog in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., with uncertainty about whether the tick originated locally or from a southern province.
Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

250,000 birds euthanized in Petaluma due to bird flu
Avian influenza or “bird flu” is hitting Bay Area poultry farms hard, with a quarter of a million birds euthanized in Sonoma County this week alone. Mike Weber, the co-owner of Sunrise Farms in Petaluma, says around 82,000 of his egg-laying chickens had to be euthanized after birds started testing positive for avian flu.
Petaluma, California, United States

Absence of Tomcods
Erratic temperatures led to the absence of tomcods, severely affecting local fishing.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Jacqualine Schaeffer, Janet Mitchell, Chris Dankmeyer, Sarah Yoder

Rabid skunk in Cambridge triggers public health wildlife warning
A rabid skunk in Cambridge, Ontario has prompted a public health warning to avoid contact with wildlife, as one person has already been exposed and received medical attention.
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
CBC

Avian flu detected on poultry farm in Chilliwack, B.C.
The H5N1 strain of avian flu has been detected on a poultry farm in Chilliwack, British Columbia, marking the first confirmed case in the province this fall and prompting increased precautions among poultry farmers.
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Highly pathogenic avian influenza confirmed in Pocahontas and Guthrie counties: No public health concern, says CDC
Two cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed in Pocahontas and Guthrie counties in Iowa, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that there is no public health concern.
Iowa, United States
KGAN

Mosquito-borne diseases found in emus, horses in Maine
Viruses have now been found in mosquitoes or in animals around the state, prompting health officials to warn Maine residents to protect against mosquito bites. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported positive tests for eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, in several emu flocks and multiple horses. Also, a horse tested positive for West Nile Virus in York County.
Maine, United States
Press Herald

Outbreak of avian flu on Hopen
There have been similar, even larger outbreaks of avian flue in seabird colonies in north Norway. In some cases, the losses were dramatic and major fractions of the colonies were wiped out. In Spitsbergen, avian flu was found for the first time in 2002, but the recent outbreak on Hopen is the largest one so far.
Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Spitzbergen | Svalbard

19 cases of avian flu identified in Dillingham
In Dillingham, Alaska, 19 cases of avian flu have been identified in common murres, with the virus still present in wild birds and genetic testing being conducted to determine if it is a new strain or a strain circulating in North America.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Thousands of Utah turkeys die after being infected with avian flu in Sanpete County
Thousands of turkeys in Sanpete County, Utah, have died from highly pathogenic avian influenza, leading to the quarantine and depopulation of the affected farm, with concerns about the potential impact on turkey sales during the upcoming holiday season.
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU)

Cambodia records 2nd death from H5N1 bird flu so far this year
A 50-year-old man in Cambodia has died from H5N1 bird flu, marking the second death from the virus in the country this year. Prior to his death about 50 chickens had died and were shared with neighbors to eat.
Cambodia

Avian influenza death of Alaska polar bear is a global first and a sign of the virus' persistence
The highly pathogenic influenza that just claimed its first known polar bear victim continues to circulate in the world’s wild populations.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Beacon

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Found in Seals on Marrowstone Island in Puget Sound
Three adult harbor seals in Puget Sound have tested positive for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 strain, marking the first incidence of HPAI in marine mammals on the West Coast, and officials are urging beachgoers to avoid contact with wildlife.
Marrowstone, Washington, United States
NOAA

Tapioca disease in pink salmon
White cysts in the muscle of salmon could be caused by Henneguya salminicola also called "tapioca disease". It affects the texture of the meat but is not a health concerns for people. White cysts could also however, be from a tape worm. That is a human health concern. Guidance on how to check the cysts to confirm and how to prepare food so it is safe to eat, is provided.
Kelsey Bay
Jayde Ferguson, Dionne Sanderson, Jordan Brubacher, Sarah Yoder, Ted Meyers

Bird flu outbreak hits Barents Sea coast
Reports are coming in about hundreds of dead birds from Hammerfest in the west to Murmansk in the east. A zone with a radius of five kilometers is closed and guards are in place round-the-clock.
Vidyayevo, Murmansk, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Avian influenza outbreak in Finnmark: a natural and environmental disaster
Avian influenza has now been detected along the entire coast of Finnmark. In Vadsø, the disease has not yet been detected, but almost 800 dead birds have already been removed. See video.
Vadsø, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
NRK

N.W.T. bison anthrax outbreak grows to 27 dead animals
This is the ninth outbreak in the territory since 1965. About 60 bison died in an outbreak in Wood Buffalo National Park last year. More than 300 died in the territory's largest outbreak in 2012. Bison can become infected with anthrax while grazing or taking dust baths.
Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada

More people contact us about viper bites
A Norwegian viper.snake (European adder) can make individuals very ill while others do not notice anything, Viper bites have doubled from 2022 to 2023 in the month of May in Norway.
Norway
NRK

High levels of PSP in Blue Mussels
Blue mussels collected on 6/15/2023, were way above the FDA limit for safe consumption of 80 μg/100g.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Rocky Mountain spotted fever outbreak in Campinas, São Paulo State
The Ministry of Health confirms the occurrence of three deaths from Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in Campinas/São Paulo, referring to an outbreak in the municipality.
Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Outbreak News Today

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

Avian influenza detected on kittiwakes in Harstad
Kjell Arvid Andersen thought the birds were behaved strangely. Then he and his neighbors found over 30 dead birds.
Nordre Leirvåg - Bjarkøy, Harstad, Troms and Finnmark, Norway
NRK

First bird flu casualty detected in Southwestern Alaska pending confirmation
As of June 1, laboratory testing was still underway and had not yet fully confirmed which variant of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza the migratory bird had, and there are other possible detections this year, according to Alaska State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Gerlach.
Southwestern Alaska, United States
KYUK

Brazil investigates four more suspect cases of avian flu in wild birds
Brazil is investigating another four new potential cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in wild birds, according to authorities from the state of Espirito Santo, where Brazil's first ever cases were confirmed this week.
São Paulo, Brazil
Reuters

Rabies outbreak worries health officials
Health and wildlife officials confirmed a dramatic rise in rabid foxes in Nome and the region, after a winter of increased fox attacks on dogs and people. According to an ADF&G press release, of 61 foxes that were dispatched in Nome and the area, 23 percent (or 14 foxes) tested positive for rabies. Of the 11 foxes that were found dead, or were killed by dogs or people because they behaved ‘rabid’, all tested positive.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Chile reports first human case of avian influenza; Uruguay begins vaccination in commercial poultry farms
The Ministry of Health of Chile notified WHO of the detection of human infection with avian influenza A(H5) virus. The patient is a 53-year-old male from the Region of Antofagasta in the north of Chile.
Chile
MercoPress

2 Oregon cats die from bird flu
Two domestic cats in Oregon died in December 2022 from highly pathogenic avian influenza, the bird flu that began spreading rapidly in 2020.
Portland, Oregon, United States
KOIN.com

Veterinarians say avian influenza has been detected in cats in Nebraska
Pathologists say they’ve detected cases of the virus, commonly known as the bird flu, in three cats in Nebraska.
Nebraska, United States

Dog dies after contracting avian flu in Oshawa
A pet dog in Oshawa has died after testing positive for avian flu, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says. The CFIA says the number of documented cases of H5N1 — also known as avian flu — in other species like cats and dogs is low, and based on current evidence, the risk to the general public remains low.
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

First birds, now mammals: how H5N1 is killing thousands of sea lions in Peru
Avian flu has decimated the marine creatures on the country’s Pacific coastline and scientists fear it could be jumping from mammal to mammal
Peru
the Guardian

Dead fish and bad air from algae bloom
There are miles of dead fish washing up on the beach. That's not all. Just breathing the air can be harmful.
Fort Myers, Florida, United States

Swollen limb in caribou
An image of a swollen leg on this caribou raises questions that it may be a case of brucellosis.
Koliganek, Alaska, United States
Constantine Johnson, Melany Eakin, Kimberlee Beckmen

Cat euthanised after being infected with bird flu, a first in France
Cat tests positive for Brid Flu. The animal lived near a poultry farm in Mauléon, Deux-Sèvres in the west of the country.
Mauléon-Licharre, Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes, France

Glacier Bay bear cub diagnosed with bird flu in rare case
A black bear cub in Southeast Alaska was sick last month with bird flu, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The cub found in Bartlett Cove, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, is only the second instance of highly pathogenic avian influenza being diagnosed in a bear amid an ongoing outbreak. Health officials say risk to mammals, including people, remains low.
Glacier Bay, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

Harbor seal with patchy fur
Harbor seal looking sick with patches of fur missing.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Bryan Reed, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Barbara Mahoney, Jaclyn Christensen, Kimberlee Beckmen, Gay Sheffield, Gabe Dunham

Kodiak brown bear cub dies of bird flu
It’s one of only four mammals in Alaska to contract the virus, and the first brown bear to be found with the disease.
Pasagshak State Recreation Site, Kodiak Island, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Saxitoxin detected in regional clam
By Diana Haecker
Savoonga, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Unusual bird behavior and illness observed across species on Yukon Delta
"Since about May 25, crews have been seeing multiple species showing what we believe are signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The signs we are seeing widespread is a headshaking that we equate to "getting the cobwebs out", like a person may do when they first wake up. This behavior occurs regularly every couple minutes. This behavior has been observed in: black brant, cackling geese, bar-tailed godwits, dunlin, lapland longspurs, spectacled eiders, emperor geese, greater white-fronted geese, sabines gulls, glaucous gulls, and red-necked phalaropes."
Newtok, Alaska, United States
Kimberlee Beckmen, Angela Matz, Louisa Castrodale, Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Michael Bruce, Andrew Ramey, Eric Taylor, Eric Taylor, Bryan Daniels, Rose Kalistook, Brian Lefferts, Brian Berube, Raphaela Stimmelmayr

Growing cases of bird illness in Norton Sound
Over the past five days there have been increasing reports of unusual behavior in a variety of bird species including brant goose, snow goose, white-fronted goose, and Canada goose.
Golovin, Alaska, United States
Maija Lukin, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Erin Nelson, Andrew Ramey, Carmen Daggett, Carol Oliver, Mike Brook, Louisa Castrodale, Bill Carter, Susan Georgette, Eric Taylor, Kayla Nay, Angela Matz, Brandon Ahmasuk, Gay Sheffield, Brian Lefferts, Kimberlee Beckmen, Bob Gerlach, Racheal Lee

Brant displaying unusual spinning behavior south of Nome
This brant was seen at Mile 16 of the Nome-Council Road exhibiting spinning behavior.
Near Nome, Alaska, United States
Eric Taylor, Brandon Ahmasuk, Andrew Ramey, Racheal Lee, Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Angela Matz

Second fox tests positive for rabies in Igloolik
After a second fox tested positive for rabies in Igloolik, Nunavut health officials are once again urging anyone who has been bitten by a fox or a dog to go immediately to their local health centre.
Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada

Where are the tomcods (Eleginus gracilis)? Kongiganak
The tomcod harvests in the Kongiganak, Cavuuneq and Ilkivik Rivers have been a failure. Also in other areas, based on observations from Chevak and Chefornak. Both the surface and bottom trawl results show a clear decline in tomcod biomass in the North Bering Sea.
Kongiganak, Alaska, United States
Brian Lefferts, Anna Godduhn, Jennifer Hooper, Janelle Kinegak, Dana Diehl, Tracy Lewis, Gay Sheffield, Cynthia Paniyak, Natasia Kassel, Elizabeth Buckingham, Mike Brubaker

Where are tomcods / Naugat Ceturr'nat (Eleginus gracilis)? Chefornak
Not a single catch was reported in the village of Chefornak. Meanwhile in Kivalina, dozens and dozens of tomcods are pictured and posted on "The Alaska Life" Facebook page.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States

Where are the tomcods (Eleginus gracilis)? Chevak
There is usually an abundance of this fish in the fall and early winter season. This is a usual harvest for most YK Delta coastal villages. Note: According to NOAA Bering Sea Bottom Trawl data, there has been an 88% decline reported in the biomass of saffron cod from 2020 to 2021 in the N. Bering Sea.
Chevak, Alaska, United States
Carmen Daggett, Gay Sheffield, Cynthia Paniyak, Jayde Ferguson, Ted Meyers

Research has no answers for continued seabird die-off
St. Lawrence Island, home to two native villages in the region, is also the summer home of several migratory seabird species, including kittiwakes, auklets, murre and shearwaters. Over the last several years, though, the bird colonies on the island have been shrinking, and no one has been able to determine why.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Blue mussel die-off in Skagway
"The first wave of dead mussels washed ashore on July 14th, possibly earlier but this was the first report we received. I took the pictures included in my LEO observation on July 16th, and the temperatures were only just then beginning to climb into the upper 70s and lower 80s."
Skagway, Alaska, United States
Kris Holderied, Mandy Lindeberg, Reuben Cash

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

State watching rabies attacks, new strain potential issue
A recent spate of attacks on humans and pets by foxes in Topsham may be in part due to a new strain of rabies. As of April 18, there have been five such attacks in Topsham this year. State Veterinarian Michele Walsh theorizes a rabies strain more associated with raccoons has begun infecting gray foxes.
Topsham, Maine, United States
Press Herald

YKHC Urges Pets Get Rabies Vaccines After Rabid Foxes Found
Three foxes from three Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta communities have tested positive for rabies in recent weeks.
Nightmute, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Man throws rabid bobcat after it attacks him and his wife
Happy Wade jumped into action when he saw the wild animal clawing and biting at his wife, Kristi. Both are currently being treated for rabies.
Burgaw, North Carolina, United States
KHOU

Nome and region is in the midst of a rabies epidemic
Nome and the surrounding area, including St. Lawrence Island, is fighting rabies almost as hard as it is fighting COVID-19. Because of the high level of rabies infection Fish and Game requested assistance from the National Rabies Management Response Program. Their job is to manage a wildlife disease outbreak. Several technicians and a rabies biologist are in Nome reducing the number of foxes.
Gambell, Alaska, United States

Red Fox Rabies Outbreak in Nome
The head of Alaska’s Wildlife Disease and Health Surveillance Program confirms that the City of Nome has a higher than normal case count of rabies in the red fox population. Usually in winter, most of the cases come from Prudhoe Bay and Utqiagvik. This winter most of the cases are from Nome, as well as from Kivalina and other villages around Kotzebue.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Two foxes test positive for rabies in Tuktoyaktuk
After two foxes tested positive for rabies in Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., health officials are advising anyone who has come in contact with a fox to contact the local health centre and report the incident immediately.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada

After a rabid coyote attacked a dog, Quinhagak lifted travel ban for a vet
A decline in caribou abundance is causing coyotes and wolves to come closer to the community of Quinhagak. When a rabid coyote attacked a local dog, it forced the village to bring in a veterinarian from outside the village - and temporarily lift the Southwest community's travel ban.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Jakolof Creek Fish Die-off
"Jakolof Creek is dry almost all the way up to the switchbacks and continues to recede. The early run of red salmon may have made it to the lake, but that is probably the only run that has."
Head of Jakolof Bay on Jakolof Creek
Brian Berube, Stephen Payton, Glenn Hollowell, Michael Opheim , Ryan Brubaker

Dead Pre-spawned Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)
During the summer of 2019, warm water temperatures lowered the amount of dissolved oxygen in rivers and caused salmon across the state, including Mountain Village, to die before they were able to spawn.
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Unspawned Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and Other Dead Fish
"Over 40 dead dog salmon, one shee fish, one lush fish, and two delmaga all dead along the river going towards the creek opening."
Kaltag, Alaska, United States
Kyle Wright, Carolyn Craig, Jayde Ferguson

Salmon Die-off
Salmon are dying along the Andreafsky River and Lower Yukon River before spawning out. Water surface temperatures have been unusually warm, at one point reaching 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States
Jennifer Dobson, Jayde Ferguson, Eric Alstrom, Brian Lefferts

Dead Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and Whitefish Along Yukon Riverbank
Dead salmon and whitefish found along the banks of the Yukon River.
Alakanuk, Alaska, United States

Dead Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) Floating Down River
"Our temperatures reached 83 degrees, and seem to be getting hotter! We think that maybe the warm water has something to do with the humpy die-off?"
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States
Jayde Ferguson, Anahma Shannon, Toby Thaler, Jolene Auliye, Gay Sheffield

Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and Other Fish Dying in Warm Water
Koyuk, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Chris Dankmeyer, Anahma Shannon, Rebecca Charles, Austin Ahmasuk, Racheal Lee, Jayde Ferguson

Cambodia tests more people for bird flu after death of 11-year-old girl
Cambodia has tested at least 12 people for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, the health ministry said, after an 11-year-old girl died this week from the virus in the first known transmission to humans in the country in nearly a decade.
Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Reuters

Dead skunks in Larimer County test positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza
Thirteen of the state's 14 confirmed mammal deaths have occurred in the past month.
Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Fort Collins Coloradoan

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