Austin looks for answers after 63 dead birds close downtown
Cause unknown, but no threat to humans seen, health officials say
By Emily Ramshaw
The Dallas Morning News
Copyright 2007 The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas — Public health officials were scratching their heads over what killed more than 60 grackles, pigeons and sparrows found dead along Congress Avenue near Texas' Capitol on Monday morning, prompting a downtown lockdown that scrambled traffic and kept thousands of employees home from work.
By early afternoon, they had determined that whatever killed the birds wasn't harmful to humans, and 10 blocks in the heart of downtown were reopened.
"We've have no information that leads us to believe that there is any threat," Michael McDonald, Austin assistant city manager for public safety, said during a news conference. "We are going to be conducting further analysis."
Authorities said early necropsies indicated that bird flu is not the culprit and that West Nile virus is highly unlikely, because the disease is seasonal. Air tests were negative for natural gas and other chemicals, and the birds' feathers showed no signs of pesticides. Officials all but ruled out environmental factors; the city had no inclement weather.
Officials said they believe the birds were probably poisoned or suffered from a bacterial infection. A determination will take days or weeks.
The dead birds were first reported around 3 a.m., prompting a public health emergency that forced officers, ambulances and hazardous materials teams to descend on and cordon off downtown.
Of the 63 dead birds, most were found on Congress Avenue several blocks south of the Capitol, officials said. Congress Avenue leads up to the Capitol, which did not close.
"It's not uncommon for birds to die in groups," Mr. McDonald said. "What's uncommon is for it to happen in the downtown area."
No human illness or injury was reported, though Chris Callsen, assistant director of Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, said two officers on the scene reported feeling sick this morning. No one was transported to the hospital.
Emergency rooms have reported no unusual ailments, said Dr. Adolfo Valadez, Director of Austin's Department of Health and Human Services.
"There is currently not a threat to the public health," Dr. Valadez said.
Early-morning passers-by said the birds first began acting strange — wandering aimlessly in the street, attempting to fly and making crash landings — and then dropped like flies.
For most of the morning, downtown Austin was tangled in stop-and-go traffic and blinking emergency lights. Haz-mat teams in yellow plastic suits and rubber boots patrolled Congress Avenue, collecting dead birds and checking the roofs of office buildings for more. The birds are being sent to virology centers at Texas A&M University and in Ames, Iowa, for further testing.
By Emily Ramshaw
The Dallas Morning News
Copyright 2007 The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas — Public health officials were scratching their heads over what killed more than 60 grackles, pigeons and sparrows found dead along Congress Avenue near Texas' Capitol on Monday morning, prompting a downtown lockdown that scrambled traffic and kept thousands of employees home from work.
By early afternoon, they had determined that whatever killed the birds wasn't harmful to humans, and 10 blocks in the heart of downtown were reopened.
"We've have no information that leads us to believe that there is any threat," Michael McDonald, Austin assistant city manager for public safety, said during a news conference. "We are going to be conducting further analysis."
Authorities said early necropsies indicated that bird flu is not the culprit and that West Nile virus is highly unlikely, because the disease is seasonal. Air tests were negative for natural gas and other chemicals, and the birds' feathers showed no signs of pesticides. Officials all but ruled out environmental factors; the city had no inclement weather.
Officials said they believe the birds were probably poisoned or suffered from a bacterial infection. A determination will take days or weeks.
The dead birds were first reported around 3 a.m., prompting a public health emergency that forced officers, ambulances and hazardous materials teams to descend on and cordon off downtown.
Of the 63 dead birds, most were found on Congress Avenue several blocks south of the Capitol, officials said. Congress Avenue leads up to the Capitol, which did not close.
"It's not uncommon for birds to die in groups," Mr. McDonald said. "What's uncommon is for it to happen in the downtown area."
No human illness or injury was reported, though Chris Callsen, assistant director of Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, said two officers on the scene reported feeling sick this morning. No one was transported to the hospital.
Emergency rooms have reported no unusual ailments, said Dr. Adolfo Valadez, Director of Austin's Department of Health and Human Services.
"There is currently not a threat to the public health," Dr. Valadez said.
Early-morning passers-by said the birds first began acting strange — wandering aimlessly in the street, attempting to fly and making crash landings — and then dropped like flies.
For most of the morning, downtown Austin was tangled in stop-and-go traffic and blinking emergency lights. Haz-mat teams in yellow plastic suits and rubber boots patrolled Congress Avenue, collecting dead birds and checking the roofs of office buildings for more. The birds are being sent to virology centers at Texas A&M University and in Ames, Iowa, for further testing.
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