MYCOPLASMAL CONJUNCTIVITIS IN WILD SONGBIRDS - THE SPREAD OF A NEW CONTAGIOUS-DISEASE IN A MOBILE HOST POPULATION

A new mycoplasmal conjunctivitis was first reported in wild house finc hes (Carpodacus mexicanus) in early 1994. The causative agent was iden tified as Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), a nonzoonotic pathogen of pou ltry that had not been associated with disease in wild songbirds. Sinc e the initial observations of affected house finches in the mid-Atlant ic region, the disease has become widespread and has been reported thr oughout the eastern United States and Canada. By late 1995, mycoplasma l conjunctivitis had spread to an additional species, the American gol dfinch (Carduelis tristis). This new disease exemplifies the rapid spr ead of a pathogen following introduction into a mobile wildlife popula tion and provides lessons that may apply to emerging human diseases.