An alarming series of reports from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Influenza Research Institute are reporting today that millions of avian species have succumbed, while in flight, to a rapidly evolving virus linked to the deadly H5N1 Bird Flu variant.

Doctor Scientist Oleg Kiselyov, the head of the Influenza Research Institute, states in these reports that a nematode parasite belonging to the ‘Superfamily Subuluroidea’ has now become a carrier of a ‘mutated’ H5N1 Bird Flu Virus with ‘sub strains’ never seen before.

Doctor Scientist Kiselyov further states that Western scientists are rejecting Russia’s research and are instead reporting to their citizens ‘other causes’ to explain the growing number of mass bird deaths in mid-flight, including Sri Lanka, and which has become yet another of the World’s Nations to report birds falling from sky dead.Australia has likewise refused this research for the mass bird deaths in their country, preferring instead to blame the sudden deaths of thousands of birds in mid-flight on a ‘mystery toxin’.

Sri Lanka rules out flu in bird deaths
Sri Lanka's veterinary authorities have ruled out avian flu among migratory birds that dropped dead by the hundreds, a top health official said on Wednesday.

The Veterinary Research Institute found that the birds died of salmonella poisoning, A. Chandrasoma, director at the Animal Production and Health department, said.

Hundreds more dead birds have been found in the Wheatbelt after mass bird deaths at Esperance and Narembeen in December and January.

Department of Environment and Conservation nature protection manager David Mell said the birds, mostly ring-necked parrots, had been found in clusters of up to 200 at Yealering, Kellerberrin, Cunderdin, Kulin and Kukerin. He did not think the deaths were related to the earlier incidents, blaming the latest fatalities on hot weather and wind.

The cause of the deaths of 4000 birds at Esperance remains a mystery with tests by the department ruling out a virus or bacteria and inconclusive about poisoning from heavy metals or pesticides.

More than 400 ducks have died at a wastewater-treatment plant in north Denver since the beginning of the year, and now dead ducks are appearing elsewhere along the Front Range.

Authorities have found dead ducks at a pond at a Denver apartment complex and at a Weld County wastewater facility, said Jennifer Churchill, spokeswoman for the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Federal and state biologists are trying to figure out why the ducks, which are mostly northern shovelers, are losing the ability to repel water and are dying from hypothermia.

...the grackles fell prey to parasites and a sudden dip in temperatures, struck down by a double whammy of bad luck in the bird world.

Years ago, grackles were used as sentinels in coal mines, Gayle said, and with today's terror and health threats they still serve as an early warning system.

Costa Rica Probes Deaths of 500 Pelicans
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Authorities in Costa Rica said Tuesday they are investigating the mysterious deaths of about 500 brown pelicans along the country's Pacific coast over the last five days but do not suspect bird flu was the cause.

(CBS) HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. A toxic substance has killed nearly three dozen shore birds at the mouth of the Santa Ana River, some after suffering seizures.

What is perplexing is that the different types of birds, which include grebes, avocets and cormorants, "don't share food and feeding techniques," Birkle said.

"We're not sure, it could be something in the water," Birkle said.

Monica Mazur of the Orange County Health Care Agency's Environmental Division, said the symptoms sound like domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxic produced by microscopic algae in the ocean.

However, after sending e-mail notices to a marine bio-toxin group with the state Department of Health Services, Mazur was told got that the scientists "are not seeing a lot of domoic right now."

Costa Rica Probes Deaths of 500 Pelicans

Authorities in Costa Rica said Tuesday they are investigating the mysterious deaths of about 500 brown pelicans along the country's Pacific coast over the last five days but do not suspect bird flu was the cause.

Investigators were collecting tissue samples from the dead birds, but tests to determine the cause of death may take several days, said National Animal Health Service spokesman Flor Aguero.

Coast Guard marine biologist Carmen Castro said investigators do not think the deaths were caused by bird flu, which is primarily spread by migration.

Bird flu outbreaks linked to trade

ROME -- Most of the scattered bird flu outbreaks so far this year probably can be traced to illegal or improper trade in poultry, scientists say. That includes recent outbreaks in Nigeria and Egypt as well as the large outbreak on a turkey farm in England.

Last winter, wild migrating birds were deemed the primary culprit in the bird flu infestations that hopscotched across Europe and Africa.

"Many of us at the outset underestimated the role of trade," said Samuel Jutzi, director of Animal Production and Health at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.

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Bird flu outbreaks linked to trade

...Although the avian influenza virus is killed by cooking, it survives well in raw meat and such shipments may have transported it to England. It could have been carried from the processing plant into the animal pens on workers' shoes or farm equipment.

Indonesia, Egypt, and Nigeria have emerged this season as persistent bird flu trouble spots, with constant cases in birds and some transmission to humans. Trade may play a role in these countries as well, officials said.

While the symptoms the birds exhibit in some ways resemble those of domoic acid poisoning – the result of an ocean-borne toxin that can affect birds and sea mammals – there was no apparent evidence of the red tide associated with domoic acid.

Some of the birds are showing symptoms -- including seizures -- of domoic acid poisoning, although there's no apparent evidence of the red tide associated with domoic acid.

Health officials say they've picked up no signs of unusually high bacteria levels and no indications of chemical spills that might be affecting the water in the area.

The bird species affected included western grebes, eared grebes, ring-billed gulls, California gulls, a pelican, brants, cormorants, double-crested cormorants, a rare rhino auklet and a lesser scaup.

Birkle said most of the affected birds appeared to be cormorants.

Preliminary test results from a dead bird showed it may have been poisoned by domoic acid, which comes from algae. Three other birds, which were brought in alive and seizing, did not show signs of the toxin, Birkle said.

Investigators do not believe that all the birds that came in were sick because of domoic acid.

The wildlife center is still awaiting test results that officials hope will shed more light on what happened to the birds. While seizures are common when birds have domoic acid poisoning, wildlife center workers said necropsies on dead birds didn't show other symptoms of domoic acid.

Nearly 70 mallards were found dead near Nose Creek in the city's northwest and wildlife officials are still trying to figure out what killed them.

Test results won't be available to confirm the cause of death until later this week, but the likely culprit is a bacteria or viral infection, said Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer Paul Lypyczuk.

Wildlife experts are examining another 50 ducks found dead along the Bow River yesterday, bringing the total number of dead birds discovered this week to 115.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is expected to release the test results in the next a few days, said Lypyczuk.

Airdrie Echo — More than 80 dead mallards were found near Nose Creek at Country Hills Boulevard last week, but ongoing Alberta Sustainable Resource Development test results have confirmed that there is no evidence of the H5N1 avian bird flu strain.

According to Dave Ealey, a spokesperson for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, the birds were found to have avian cholera, a bacterial disease which has been seen before in this area.

"It’s not the avian flu that people have concerns about," Ealey said. "It’s not a type of strain that typically affects mammals.

"While we have found some avian bird flu in these birds," he added, "it’s the sort of flu we expect to find in these birds. It’s a virus that these birds carry that doesn’t (cause) a lot of problems for the birds."

Originally posted by saturnine_sweet
so, its not birds, but has anyone come across the mass bee die-off?

www.time.com...

could be totally unrelated, but I thought I'd throw it out there, since its another unexplained die off.