[Mike]

Thousands of birds die along Maumee, Lake Erie
Updated: Feb 19, 2011 6:53 AM MST

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) – Wildlife officials say they have no idea what is killing thousands of ducks and geese along Lake Erie and the Maumee River.

When they first discovered the trend a few weeks ago, only a few birds were infected. As of Friday, around 200 birds have been linked to the mystery illness.

Infected birds simply throw their heads back and lose their motor skills before they die.

No one knows how far it could spread.

“This may be something that’s not at all going to affect people, but it may be, and we need to figure it out to know what’s going on,” said Nature’s Nursery’s Laura Zitzelberger.

So far, labs tests confirm that the birds did not die of the avian flu.
State wildlife officials say they may never know what is causing the deaths, but that it could be a natural occurrence.

Copyright 2011 WTOL. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=14062051