Investigating risk and management of Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy in Florida

Photo: Mac Stone

Susan B. Wilde UGA

Mike Netherland USACE/UF

FFWCC March 4, 2015

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/18/the-eagle-killer-the-name-of-a-new-scary-red-bacteria-is-well-earned/

Bald eagles are starting to flourish again but hold the confetti by Darryl Fears February 18, 2015

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(the eagle-killer living on Hydrilla)

70 Dead Bald Eagles (1994-2007)

Arkansas

North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia 1998-2015 99 Dead Bald Eagles

Initiated hydrilla/cyanobacteria sampling

Lake J. Strom Thurmond 83 Dead Bald Eagles 1998-2015

Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy 2014

Hydrilla & Aetokthonos hydrillicola

AVM confirmed birds AVM+, Hydrilla & A. hydrillicola

20 sites 30 sites 166 eagles (+5 FL)

AVM sites (avian lesions, hydrilla + A. hydrillicola Suspect sites (Hydrilla + A. hydrillicola)

Stig discovered on Lake Toho hydrilla in

7/14 sites

Confirmed by PCR probe for suspect Stigonematales species

November 2009

January 2012 Microscopy Aetokthonos

hydrillicola confirmed at 15/30 sites

No clinical signs of AVM

AVM lesions in 10/10 chickens that consumed hydrilla with A. hydrillicola from Lake Toho

Results

Hydrilla Extraction

AVM (+) JSTL

AVM (-) L Marion

Lyophilize, grind to coarse powder

Extract using a series of non-polar to polar solvents

Filter and Concentrate

Hexane Acetone Methanol

Polar Non-Polar

Cell Line Bioassays Faith Wiley, Georgia Regents University

First step in characterizing toxin Opens possibilities for other tests (mammalian

toxicity, etc) Morphological changes in C6 cells (rat glioma)

with AVM-positive extract

AVM - extracts AVM + extracts

How can you tell that a coot has AVM?

Coot collection Lake Toho January 2013

5 out of 22 coots: mild AVM lesions --AVM+ coots only from the Goblets cove region

Can the AVM toxin can be transferred through other herbivores to their predators?

Shelley

Island Apple Snail Pomacea maculata

Native to South America Introductions via

aquarium releases Established in TX, FL by

1990s Lakes, wetlands, slow-

flowing rivers

Voracious herbivores High fecundity

P. maculata P. paludosa

Florida Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis

Snail kites endangered in Florida

Apple snails make up >99% of the snail kite diet

Kites forced to switch to exotic snail

Potentially toxic cyanobacterial colonies grow on hydrilla and other aquatic plants

Apple snails readily consume hydrilla and other aquatic vegetation

?

Native and invasive apple snails are consumed by Snail Kites

?

Treatment Control

1. AVM + hydrilla

material fed to apple snails

1. AVM hydrilla

material fed to apple snails

Feeding Trials

2. Apple snails fed

to chickens

2. Apple snails fed

to chickens

Hydrilla + A.h. Hydrilla, no A.h.

Apple Snail Feeding Trial (snails fed hydrilla from Thurmond)

Treatment Severe lesions (5/5)

Control Normal (5/5)

Optic Tectum, 40x Optic Tectum, 40x

3/5 birds displayed clinical signs

January 2013 Hydrilla/apple snail collection

Apple Snail Feeding Trial (snails collected from Toho)

Treatment Mild lesions (2/3)

no birds displayed clinical signs

Hydrilla/A. hydrillicola is toxic in Lake Toho Toxin can be transferred through an invertebrate Apple snails can transfer the AVM toxin Apple snails collected from Toho contain toxin (low concentration?)

November 2014-January 2015

Dean Jones (UF), Mark Cunningham (FWC), and Stephen Maurano (EPA, UGA)

Lake Tohopekaliga and Hatchineha November 14, 2014

Big grassy Island

Goblets Cove

Hydrilla leaves --Aetokthonos hydrillicola % coverage

Geoffrey Lokuta FWC)

Istokpoga December 17, 2014

Istokpoga (>80% coverage) Aetokthonos hydrillicola Big Island Bumblebee Island

Danielle Kirkland Geoffrey Lokuta

Kissimmee and Hatchineha December 29,2014

Toho, Cypress, Kissimmee, Hatch, Istokpoga, and Okeechobee January 19-20, 2015

Jeff Schardt Ed Harris Susanna Toledo Brent Bachelder Kelle Sullivan

Tohopekaliga A.hydrillicola 4/4 sites

5-40%

5-45%

10-45%

0-5%

Cypress A.hydrillicola 3/6 sites

0-40%

5-45%

0-20%

Hatchineha A.hydrillicola 3/3 sites

0-5%

0-10%

0-40%

Kissimmee A.hydrillicola 1/2 sites

25-90%

Okeechobee A.hydrillicola 0/4 sites

0-10%

0-20%

0-30%

Istokpoga A.hydrillicola 3/3 sites

Not present on Coontail, Naiad

Ed Harris (FWC), January 2015 East Lake Tohopekaliga Pondweed, hydrilla

Hydrilla (5-40% A. hydrillicola) Pondweed (0-20% % A. hydrillicola) Bacopa (No A. hydrillicola)

East Lake Tohopekaliga A.hydrillicola 3/3 sites

Cell line bioassay control methanol extract (normal cells)

Indicating AVM toxin present

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Relative toxicity March 2015 Cell line bioassay Kissimmee> Istokpoga >Toho>Hatch> Cypress

Wilde Lab UGA Rebecca Haynie (SePro)

James Herrin (FIU) Jamie Morgan (CorBlu Ecology)

Jenny Garrison (UGA Vet School) Brad Bartelme (EnviroScience)

Brigette Haram Garon Brandon Wallace Woods

Acknowledgements

FFWCC Jeff Schardt Don Schmitz Ed Harris Geoffrey Lokuta Danielle Kirkland Susanna Toledo Kelle Sullivan Joe Benedict Mark Cunningham Andrew Fanning Zach Welch

USFWS Dana Hartley

Sandra Sneckenberger Ulgonda Kirkpatrick

Deborah Harris

UF Dean Jones

Mike Netherland (US Army COE)

Investigating risk and management of Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy in FloridaSlide Number 2Slide Number 3Aetokthonos hydrillicola Slide Number 5Slide Number 6Slide Number 7Slide Number 8Slide Number 9Slide Number 10Slide Number 11Slide Number 12Slide Number 13Slide Number 14Slide Number 15Coot collection Lake TohoJanuary 2013Slide Number 17Island Apple SnailPomacea maculataFlorida Snail KiteRostrhamus sociabilisSlide Number 20Slide Number 21Apple Snail Feeding Trial(snails fed hydrilla from Thurmond)Slide Number 23Apple Snail Feeding Trial(snails collected from Toho)Slide Number 25Slide Number 26Slide Number 27Slide Number 28Slide Number 29Slide Number 30Slide Number 31Slide Number 32Slide Number 33Slide Number 34Slide Number 35Slide Number 36Slide Number 37Slide Number 38Slide Number 39Slide Number 40Slide Number 41Slide Number 42Slide Number 43Slide Number 44Slide Number 45Slide Number 46Slide Number 47Slide Number 48Slide Number 49Slide Number 50Slide Number 51Slide Number 52Slide Number 53