Dead ducks may signify outbreak of avian cholera

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – A passer-by at a marina on Upper Klamath Lake this weekend spotted 20 ducks floating dead in the water.

Authorities said they’re trying to determine whether the deaths are a result of an avian cholera outbreak, which happens periodically in the region.

“It doesn’t happen every year, but it does pop up every few years,” said biologist Tom Collom of the state Fish and Wildlife Department.

Another batch of dead ducks, 10 of them, was reported Monday at a boat launch along the lake.

To determine if the deaths are part of an outbreak, officials must test a bird exhibiting signs of the disease. Birds with cholera often act lethargic, sometimes swim in circles or fly erratically, the department said. The bacterial disease is highly contagious to birds and can cause death in a day.

Collom said the spring migration brings nearly a million birds to the Klamath Basin, and there are numerous other ways birds die.