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National Park Service Research Needs
TITLE:
Ecology
of Wildlife Diseases (Brucellosis in the Yellowstone Ecosystem)
SUBMITTING BUREAU: National Park Service
Originating Office: Intermountain Field Area
DATE SUBMITTED: April 05, 1995
BIN NUMBER: NPS05CR98
BRD REGION: Central
DESCRIPTION OF NEED: Technical assistance has been provided by the National Wildlife Health Center, however no program exists within the Center or the National Biological Service to dedicate effort to this issue. Technical assistance could include providing assistance with developing and implementing management strategies to minimize the prevalence and potential transmission of brucellosis. Other types of assistance could be defined by the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee. Research needs include development and evaluation of brucellosis control methodologies compatible with National Park Service management mission.
MANAGEMENT PROBLEM WITH NEED: Brucellosis in wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is an issue of national importance to the National Park Service as well as other federal and state agencies. At issue is the risk of transmission of brucellosis from wildlife to domestic animals, the health and welfare of wildlife under National Park Service stewardship, and management of federal lands. Brucellosis in elk in the ecosystem is enhanced as a direct result of management actions that cause dense winter aggregations of elk on feedgrounds. These feedgrounds include the National Elk Refuge and 22 State of Wyoming feedgrounds and involve an estimated 22-25,000 elk. In bison the disease is maintained once introduced via their naturally gregarious behavior. Management options for brucellosis control in the Jackson bison herd (less than 220 animals) are limited because of their current association with infected elk on the National Elk Refuge. High densities of bison in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks have resulted in repeated migrations out of the park onto lands grazed by cattle. Because the states involved are classified by USDA as brucellosis-free, the presence of potentially infected bison presents a wildlife-livestock conflict. USDA/APHIS has already threatened loss of brucellosis-free status to Montana and Wyoming.
BUREAU CONTACT: Dan Huff, 303-969-2651, dan_huff@nps.gov
Rocky Mountain: Tom Wylie, 303-969-2970, tom_wylie@nps.gov
BRD PRIMARY CENTER: NWHC
BRD CENTER CONTACT: Tom Roffe
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY99): Dr. Tom Roffe, project leader stationed in Bozeman, Montana, has been active in several research projects and providing technical assistance.
Technical Assistance: Over the last year (Jan 98 to Jan 99) over 400 phone messages were logged, and 1,600 emails. My estimate is that FWS accounts for probably 30-35% of all contacts. See the topics list below regarding these contacts.
Contact topics include:
Current High priority research:
Upcoming high priority needs:
DATE SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: March 20, 1998
PREPARED BY: Thomas J. Roffe, PhD, DVM, Associate Regional Chief Biologist - Wildlife Health, USGS Biological Resources Division, FWP Bldg, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717; Email: troffe@montana.edu mailto:troffe@montana.edu , Or: thomas_roffe@usgs.gov; T: 406-994-5789, F: 406-994-4090, M: 406-539-4955
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY98): Dr. Tom Roffe, NWHC project leader stationed in Bozeman, Montana, has been active in four research projects funded in part by NPS (NRPP) and FWS (Quick Response): 1) Epidemiology and pathogenesis of brucellosis in bison, 2) Relationship between serology and infection in Yellowstone National Park bison, 3) Biosafety of calfhood vaccination with Brucella abortus vaccine strain RB51 in wild managed herds of bison, and 4) Brucella abortus RB51 vaccine safety and efficacy in pregnant bison from Yellowstone National Park. In addition, Tom Roffe provides technical assistance on a continuing basis to both agencies on issues relating to brucellosis. This has involved numerous information summaries and reports to both agencies and frequent personal contacts with both field and administrative staff (FWS: Terry Terrell, Wayne King, Barry Reiswig, Bruce Smith; NPS: Dan Huff, Robert Schiller, Steve Cain, Wayne Brewster, John Mack)
DATE SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: December 4, 1997
PREPARED BY: Milt Friend, National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, WI 53711-6223, 608-270-2400
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://biology.usgs.gov/cro/98nps-5.htm
Page Contact Information:
tlwilliams@usgs.gov
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