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Published Date: 2013-05-22 20:07:18
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed die-off, bison - USA: (MT) RFI
Archive Number: 20130522.1731237

UNDIAGNOSED DIE-OFF, BISON - USA: (MONTANA) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: Sat 18 May 2013
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associate Press (AP) report [edited]
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Montana-investigates-bison-deaths-near-Yellowstone-4527902.php


State veterinarians in Montana have been sent to examine bison carcasses north of Yellowstone National Park amid fears the bison might have acquired a deadly disease from domestic sheep.

Pat Flowers of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks [FWP] tells the Independent Record that a veterinarian from his agency and the state Department of Livestock this weekend [18-19 May 2013] hope to do necropsies on the bison. At least 2 bison and possibly 4 or more have been found dead in the last week [11-17 May 2013].

The Gallatin Wildlife Association said state officials should check for the presence of malignant catarrhal fever that can be transferred from domestic sheep to bison, cattle, deer, and moose.

"There are dead bison and we don't know why," said the association's Kathryn QannaYahu. "The ones in the river didn't have any obvious cuts or scrapes. We just want this to be investigated because we don't want to see an outbreak of malignant catarrhal fever." 2 dead bison were found near rental cabins in the Beattle Gulch area. One was in the river and the other near it. Another was spotted off Highway 89 but was gone by Friday [17 May 2013], and QannaYahu said hikers found more inside the park's northern border.

QannaYahu said authorities should see if there's a connection with the recent introduction of domestic sheep near the park's northern border. "It's not unusual to have dead bison in the river at this time of year; we have winter kill that float down in high water," Flowers said. "But the presence of domestic sheep is something new for us there, so we decided we would check it out."

FWP veterinarian Jennifer Ramsey said the bison will be examined for evidence of trauma or disease. She said they'll also be tested for anthrax that bison can pick up from nature. She said if those tests are negative, the bison's internal organs will be examined, looking for malignant catarrhal fever or some other possible cause.

"But we don't know how long the bison have been out there," she said. "Imagine them in the water, and with the relatively warm weather that we had, I don't know if the organs won't be decomposed to the point where we can't get a sample." Tissue samples will be sent to state labs, she said.

Department of Livestock Veterinarian Martin Zaluski said malignant catarrhal fever is often found in sheep populations even though it doesn't appear to harm them. "But I'd be very cautious about making that the focus of the investigation into the deaths at this point," Zaluski said. "There's no clinical testing, no diagnostics -- it's just speculation at this point. We need to let the investigation take its course."

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[Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a fatal disease syndrome of many ungulates, wild and domestic, including bison (_Bison bison_, see picture at http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/American_bison_k5680-1.jpg). MCF is caused by ovine-herpesvirus 2. Bison deaths following exposure to infected sheep have been documented in the past (see for example, J Vet Diagn Invest [2005] 17: 55-8; http://vdi.sagepub.com/content/17/1/55.long).

In Canada, bison mortalities due to anthrax have been reported periodically since the early 1960's. Anthrax is caused by the ingestion of spores of _Bacillus anthracis_. In bison the disease is usually rapidly fatal and acute.

Hopefully the tests being carried out will shed some light on this episode. - Mod.PMB

The state of Montana and Yellowstone National Park can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map below. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/6ZWj.]

See Also

2012
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Anthrax, bison - Canada (08): (NT) 20120814.1244145
Anthrax, bison - Canada (07): (NT) 20120809.1237144
Anthrax, bison - Canada (06): (NT) 20120803.1227788
Anthrax, bison - Canada (05): (NT) 20120726.1216201
Anthrax, bison - Canada (04): (NT) 20120711.1198108
Anthrax, bison - Canada (03): (NT) 20120710.1196294
Anthrax, bison - Canada (02): (NT) 20120709.1194889
Anthrax, bison - Canada (NT) 20120706.1192749
2011
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Brucellosis, bison - USA (09) (MT) 20111204.3528
2010
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Anthrax, bison - USA (02): (MT) 2nd bison 20100802.2591
Anthrax, bison - USA: (MT) 20100719.2417
2008
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Anthrax, bison - USA (04): (MT) cattle now 20080815.2540
Anthrax, bison - USA (03): (MT), corr. 20080810.2469
Anthrax, bison - USA (03): (MT) continuing deaths 20080808.2442
Anthrax, bison - USA (02): (MT) continuing deaths 20080805.2405
Anthrax, bison - USA (MT) 20080802.2366
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