• every year tens of thousands of birds die from a paralytic disease
• the birds show altered behaviour and loose their nest building and brooding abilities
• they loose their ability to fly, stop eating and die
• eider young die in huge numbers, and a lot of the herring gulls have stopped laying eggs
• these symptoms are found throughout the world: in Australia, by the MexicanGulf, along the western and eastern shores of America and by the Great Lakes
• we fear that the whole world may be affected
• the fact that so many species of birds are affected, makes it very probable that mammals are too

Now we may have solved the mystery

We can show a strong connection between the paralysis, excess mortality, incomplete nest building and thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency.

Thiamine is essential to all vertebrates; it's important to the nerves, learning skills, growth and immune defence. Birds in early stages of thiamine deficiency were successfully cured by thiamine treatment. In later stages, the animals suffer from incurable nerve and brain damage. 

We have examined more than 800 birds from 83 different sites. 78% of the bird species were afflicted by the paralytic disease.

What causes the thiamine deficiency is still a mystery. We need help to find out what what causes this syndrome!

Animal Alert Research Fund

AARF is a non-profit association. Donations to Bg 443-2621 (Sweden)will be paid in full to our continuing research.

More information: Lennart Balk, Department of Applied Environmental Science (ITM), Stockholm University.

Tel +46-8-6747721, +46-73-6923468, e-mail lennart.balk@itm.su.se