RSOE EDIS: United Arab Emirates - Biological Hazard - 2010.01.31

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service Budapest, Hungary RSOE EDIS ALERTMAIL

2010-01-31 18:01:43 - Biological Hazard - United Arab Emirates EDIS CODE: BH-20100131-24754-ARE Date & Time: 2010-01-31 18:01:43 [UTC] Area: United Arab Emirates, Dubayy, , Nakheel Not confirmed information! Description: A dozen birds have dropped dead on the shore of a lake in a Dubai housing development. International City resident Fajis Aboobacker Burayil was horrified to discover the bodies of gulls littering the edge of a lake near the Greek Cluster last week. Animal lover Burayil, 28, has reported the matter to developers Nakheel but said the cause of their deaths remains a mystery. It is so sad. Something bad must be in the water,” he said. “They look like they have just fallen dead. I don’t know whether its pollution or wastewater getting into the lake or something like that but it’s horrible to see.” The 28-year-old regularly takes fish for the lake’s birds and has nursed several back to health when they have been injured. He says an investigation must be launched to determine the cause of the deaths. “I love animals and I can’t stand to see them suffer,” he said. “The lake and the wildlife there is beautiful, it’s an oasis of calm in the desert. But every day in this last week, it seems to have got worse.” Local experts say there are several possible causes that could have led to the sudden death, such as pesticides or fertiliser contaminating the water or an outbreak of botulism which can occur when visitors try to feed the animals by throwing bread into the lake. Avian botulism is caused by bacteria that thrive in warm water with low oxygen content and infects birds’ nervous systems, which causes paralysis and often death by starvation as a result. Rotting food can also be a source of the bacteria. Nakheel’s security office at International City said it would investigate. The name of Hazard: Birds Die-off (Susp. Butulism) Species: Animal Status: Suspected Posted:2010-01-31 18:01:43 [UTC] Please DO NOT reply to this message: replies may be treated as errors and result in your subscription being deleted. If you have trouble or other queries, send email to havaria@rsoe.hu RSOE EDIS is operated by the National Association of Radio-Distress Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE), Budapest, Hungary. Because of the complexity of this system and its dependence on other systems, we cannot be responsible for delays or failures in forwarding or transmission. You're receiving this AlertMail because you subscribed for the service. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Contact: havaria@rsoe.hu