Archive: July 2017

In the wake of the 2016 Usutu virus outbreak, surveillance of live and dead blackbird numbers in April of 2017 revealed that the virus is once again active in the Netherlands.This was paralleled by a slight increase in the number of dead blackbirds reported to the DWHC compared to the preceding weeks. According to

What is it? The Usutu virus originated in Africa and is named after the Usutu river in Swaziland. It can cause disease in birds and is transmitted by midges. The virus rarely causes disease in humans.

In the first half of 2017 six weasels were submitted to the DWHC for post-mortem exam. All six animals died of trauma. Skin perforations suggestive of predation were seen in three cases, two of which also had pneumonia. It is possible that this illness had weakened the weasels thereby making them more vulnerable

At the beginning of June 2017 a roebuck in the province of Utrecht was spotted behaving oddly; the animal showed no flight response and stood still rather than fleeing when approached. The animal was euthanised by a nature warden and submitted to the DWHC for post-mortem exam.