LOCAL

Decision delayed

Jason Morton Staff Writer
Geese swim on Forest Lake Friday, July 6, 2018. Residents are considering various plans to rid themselves of the waterfowl that may be spreading disease. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]

Forest Lake neighbors have opted to wait three months before ultimately deciding the fate of the geese and ducks that now call the manmade lake home.

Joe Patrick, president of the Forest Lake Homeowners Association, said the group has decided to wait until its general membership meeting in October to vote on whether to proceed with extrication and euthanization procedures to thin the waterfowl population.

“At that time, everyone present will be asked to vote and the majority vote will dictate how we proceed,” Patrick said.

Potential dangers

The neighborhood drew attention earlier this month when it became public that some residents were considering removing the geese and, with them, some of the Muscovy ducks and their hybrid species that have called Forest Lake home for years.

Scores of Tuscaloosa residents, including many who live nowhere near Forest Lake, have decried the neighborhood’s consideration to eliminate the waterfowl population that at one time served as a symbol of recovery after the deadly tornado of April 2011.

The decision came after three residents in or near Forest Lake were diagnosed with West Nile virus in 2017.

Patrick was one of those three and told The Tuscaloosa News that he almost died from the fever brought on by his West Nile infection.

Patrick spent two months in the hospital before being released so weakened that he had to relearn how to walk.

West Nile virus first appeared in the U.S. in upstate New York in 1999. It is transmitted when mosquitoes bite infected birds, from land-based birds, like blue jays and crows, to waterfowl, such as geese and ducks, and then carry that illness to mammals, like humans and horses.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 20 percent of people bitten by an infected mosquito will develop a fever and other flulike symptoms. And of these, about one out of 150 will develop a serious — and sometimes fatal — illness.

Circumstantial evidence

After his recovery, Patrick conducted his own research into the disease’s history and how it is spread and he readily acknowledges that there has been no direct evidence connecting West Nile virus to the ducks and Canada geese, which began arriving at Forest Lake after the April 27, 2011, tornado and have since steadily grown in population.

But Patrick said he can’t look past the county’s only documented cases of West Nile virus in 2017 coming from the area of Forest Lake.

So far, there have been none in 2018.

“I think it is odd that the only cases we know about are on Forest Lake,” Patrick said. “Hence this is why I suspect the geese and ducks are the vectors. If it were with common birds, like blue jays and crows, the virus should be more widespread throughout the city, in my opinion.”

These three 2017 infections also were enough for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has agreed to remove the geese and some of the ducks if enough Forest Lake neighbors sign off.

“Because West Nile virus was found and transferred to humans in the area in the past few years, it was decided to remove the birds for the safety of human health,” said Tanya Espinosa, a public affairs specialist with the USDA, when contacted by The Tuscaloosa News earlier this month. “I do want to stress that at this time there is no evidence to show those people contracted (the virus) from this particular flock of birds.

“However, several people that contracted the virus live in close proximity of the lake.”

A decision forthcoming

To proceed, the USDA needs final approval from the neighbors, which could come during the October association meeting.

Until then, there will be no efforts to remove the ducks and geese — Patrick said he’s aware of none being removed so far — while City Hall examines ways to reduce the mosquito population.

Water retention systems from nearby retail developments can prove a breeding ground for mosquitoes, as can stagnant water in storm water drainage systems or open containers on private property.

In the meantime, Patrick said he’s hoping no one has to face what he went through last year.

“The peak transmission times are now through October, so we should know in the fall if there are any outbreaks this year,” Patrick said. “Let’s hope not.”

Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0200.