From SimaL@aol.com Sat Apr 13 22:10:51 1996 Return-Path: Received: from mx5.u.washington.edu by lists.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW96.03/UW-NDC Revision: 2.33 ) id AA16905; Sat, 13 Apr 96 22:10:50 -0700 Received: from emout04.mail.aol.com by mx5.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW96.04/UW-NDC Revision: 2.33 ) id AA13196; Sat, 13 Apr 96 22:10:49 -0700 Received: by emout04.mail.aol.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) id BAA27227 for consbio@u.washington.edu; Sun, 14 Apr 1996 01:10:42 -0400 Date: Sun, 14 Apr 1996 01:10:42 -0400 From: SimaL@aol.com Message-Id: <960414011041_469406600@emout04.mail.aol.com> To: consbio@u.washington.edu Subject: Fwd: Mystery manatee illness spread --------------------- Forwarded message: From: r.mallon1@genie.com Sender: MARMAM@UVVM.BITNET (Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion) Reply-to: MARMAM@UVVM.BITNET (Marine Mammals Research and Conservation Discussion) To: MARMAM@UVVM.BITNET (Multiple recipients of list MARMAM) Date: 96-04-10 21:28:45 EDT Mystery manatee illness spreading TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 9 (UPI) -- The mysterious epidemic that has been killing manatees in southwest Florida waterways may be spreading to other parts of the state, environmental officials reported Tuesday. Scientists have not been able to identify the virus or bacteria that has resulted in the deaths of 123 sea cows since March 5. Six new manatee carcasses were discovered in Florida waters Tuesday, and three possible epidemic victims were found outside the southwest region of the state where the illness was thought to be contained, authorities said. Officials speculated warmer weather was leading manatees to leave their winter refuges and venture into waters all over Florida. "It's a free-for-all. These guys swim wherever they want to," said manatee pathologist Dr. Scott Wright. Since the cause of the illness remained unknown, authorities did not know if it was contagious. "We don't know if it's in them or the environment," Wrightsaid. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said the latest deaths brought to 216 the number of manatees who have died in the state this year. In just over three months, the total has surpassed what had been Florida's worst year on record for manatee deaths -- 206 in 1990. At the rate they died last month, the state's entire sea cow population, recently estimated at 2,600, would be wiped out in two years. But authorities said that likely would not happen, since the epidemic has infected only adult manatees. The only common symptom among the dead manatees has been discolored, fluid-filled lungs which often are characteristic of pneumonia, according to Wright. Federal, state and private researchers have joined forces to track the manatee killer. Marine biologists around the world have been sent blood and organ tissue samples taken from the manatee carcasses, but tests for bacteria that can cause pneumonia turned up negative. The results from one test for a morbillivirus similar to canine distemper also were negative, as were tests for Red Tide, a toxic algae bloom that has been prevalent along Florida's southwest coast. But some research labs were testing manatee liver samples to see if a previously undetected strain of Red Tide poisoning could account for the deaths. Brain tissues were being checked for pesticides or herbicides, although biologists who tested area waterways for toxins or bacteria found nothing out of the ordinary. Discovery of the cause of the illnesses would not necessarily mean an end to the epidemic, officials cautioned. After a tour of one research lab earlier this week, Gov. Lawton Chiles said, "The bad thing is when they pin down the cause, they may not be able to do anything about it." .