About 2,200 birds - mostly ring-billed gulls - found dead on and around Gooseberry Island on Pelican Lake near Breezy Point Resort died of circovirus, preliminary test results of the dead birds indicated.
Gary Drotts, DNR wildlife manager in Brainerd, said Tuesday that the results are preliminary and testing continues. Erica Butler, DNR wildlife veterinarian, did not return calls seeking specifics on the results.
"They're double-checking on the strain to see where it came from and checking on other things," Drotts said.
According to MedicalGlossary.org, circovirus is "a genus of the family circoviridae that infects fowl ... causing transient anemia and immunosuppression in baby chicks; beak and feather disease virus causing a fatal disease ..." Circovirus isn't regarded as a threat to humans.
Gooseberry Island is the only known gull colony in the Brainerd lakes area.
In August, the DNR received numerous phone calls of dead birds in the far southeast corner of Gooseberry Island, a private island about a half-mile east of Breezy Point Resort. The island is a popular party and tourist spot, Drotts said, with a sandy beach on the west side of the island, far from the rocky area where the birds were found.
At the time, Drotts figured the birds were dead for more than a month. The DNR investigated the site, cleaned up most of the dead birds and submitted samples for what has turned out to be extensive lab testing. Final results are expected in the next few days, Drotts said.
BRIAN S. PETERSON may be reached at brian.peterson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5864.
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