| Abstract In 2008, 270 wild birds from aquatic environments were found dead or debilitated on the banks of smaller lakes that had been formed due to the decrease in the level of the holding lake of the Sobradinho Dam located on the São Francisco River in the Caatinga of Bahia, Brazil. The outbreak occurred months after the dam’s partial drainage, with the formation of puddles that accumulated decomposing organic material. Amongst the 270 individuals examined and/or found dead, the majority (50%) of the birds found belonged to the Anatidae family. The debilitated birds presented neurological clinical signs including lack of motor coordination, weakness, grave flaccid paralysis in the legs, wings, neck and eyelids, diarrhea, and dyspnea. Tissue samples of... |
