Links between type E botulism outbreaks, lake levels, and surface water temperatures in Lake Michigan, 1963–2008

Lafrancois, Brenda Moraska; Riley, Stephen C.; Blehert, David S.; Ballmann, Anne

doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2010.10.003

Cited by 29 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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Section: Fig 6 Quantification Ofmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…BoNT/E outbreaks in the Great Lakes region typically occur between June and December and correlate with low mean annual water levels and increased surface water temperatures (25). It has been hypothesized that BoNT/E is mobilized through Great Lakes aquatic food webs consisting of exotic species (19,25,32,33), providing a potential link between sediment-inhabiting clostridia and the intoxication of fish-eating birds. Using the BoTest Matrix E assay to conduct enhanced epidemiological investigations of avian BoNT/E outbreaks, including the analysis of aquatic food web components, would aid in our understanding of toxin mobilization pathways and provide critical insights for the management and conservation of bird species in the Great Lakes region.…”

Section: Fig 6 Quantification Ofmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In Vitro Detection and Quantification of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type E Activity in Avian Blood

Piazza

Blehert

Dunning

et al. 2011

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Botulinum neurotoxin serotype E (BoNT/E) outbreaks in the Great Lakes region cause large annual avian mortality events, with an estimated 17,000 bird deaths reported in 2007 alone. During an outbreak investigation, blood collected from bird carcasses is tested for the presence of BoNT/E using the mouse lethality assay. While sensitive, this method is labor-intensive and low throughput and can take up to 7 days to complete. We developed a rapid and sensitive in vitro assay, the BoTest Matrix E assay, that combines immunoprecipitation with high-affinity endopeptidase activity detection by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to rapidly quantify BoNT/E activity in avian blood with detection limits comparable to those of the mouse lethality assay. On the basis of the analysis of archived blood samples (n ‫؍‬ 87) collected from bird carcasses during avian mortality investigations, BoTest Matrix E detected picomolar quantities of BoNT/E following a 2-h incubation and femtomolar quantities of BoNT/E following extended incubation (24 h) with 100% diagnostic specificity and 91% diagnostic sensitivity.

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Section: Fig 6 Quantification Ofmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Fig 6 Quantification Ofmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Vitro Detection and Quantification of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type E Activity in Avian Blood

Piazza

Blehert

Dunning

et al. 2011

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…Avian botulism outbreaks due to type E have been observed around the Great Lakes and are sporadic temporally and spatially (6)(7)(8)(9)(10). Avian botulism outbreaks were reported in the early 1900s, but intensive study did not begin until the 1960s when people died from the consumption of improperly smoked Lake Superior fish (11,12).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The environmental and physicochemical conditions that drive avian botulism outbreaks are uncertain: low lake levels, shallow bays, reduced water exchange with open water, and increasing lake temperatures may increase the chance of botulism outbreaks (9,12,24). C. botulinum growth and toxin production may depend on several factors.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…High concentrations of C. botulinum type E in lake sediment have been correlated with land drainage, water currents, and sediment deposition (25). Increased water temperatures may enhance the type E detection in sediment, potentially indicating bacterial growth under anoxic conditions (9,19,26). In addition, other physicochemical parameters such as redox potential, pH, salinity, available phosphorus, and turbidity may contribute to C. botulinum type E growth (19,27,28).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Spatial, Temporal, and Matrix Variability of Clostridium botulinum Type E Toxin Gene Distribution at Great Lakes Beaches

Wijesinghe

Oster

Haack

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

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c Clostridium botulinum type E toxin is responsible for extensive mortality of birds and fish in the Great Lakes. The C. botulinum bontE gene that produces the type E toxin was amplified with quantitative PCR from 150 sloughed algal samples (primarily Cladophora species) collected during summer 2012 from 10 Great Lakes beaches in five states; concurrently, 74 sediment and 37 water samples from four sites were also analyzed. The bontE gene concentration in algae was significantly higher than in water and sediment (P < 0.05), suggesting that algal mats provide a better microenvironment for C. botulinum. The bontE gene was detected most frequently in algae at Jeorse Park and Portage Lake Front beaches (Lake Michigan) and Bay City State Recreation Area beach on Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron), where 77, 100, and 83% of these algal samples contained the bontE gene, respectively. The highest concentration of bontE was detected at Bay City (1.98 ؋ 10 5 gene copies/ml of algae or 5.21 ؋ 10 6 g [dry weight]). This study revealed that the bontE gene is abundant in the Great Lakes but that it has spatial, temporal, and matrix variability. Further, embayed beaches, low wave height, low wind velocity, and greater average water temperature enhance the bontE occurrence.

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Sources of Mortality in Bald Eagles in Michigan, 1986–2017

et al. 2020

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As bald eagle populations recover, defining major sources of mortality provides managers important information to develop management plans and mitigation efforts. We obtained data from necropsies on 1,490 dead bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) collected in Michigan, USA, conducted from 1986 to 2017 to determine causes of death (COD). Trauma and poisoning were the most common primary COD categories, followed by disease. Within trauma and poisoning, vehicular trauma (n = 532) and lead poisoning (n = 176) were the leading COD subcategories, respectively. Females comprised a greater number of carcasses for most COD diagnoses. The proportion of trauma and poisoning CODs significantly increased in the last few years of the study in comparison to a select few years at the beginning. Trauma CODs were greater in autumn months during whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) breeding and hunting seasons and in February, when aquatic foraging is unavailable and eagles are likely forced to scavenge along roadsides. Poisoning CODs were greatest in late winter and early spring months, when deer carcasses containing lead ammunition, which are preserved by the cold weather, also become a supplemental food source. The major infectious disease CODs, West Nile virus and botulism (Clostridium botulinum type E), were more prevalent during summer months. We recommend moving road‐killed carcasses, especially white‐tailed deer, from the main thoroughfare to the back of the right‐of‐way, and the transition from lead ammunition and fishing tackle to non‐toxic alternatives to decrease these main anthropogenic sources of mortality for bald eagles, and other scavenger species. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

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Links between type E botulism outbreaks, lake levels, and surface water temperatures in Lake Michigan, 1963–2008

Cited by 29 publications

References 36 publications

In Vitro Detection and Quantification of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type E Activity in Avian Blood

In Vitro Detection and Quantification of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type E Activity in Avian Blood

Spatial, Temporal, and Matrix Variability of Clostridium botulinum Type E Toxin Gene Distribution at Great Lakes Beaches

Sources of Mortality in Bald Eagles in Michigan, 1986–2017

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