tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post6416380738047906769..comments2023-10-26T03:19:41.569-07:00Comments on Stephen Bodio's Querencia: Testing elk for brucellosisSteve Bodiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14434597061701369867noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post-54112754776943799282010-02-01T22:28:37.698-08:002010-02-01T22:28:37.698-08:00Thanks Cat - that does help my understanding a gre...Thanks Cat - that does help my understanding a great deal ... one more question ... is it not possible then for a bull elk to contract brucellosis during the actual breeding proces<br /><br />Sorry to be so dense ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post-5189933280704331822010-01-27T21:47:51.974-08:002010-01-27T21:47:51.974-08:00um no: there were no huggers who denied the exist...um no: there were no huggers who denied the existence of brucellosis in bison, or the possibiity that bison might be passing it to cattle (though it was difficult to prove that this happens in the real world). The question always was.. and still is.. why they are killing bull bison for brucellosis control since the disease is transmitted through abortion events. And why are they not killing bull elk for that reason? The answer has little to do with brucellosis itself.EmilySnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post-90805433222305725732010-01-27T17:20:10.656-08:002010-01-27T17:20:10.656-08:00I hope my last comment reveals more about why bull...I hope my last comment reveals more about why bulls aren't much of a threat. Since this bacteria lives in the female reproductive tract, it is shed at a specific time and manner - in the birthing process. Other animals can become infected by coming into contact with the shed bacteria through touching/nosing/licking the fetus or fluids, or through contact with an environment contaminated with discharge from infected animals (such as ingesting hay on a feed line on an elk feedground).Cat Urbigkithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12649103651692682453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post-84447569555262995022010-01-27T17:13:32.232-08:002010-01-27T17:13:32.232-08:00Canine brucellosis is a different species than Bru...Canine brucellosis is a different species than Brucella abortus, the species found in wild elk and bison. Brucella abortus is not shed in urine - the organism is shed in birthing tissue and fluids, and vaginal discharge, so the organism is shed when an animal aborts or delivers a calf. The organism can actually hide undetected in the reproductive tract of an ungulate - that's why a negative test doesn't always mean the animal doesn't harbor the bacteria. Repeated testing is necessary.Cat Urbigkithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12649103651692682453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post-41151910190063072512010-01-27T12:26:37.823-08:002010-01-27T12:26:37.823-08:00Thinking of cow elk and herd behavior brings to mi...Thinking of cow elk and herd behavior brings to mind one of my favorite memories. While driving toward the western entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park, we were brought to a halt by a large number of cows with their calves ambling along the road, and then crossing the drive when traffic stopped. As the cows approached the crossing spots they would accelerate to a long ground-covering trot and the calves, of course, would run to keep pace with their mothers. The babies would stretch their heads up to the limit of neck length and rest their heads and necks on their mother's shoulders. As I watched this behavior, several babies lost their grip on mom's whithers, and the cows would stop immediately and wait for the babies to catch up and establish contact before leaving - what amazing protective instincts Mother Nature provides.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post-13106069484045512592010-01-27T12:15:10.966-08:002010-01-27T12:15:10.966-08:00Back again - I can see why the "sympthetic&qu...Back again - I can see why the "sympthetic" behavior of the cows poses a larger threat to transmission of the disease, but, if you have time, would you touch on some of the reasons the bulls are not considered to be "high risk?"<br /><br />My information says that brucellosis is transmitted through urine as well as physical contact and for that reason we isolate and test all dogs coming onto our property. The threat is probably also a good reason for the increase in the use of "AI" in dogs, but I'm not sure anyone would ever admit that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post-27337026287830529842010-01-25T19:59:16.590-08:002010-01-25T19:59:16.590-08:00In weird way we've come a long way. In the e...In weird way we've come a long way. In the early part of the naughts, there were buffalo huggers who insisted there WAS no such thing as brucellosis, that it was just a government myth to excuse the murder of innocent buffs. Even when people who had been laid low with the stuff testified to what it felt like, these crusaders simply wouldn't listen. When they were three they threw a fit everytime they didn't like something and they thought it might work again, I guess. It didn't. Reality outwaits everything else.<br /><br />Prairie MaryMary Strachan Scriverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00538160009129822362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post-73403525482362662262010-01-25T19:31:33.643-08:002010-01-25T19:31:33.643-08:00For various reasons, bull elk are unlikely to pose...For various reasons, bull elk are unlikely to pose much of a transmission risk. Brucellosis in wild elk is transmitted by abortion events, which usually occur in third trimester – in Wyoming it’s when elk are concentrated on winter feedgrounds. Behaviorally, cow elk in a herd nearly always insist on inspecting aborted fetuses, sniffing and licking the fetus and birth fluids – this is a major mode of transmission.<br /><br />I was glad to hear that only four of the 82 cow elk handled yesterday tested positive for the disease.Cat Urbigkithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12649103651692682453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8732486.post-15556066280087379132010-01-25T18:46:45.816-08:002010-01-25T18:46:45.816-08:00Ok Cat, I'll bite! In dogs, we test both dogs...Ok Cat, I'll bite! In dogs, we test both dogs and bitches and the threat of brucellosis is something we're all aware of ....<br /><br />Why wouldn't wildlife agencies test bull elk as well?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com