Murray Maureen
Wildlife Clinic, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, Massachusetts 01536, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2011 Mar;42(1):88-97. doi: 10.1638/2010-0188.1.
Mortalities among birds of prey from anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) toxicosis have been documented in several countries. Reports on extent of exposure within regions of the United States are limited. This study investigated AR exposure and toxicosis in four species of birds of prey (red-tailed hawks [Buteo jamaicensis], barred owls [Strix varia], eastern screech owls [Megascops asio] and great horned owls [Bubo virginianus]) presented to a wildlife clinic in Massachusetts. The aims of this study are to document the proportion of these four species that died or were euthanized due to their presenting injuries that had detectable amounts of ARs in liver tissue; to identify and quantify ARs present; to describe clinical, postmortem, and histopathologic signs of toxicosis; to evaluate potential sublethal effects of AR exposure; and to associate liver AR level with toxicosis. Birds included in the study were sampled without regard to signs of AR toxicosis. Postmortem examinations were conducted, and liver samples were analyzed for AR residues. Of 161 birds tested, 86% had AR residues in liver tissue. The second-generation AR (SGAR) brodifacoum was identified in 99% of positive birds. Mortality from AR toxicosis was diagnosed in 6% of birds. No indications of sublethal effects of exposure were found, and no association between liver brodifacoum level and signs of toxicosis was apparent. Given the high proportion of birds in this study exposed to ARs, specifically brodifacoum, continued monitoring is warranted as new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations on the sale and use of SGARs are enacted.
在多个国家都有关于猛禽因抗凝血灭鼠剂（AR）中毒而死亡的记录。美国各地区关于AR暴露程度的报告有限。本研究调查了送往马萨诸塞州一家野生动物诊所的四种猛禽（赤尾鹰[Buteo jamaicensis]、横斑林鸮[Strix varia]、东鸣角鸮[Megascops asio]和大角鸮[Bubo virginianus]）的AR暴露和中毒情况。本研究的目的是记录这四种猛禽中因所受损伤导致死亡或实施安乐死且肝脏组织中可检测到AR的比例；识别并量化所存在的AR；描述中毒的临床、尸检和组织病理学特征；评估AR暴露的潜在亚致死效应；以及将肝脏AR水平与中毒情况相关联。纳入研究的鸟类在采样时不考虑AR中毒迹象。进行了尸检，并对肝脏样本进行AR残留分析。在161只检测的鸟类中，86%的肝脏组织含有AR残留。在99%的阳性鸟类中鉴定出第二代AR（SGAR）溴敌隆。6%的鸟类被诊断因AR中毒死亡。未发现暴露的亚致死效应迹象，且肝脏溴敌隆水平与中毒迹象之间无明显关联。鉴于本研究中暴露于AR尤其是溴敌隆的鸟类比例很高，随着美国环境保护局关于SGAR销售和使用的新规定颁布，持续监测是必要的。
