Mysterious bird illness seems to have abated, Ohio Division of Wildlife says

A fatal illness that struck birds across a wide section of the eastern United States apparently has departed with the same mystery that marked its arrival.

The U.S. Geological Survey website, usgs.gov, on June 9 reported that starting in May, wildlife managers "began receiving reports of sick and dying birds with eye swelling and crusty discharge, as well as neurological signs. No definitive cause of death is identified at this time."

The birds were reported in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia, the USGS reported. By June, sick and dying birds were found in central Ohio.

On Sept. 8, the Ohio Division of Wildlife said the spread of the disease had slowed considerably and bird lovers could put their feeders back up.

"A majority of birds reported with the illness were immature or fledgling birds, and the breeding season is now primarily over. There is still no diagnosis on the cause of the mysterious bird illness. Research is ongoing at multiple labs," the Division of Wildlife said in a press release.

Because the disease was waning, the Division of Wildlife said it was lifting its earlier recommendation that bird feeders be taken down.

Feeders can play a big role in spreading contagious illness among birds, Division of Wildlife biologist Laura Kearns said previously.

"During a disease outbreak observed at bird feeders or when sick and dead birds are consistently turning up at a feeder, we recommend to temporarily remove feeders and bird baths for approximately 7 to 10 days to prevent congregation of infected and non-infected birds at the feeding site," Kearns said in June.

"Caution and vigilance are always necessary to help prevent further spread of diseases at bird feeders," the Division of Wildlife said Sept. 8.

The division recommends all bird feeders be cleaned with a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach, 9 parts water), rinsed and let dry at least once a week.

The USGS said a number of laboratories have been investigating the sickness since May

The USGS said those labs include the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, the University of Georgia Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, the University of Pennsylvania Wildlife Futures Program and the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

Although no clear cause has been identified, the USGS on July 2 said a number of suspected causes had been ruled out.

They included: salmonella and chlamydia (bacterial pathogens); avian influenza virus; West Nile virus and other flaviviruses; Newcastle disease virus and other paramyxoviruses; herpesviruses and poxviruses; and trichomonas parasites.

"Transmission electron microscopy and additional diagnostic tests, including microbiology, virology, parasitology and toxicology, are ongoing," the USGS said in the July 2 release.

Sick and dying birds were reported in Cincinnati and Zanesville, in addition to central Ohio.

One area that might have escaped the malady was Richland County.

"We have not seen any (of the sick birds) here at our facility," Gail Laux, director of the Ohio Bird Sanctuary in Richland County, said on Sept. 13.

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