PATHOGENESIS AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF BRUCELLOSIS IN YELLOWSTONE BISON: SEROLOGIC AND CULTURE RESULTS FROM ADULT FEMALES AND THEIR PROGENY
Rhyan JC, Aune K, Roffe T, Ewalt D, Hennager S, Gidlewski T, Olsen S, Clarke R. 2009. PATHOGENESIS AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF BRUCELLOSIS IN YELLOWSTONE BISON: SEROLOGIC AND CULTURE RESULTS FROM ADULT FEMALES AND THEIR PROGENY. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 45(3):729-739
Our ob j ective in this prospective study was to detc'rniine the natural course of Bowel/a (1/iorIiIs nilection ill cohorts of .sernpositive and seronegative, I'einale bison (Bison bison) and their offspniig in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) for 5 yr. \Ve collected specimens froni 53 adult females and 25 calves at least once and from 45 adults and 22 calves more than once Annual seroconversion rates (negative to positive) were relatively high (23% for calves and juvenile bison, 6% in the total sample of'adult female bison in our study. and 11% in the adult females that began the study as seronegatives). Antibody was riot protective against infection, even for calves that passively received antibod y from an infected mother's colostrum. Antibod y levels stayed remarkably constant, with only a slow decline over time. We found onl y two seroconversions from a weak positive status to negative. Infected bison aborted and shed viable bacteria. Risk of shedding infective Bnwella was highest fer bison in the 2 yr following seroc'omlversioil f'roni Ilegta ive to positive. In one bison, we detected shedding fer 3 yr fello'ing seroconversion. Regardless of serostatims of danis and neonates, most calves were seronegative by 5 mo of age. There was no relationship between the antibody status of the dam and the tendency of a calf to seroconvert to positive during the duration of' the study.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Rhyan, Jack; Aune, Keith; Roffe, Thomas; Ewalt, Darla; Hennager, Steve; Gidlewski, Tom; Olsen, Steve; Clarke, Ryan
- Units
- YELL
- Keywords
- Bison bison, bovidae, Brucella abortus, Brucellosis, Epidemiology, Serology, Yellowstone National Park