ABSTRACT:More than 70 egrets and herons were found sick or dead at an agricultural water reservoir in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan between September and October 2008. The birds showed weakness, lethargy, and inability to fly before death. Postmortem findings included large amounts of firm subcutaneous and cavitary fat comprised of necrotic adipose tissues with infiltrates of heterophils and macrophages. The birds were diagnosed with steatitis on the basis of the gross lesions and histopathology. Egrets with steatitis had low blood levels of vitamin E. High counts of cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa) were found in the reservoir concurrent with the outbreak of steatitis. No microcystin was detected in the reservoir water or the livers from the egrets. This is the first report of steatitis in wild birds in Japan.

Abstract. A parasitological survey was performed on 11 species of birds introduced into Japan: Cygnus olor, Branta canadensis mo$tti, Cairina moschata domestica, Phasianus colchicus karpowi, Bambusicola thoracica, Pavo cristatus, Psittacula krameri manillensis, Pycnonotus sinensis, Garrulax canorus, Leiothrix lutea, Lonchura malacca. A total of 17 taxa of external and internal parasites, including one protozoan (Eimeria sp.), five nematodes (Eucoleus perforans, Amidostomum anseris, Pseudaspidodera pavonis, Heterakis gallinarum and Synhimantus (Dispharynx) nasuta), four trematodes (Echinochasmus sp., Amphimerus anatis, Tanaisia sp. and Dicrocoeliidae gen. sp.), one cestode (unidentified) and six arthropods (Goniodes pavonis, Lipeurus maculosus, Ixodes turdus, Haemaphysalis flava, Leptotrombidium scutellare and Mouchetia sp.) were obtained and identified. Among the obtained parasites, Dicrocoeliidae gen. sp., I. turdus and L. scutellare from L. lutea, and Tanaisia sp. and L. scutellare from G. canorus, are the first host records, while P. pavonis and G. pavonis are the first geographical records from Japan.