Elk and Brucellosis

[willy]

I was watching a public tv show called Market to Market and they were discussing Brucellosis and the impact it was going to have on elk in the future if they didn't get a handle on it. The biologist stated that in his opinion within 30 years elk would be devastated by it in the Rocky mountains.

Wyoming is doing a study on the disease and I received from the WYGF a vial to put blood in this past season if i were lucky enough to get an elk. I was fortunate and gave them a vial of the cow elk's blood. I have not heard anymore about the study but if I do I will post.

Anybody else have any info on brucellosis in elk in WY or anywhere else for that matter?

 

[SAJ-99]

Seems hyperbolic, but that is common these days. Page below is good basic info. It is certainly another variable in populations, but hard to say it would be the cause of any devastation.


https://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147512596

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Pubmed or google scholars are your friend!

 

[406LIFE]

Just mention the word to your local rancher and see what happens. It's a big deal here on MT, especially around YNP. The Designated Surveillance Area seems to grow each year, which might have significant impacts in the near future as elk numbers grow here. It's an issue that can have such severe impacts on ranchers that they might not recover from it. There are significant studies on it you can find on google scholar.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

It's a big deal because it can spread from elk to cattle

 

[Hunting Wife]

The only reason this is a big deal is economic. Brucellosis has been eradicated everywhere except the endemic area in Montana/Wyoming, where it persists in elk and bison. It has been entrenched in elk for more than 30 years already and they do just fine. It doesn’t have much impact on elk populations. But aborted calves are bad for a cattle rancher’s bottom line, and the regulatory expenses can be significant if your herd tests positive.

Sounds like hyperbole to drum up some support for another elk “test and slaughter” type scheme. Are we going there again?

 

[wytex]

Hunting Wife, does it only affect the first born calf ? That is what I have always heard.
Spouse's bison tested positive for brucellosis on his last hunt, only one tested that year as we opted for it ourselves. It made the bison 100% for brucellosis that year and next year they started testing all bison harvested.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Hunting Wife, does it only affect the first born calf ? That is what I have always heard.
Spouse's bison tested positive for brucellosis on his last hunt, only one tested that year as we opted for it ourselves. It made the bison 100% for brucellosis that year and next year they started testing all bison harvested.

Generally yes, the first calf after infection has a very high likelihood of being aborted (around 50% for elk, but closer to 90% for bison.) But typically pregnancies after that proceed normally. The Brucella bacterium is an obligate intracellular organism, so long term it tends to kind of just lie dormant inside the host cells and doesn’t do much after the initial acute phase.

In bison in particular, you can see disruption among rut timing and cycling of females due to brucellosis. That’s partly why you see red calves almost year round on NER. Of course, if it weren’t for the feeding most of those would probably die.