Sweden's National Veterinary Institute (SVA) warns of a risk for greater spread of the deadly blue tit disease in Sweden this year. Reports of sick and dead small birds, mainly blue tits, have increased since February. SVA has confirmed the disease on its website.
Sweden's National Veterinary Institute (SVA) has noted a clear increase in reports of sick and dead small birds since February. It mainly affects blue tits, but great tits can also be impacted.
"We usually get scattered reports of sick small birds in our wildlife disease surveillance, but this we see as a pronounced trend with more sick blue tits than usual," says Karin Olofsson-Sannö, deputy state veterinarian at SVA.
Blue tit disease is caused by a bacterium that leads to pneumonia and rapid death in the birds. SVA is now receiving reports from across the country of "piles of dead small birds" at feeders. "One day they look completely healthy, the next day there can be a pile of dead birds at the feeder," adds Olofsson-Sannö.
A larger outbreak of the disease last hit Sweden in 2020.
