Botulism in wild birds and association with water quality at the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, Miami, Florida.

Botulism avian is a disease of great importance in public and animal health, being the most common cause of death in wild birds worldwide, mainly affecting aquatic and shore birds. In October 2022, a significant increase in clinical cases of avian botulism was identified at the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, in Miami, Florida. The objective of the present study was to analyze report cases of avian botulism and its association with water quality. Between June and October, 130 animals with a presumptive clinical diagnosis of botulism were received at the wildlife center. The clinical histories were obtained, which were systematized in a database to perform descriptive analyses and estimate prevalence, lethality, and mortality indicators. The association of the presence of botulism and water quality was carried out using Spearman coefficients for non-parametric data and risk analysis with calculation of X 2 and OR. Calculations were performed in SPSS software. The results showed that the prevalence of avian botulism was 20.7% in the period, with the mortality varying between 9% to 19% and lethality between 54% to 90%. The most affected species were Eudocimus albus and Leucophaeus atricilla, the main clinical signs observed were limb paralysis in 92% of the cases. An association was found bewteen a disease and combined quality variables and nitrogen. A possible association between the disease and water is identified, however, more studies are needed to determine the influence of water and measures to preserve the fauna.