THE EPIDEMIOLOG1CAL CHALLENGE OF EVALUATING BRUCELLOSIS SEROPREVALENCE IN FREE-RANGING ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK IN MONTANA

摘要

Serologic surveillance for bovine brucellosis in Montana's elk popula-tions occupying the area surrounding Yellowstone National Park was first performed in 1981. Additional surveys were conducted periodically thereafter and in the early 1990's MontanaFish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) began regular collection and testing of serum collected from hunter-harvested elk in this region. Results from these surveillance efforts have indicated that brucellosis seroprevalence is low (< 2%), however, culture results from five research animals in 1988, one hunter-killed animal in the early 1990's and an aborted fetus in 2005, confirm the presence of Brucella abortus biovar 1, and the mechanism for it's transmission, in the elk populations of the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA).