BRUCELLOSIS, CERVID - USA (03): (GREATER YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM)

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International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Tue 30 Mar 2010
Source: UPI (United Press International) [edited]



US Geological Survey scientists say brucellosis, a bacterial infection
of cattle, elk, and bison, appears to be increasing in northwestern
Wyoming elk herds.

"Elk-to-elk transmission of this disease may be increasing in new
regions of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem [GYE], which remains the
last reservoir for brucellosis in the United States," said Paul Cross,
a USGS disease ecologist and lead author of the study. He said
infected animals often abort pregnancies, and the presence of the
disease within livestock results in additional testing requirements
and trade restrictions.

Officials said several cattle herds have been infected in Wyoming,
Idaho, and Montana since 2004 and recent cases of brucellosis cattle
are thought to have spread from elk due to the lack of contact between
bison and cattle.

"We looked at a number of hypotheses for why we may be observing these
increases in brucellosis," Cross said. "2 seemed the most probable:
either brucellosis transmission among elk is becoming more frequent as
elk densities increase, or the diagnostic tests are cross-reacting
with another pathogen that is increasing in prevalence."

The research, conducted at the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science
Center, was recently published in the journal Ecological Applications.

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Brucellosis occurs in free-ranging elk (_Cervus canadensis_) and bison
(_Bison bison_) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which includes
portions of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

General comments about brucellosis in cattle may be found in the
moderator's comments of ProMED-mail posts 20091215.4249 and
20090117.0196.

Several suggestions on eradicating brucellosis in the Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem have been discussed but have not been
implemented. Partly, the lack of implementation is the lack of
knowledge on the effectiveness of the methods.

The GYE remains a challenge in disease control. Part of the reason for
the challenge is that feeding grounds in the winter draw a remarkable
number of tourists, and hence a boost to the economy. This is a
national park area and there has been great negative public outcry on
the destruction of public property (the elk) called for in some of the
proposals.

The bison may have the disease as well, and again great negative
outcry from the public can be heard regarding some of the proposals.
One other issue is the genetics in the bison herd of the GYE, some of
the 'original' bison herds of the foundation of the USA.

Control/eradication of this disease in the GYE remains a challenge. - Mod.TG]

A map of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem can be seen at
.
Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana can be located on the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the US at
. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

[see also:
Brucellosis, cervid - USA: (WY) corr. 20100212.0501
Brucellosis, cervid - USA: (WY) 20100211.0480
2009
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Brucellosis, cervids - USA (02): (WY) 20090220.0718
Brucellosis, cervids - USA: (MT) 20090117.019]
........................................sb/tg/mj/jw
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