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Message: <blockquote data-quote="3Roosters" data-source="post: 265219" data-attributes="member: 1351">IMO, there is no better soothing sound than the sound of loons at nite so its sad to hear this news.I know I know there are lots of blue plate haters but leave the loons out of it.[h=1]West Nile virus impacting Minnesota loon population[/h]A recent uptick in reports of dead loonsand test results indicate an impact from West Nile virus (WNV), according tonongame wildlife staff at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory atthe University of Minnesota confirmed WNV as the cause of death in two of threedead loons from northeastern Minnesota earlier this month. Wildlife staff arereceiving a small but noticeable increase in calls from people finding deadloons in northeastern Minnesota this summer.WNV was first confirmed in Minnesota in2002 and was documented as a cause of loon mortality in Minnesota as early as2005. It is not uncommon for people, animals and birds to be exposed to WNVthrough mosquito bites. Most people and animals successfully fight off thevirus and develop antibodies against future infection. Some birds, like loons,crows and other corvids, are especially susceptible to the infection.Researchers are attempting to discover the rates of infection among ruffedgrouse.Loons can die from a variety of illnessesand injuries and individual bird deaths are a normal occurrence and not causefor alarm. “Minnesotans love our loons and it’sconcerning for people to find them dead. When we start seeing multiple birdsdying on a single lake, we want to know about it so we can start tracking theinformation and determine when further testing is warranted,” said nongamewildlife specialist Gaea Crozier. “While there isn’t a way to treat the WestNile virus infection, knowing the cause can help us rule out other, preventablecauses of mortality.”Lake homeowners and other lake users whoobserve two or more dead loons on a single lake with no obvious injury or causeof death are asked to email the nearest DNR nongame wildlife staff fortracking:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bemidji/northwest area: Christine Herwig, <a href="mailto:christine.herwig@state.mn.us">christine.herwig@state.mn.us</a>. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Grand Rapids/northeast area: Gaea Crozier, <a href="mailto:gaea.e.crozier@state.mn.us">gaea.e.crozier@state.mn.us</a>. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Metro/Central Minnesota: Lori Naumann, <a href="mailto:lori.naumann@state.mn.us">lori.naumann@state.mn.us</a>. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">New Ulm/southern Minnesota: Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer,      <a href="mailto:lisa.gelvin-innvaer@state.mn.us">lisa.gelvin-innvaer@state.mn.us</a>.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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