Deceased red necked grebes and cormorants were collected near the mouth of Brevort River Friday, August 27, to determine what may have killed them, Hiawatha National Forest Wildlife Biologist Kirk Piehler said. Though avian botulism is suspected, no confirmation has been made.

Tom Cooley, wildlife biologist and pathologist for the Michigan Department of Resources and Environment, said one red necked grebe from Mackinac County has been tested, but the test was unable to determine if the bird had died from avian botulism, and he is awaiting additional specimens to test.

If waterfowl are indeed dying from avian botulism, Mr. Piehler said, there is not much that can be done to stop it. The disease starts at the lowest levels of the food chain, eventually working its way up to fish. Birds can then die from eating the contaminated fish.

Loons, mergansers, long tailed ducks (Oldsquaw), grebes, scaup, cormorants, and gulls are typically affected by Type E Botulism, the type of botulism more prevalent in the Great Lakes than version C. An estimated 7,500 waterfowl died in 2007 from the disease, according to Michigan Sea Grant.

Humans typically contract type A and B Botulism through eating improperly home-canned foods. Humans rarely contract Type E, but they do through improperly cooked or smoked fish, although Mr. Cooley said no special precautions need be taken at this time.