buck59
01-14-2004, 05:13 AM
posted 1/14/04
Brucellosis may affect park sheep
By The Associated Press - 01/14/04
BOZEMAN (AP) — Brucellosis may play some role in dieoffs of bighorn sheep in and around Yellowstone National Park, and it has been confirmed for the first time in other sheep deaths, a researcher said here Tuesday.
An accidental exposure to brucellosis killed most of the bighorn sheep at a research facility in southeastern Wyoming, and a wild bighorn in the Jackson area has shown possible signs of exposure to the disease, said Terry Kreeger.
Kreeger, who works with wildlife diseases at the Wyoming Game and Fish's State Diagnostic Laboratory near Cheyenne, spoke to a technical committee of the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee.
‘‘This is the first report ever of brucellosis in (bighorn) sheep,'' Kreeger said.
It previously has been reported in domestic sheep, but most often is associated with the deer and elk in Yellowstone, and more recently was detected in some cattle in northwestern Wyoming.
Brucellosis causes domestic cattle to abort and can cause painful flu-like symptoms in humans.
It rarely causes death in most animals, but for bighorns it may be more serious.
‘‘We think they may die from it,'' Kreeger told the committee
Brucellosis may affect park sheep
By The Associated Press - 01/14/04
BOZEMAN (AP) — Brucellosis may play some role in dieoffs of bighorn sheep in and around Yellowstone National Park, and it has been confirmed for the first time in other sheep deaths, a researcher said here Tuesday.
An accidental exposure to brucellosis killed most of the bighorn sheep at a research facility in southeastern Wyoming, and a wild bighorn in the Jackson area has shown possible signs of exposure to the disease, said Terry Kreeger.
Kreeger, who works with wildlife diseases at the Wyoming Game and Fish's State Diagnostic Laboratory near Cheyenne, spoke to a technical committee of the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee.
‘‘This is the first report ever of brucellosis in (bighorn) sheep,'' Kreeger said.
It previously has been reported in domestic sheep, but most often is associated with the deer and elk in Yellowstone, and more recently was detected in some cattle in northwestern Wyoming.
Brucellosis causes domestic cattle to abort and can cause painful flu-like symptoms in humans.
It rarely causes death in most animals, but for bighorns it may be more serious.
‘‘We think they may die from it,'' Kreeger told the committee