Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak has been found worldwide and is causing great damage to wildlife. Anatidae birds are the reservoir for the AI virus, but the relationship between their arrival in Japan and the risk of infection in wild birds has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we examined the relationship between the logarithmized number of ducks that arrived in Japan and the number of wild birds HPAI reports from September 2016 to June 2017 (2016 season). Nine species that have been implicated in the spread of HPAI infection were investigated: mallard, Anas platyrhynchos; spot-billed duck, Anas zonorhyncha; common teal, Anas crecca; eurasian wigeon, Mareca penelope; northern shoveler, Anas clypeata; northern pintail, Anas acuta; common pochard, Aythya ferina; tufted duck, Aythya fuligula; greater scaup, Aythya marila. The number of these ducks was counted three times a month by prefecture, and converted into a natural logarithm. In the 2016 season, the total number of surveyed regional time points was 822; the number of these points with wild bird HPAI reports was 48, the average number of the ducks was 7.36 ± 1.61 (mean ± SD). while the number with no report was 774, and the average number of the ducks was 5.92 ± 2.06. The frequency of occurrence of HPAI in wild birds was significantly higher when the number of the ducks was 6 or more at a certain time point compared to when it was less than 6, and the odds ratio was 7.03. Moreover, the odds ratio was 7.65 when the number of the birds was 6 or more for three consecutive times. The odds ratio at time points with 7 or more arrivals to those with less than 7 was 4.90. Furthermore, when the number of the ducks reached 8 or more three times in a row, the odds ratio was 7.73. From the above results, it is shown that the risk of HPAI occurrence in wild birds increases as the logarithmized number of the ducks surveyed increases, then the logarithmized number of these ducks might be a simple index of the risk of HPAI occurrence in wild birds.

　On the captive breeding program of dolphins, it is especially important to have accurate estimation on the calving date as a part of preparation and prevention of accident during giving birth. Decline in body temperature is a known sign of prior to parturition therefore many facilities use this as an indicator to determine the date of calving. However, there have been a few reports that female gave birth without showing body temperature decrease. In this study, we analyzed both intermammary cleft width and body temperature changes that recorded in four cases of the birth events at our facility. The results showed that the body temperature significantly decreased one day before delivery, and the intermammary cleft width significantly increased two days before delivery. This result suggests that monitoring both intermammary cleft width and body temperature may allow earlier determination as well as accurate estimation of the date of delivery than temperature measurement alone.

　The northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) is the only extant species in the Callorhinus genus of the Otariidae family and inhabits the northern part of the North Pacific Ocean. These seals have a unique life cycle, spending two-thirds of the year migrating through the ocean and the remaining one-third on eight to nine islands in the northern part of the North Pacific, where they form large groups of several hundred to several thousand animals and give birth, mate, and rear their young. Owing to this unique life cycle, collection of blood samples is challenging throughout the year, and their annual average blood properties have not been reported. Izu Mito Sea Paradise, Japan, obtained permission from the Japan Fisheries Agency to breed northern fur seals. Since 1980, the facility has been conducting research to examine the blood properties of these seals to aid in their health management and as part of various studies. This review presents the annual average blood properties of captive northern fur seals over a 12-year period from 2009, as data for wild individuals are not available. The data also include comparative hematological data from wild seals and three taxonomically related Arctocephalus fur seal species, namely the Guadalupe (Arctocephalus townsendi), Antarctic (Arctocephalus gazella), and South American (Arctocephalus australis) fur seals.