(Draft) Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee, Executive Committee Meeting Minutes (selected sections)

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Publication: Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee, Executive Committee Meeting

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Publication Date: 0000-00-00

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Location: Cavanaugh's on the Falls, Idaho Falls, Idaho

Abstract: FULL COPY OF MINUTES AVAILABLE AT WEBSITE (URL below) Approval Of Agenda The report on the wildlife brucellosis issue in Idaho by Dr. Bob Hillman was moved to the first item on the agenda. Idaho Feedgrounds Issue-Bob Hillman Idaho feedgrounds and the possible spread of brucellosis has become a concern. The Idaho Department of Agriculture has turned its focus on the Rainey Creek feedgrounds in Swan Valley. The Idaho Department of Agriculture is meeting with Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the short term regarding this issue. To date, other feedground sites have been identified in Teton Basin. Tests have been conducted in three of these sites, however, animals stopped coming to one of the test sites. At one site the 20 animals tested all came up negative, at the other site 15 were tested and 2 were positives. In order to prevent sanctions on Idaho livestock, 2 adjacent cattle herds were tested and 1 more herd remains. Some suspects were found, and because of the known brucellosis in Idaho elk, we have asked the Governor to establish a wildlife brucellosis task force. The first meeting was held one week ago with representatives from sportsman's groups, wildlife feedground operators, state legislators, and fish and game advisors to generate a plan for wildlife brucellosis by the fall. We will have a review period for the plan in order to identify any missing pieces. To date, of the 450 animals tested, 10 or 11 were positive. Currently 22 radios have been placed on those captured in order to monitor them for 2 years and possibly determine if they are Idaho or Wyoming elk. Chairman Huff inquired if the Rainey Creek feedground is a new feedground herd or one already established? Dave Hunter answered that the Rainey Creek herd winter range depletion began 25 years ago, and the feeding has been private, with some subsidization in the last four years by the Department of Fish and Game in order to keep the elk from the cattle feedlines and haystacks. Chairman Huff inquired how the newly formed group would relate to the GYIBC. Dr. Hillman said that it would complement any work that the GYIBC is doing and that he did not foresee that it would be at odds. In fact the task group would use data generated as a result of GYIBC efforts to support their plan. Bill Noblitt asked if the plan would be a priority and Dr. Hillman responded that it will be a priority. Chairman Huff requested that the Technical Subcommittee be allowed to review the plan and Dr. Hillman agreed and stated that the model for the plan would be based on the GYIBC model. OLD BUSINESS Update On the Yellowstone/Montana Bison Management EIS- John Mack The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is making good progress, it contains 7 alternatives for managing bison along the border of Montana and within Yellowstone National Park. Currently the draft is at the printer and should be back next week. The mailing will then go out to the public and to GYIBC members. There are 15,000 on the mailing list who will receive an executive summary of approximately 30 pages in length, while 3000 copies of the full document will go to reviewers. Also, a press release document for regional papers is being produced and there will be public meetings in the three states and perhaps regional meetings in Washington, DC or Denver; no locations for the meetings have been picked yet. All dates and locations of meetings will be given to the GYIBC. The 120 day public comment period ends October 1, 1998. When the document is approved it will be sent to GYIBC members. Chairman Huff requested that the EIS team present the alternatives at the next GYIBC meeting. John Mack agreed to check with the team and add it to the agenda if approved. Update on Wyoming vs. the United States -John Baughman Briefly, the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish asked US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to vaccinate elk on the National Elk Refuge (NER). Since this procedure was not part of the management plan they needed a letter of approval from the director of the USFWS. It was not forthcoming, so the Wyoming Attorney General filed suit to determine jurisdiction and responsibilities regarding the management of elk in Wyoming. Earth Justice filed and was granted intervener status on behalf of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the Jackson Hole Alliance. Barry Reiswig offered that the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, the Jackson Hole Coalition, and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition were granted intervener status for the Department of the Interior (DOI). Interspecies Transmission Paper -Mike Philo This paper was presented two meetings ago for review. Since that time comments have been incorporated and additional information has been added. Jack Rhyan will forward the edited document to all GYIBC members for a last round of changes. Chairman Huff requested that the Executive Committee review the document after the Technical Subcommittee approves it, after the next meeting. To prevent further delay, Jack Rhyan thought it would be all right to send the document to both the Executive Committee and the Technical Subcommittee, and if any changes are made by the Technical Subcommittee it would be communicated at the next Executive Committee meeting, that way the document can be approved. Documented Abortion In a Heifer Due To RB51 -George Kennedy Recently the first confirmed case of abortion due to RB51 was observed. A 17 month old Gheilby heifer was presented to the Kansas State University veterinary lab by nearby ranchers. The heifer came in with dystocia and a rent in her uterus. The calf was no longer alive, and a C-section was performed. The calf was part-way into the abdomen so there was a great deal of exudate and the uterus looked necrotic. The heifer was euthanized and a necropsy was performed. The rent was due to a friable uterine wall caused by an infection, the placenta peeled off and was mushy, and somewhat leathery. Dr. Kennedy noted that it looked like a brucella induced abortion. Since this was a possibility,the state veterinarian, Kansas state public health officials and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) were informed. A serum culture was taken and tissues were checked for the bacteria, it was determined that the bacteria present were RB51 brucella. The CDC came in to investigate the situation because of the possibility that humans may have been exposed to the pathogen. The epidemiologic investigation concluded that the heifer had been vaccinated as a 10 month old the previous fall along with 30 others. Of the 30 animals, 3 were unknowingly bred, the other 2 delivered healthy calves. However, when the 3 heifers were determined to be bred they were given prostaglandinase and the steroid dexamethasone to induce an abortion, it failed. This may have been a factor in the resulting term abortion, or perhaps she was a genetically susceptible heifer. After 6 months of interviews by the CDC, none of the persons exposed became sick. Although there is no assay for humans and RB51, those exposed were administered serum in the first week and blood was drawn,. It appears at this time that RB51 is less pathogenic for people than Strain 19, but those persons exposed were placed on antibiotics, so no conclusions can be made regarding human illness as a result of exposure. Bison Genetics -Joe Templeton A wildlife genetics study centered on bison was conducted in order to determine what is required for a species to survive after nearing extinction. Bison represent a successful bottleneck population. A relative of Bison bison, the Cape Buffalo populations have tuberculosis (TB). They are killed to keep the disease from spreading, thus disease and susceptibility cannot be separated from genetics. Current genetic work is done by graduate students with grants. Genes were isolated for resistance to TB, determination of the immuno-macrophages were based on comparative genetics. The genetic effects of a population bottleneck on a species are directly correlated to the length and severity of decline on the limited gene pool. As part of the project we attempted to locate fitness genes which allowed the species to continue on. This information can be directly applied to the Yellowstone bison genetic pool. The so called "random'' shooting at the Montana borders is actually eliminating or depleting entire maternal lineages, therefore this action will cause an irreversible crippling of the gene pool. Continued removal of genetic lineage's will change the genetic makeup of the herd, thus it will not represent the animal of 1910 or earlier. It would be a travesty to have people look back and say that we were "idiots'' for not understanding the gene pool. Similarly, reintroduction's have to be approached from a genetic standpoint. The use of historic DNA is important to establish the genetic makeup of bison. Currently there is an inconsistent policy on species and the preservation of genetics, cattle are an exotic species and if combined with the bison it creates a desirable new species, yet the policy is different regarding red deer and elk. We need to ask "what do we want as a national symbol?,'' should it look like the 1850 bison, as can be determined from DNA or are we going to manage animals which may have been hybridized or lack genetic variation. Bison have developed a natural resistance genetically as long as they have enough to eat, limited stress and are not consumed by other disease. There is no magic bullet in wildlife disease, therefore management is important. Vaccines are one management tool and one component, but genetic structure is necessary for future management. Every animal which is removed from the breeding population can no longer contribute to the genetic variability of the herd. Similarly, natural disease resistance in cattle around Grand Teton National Park needs to be determined. Have these animals developed more or less resistance to brucellosis? However, funding for this type of project is difficult to obtain. Perhaps studies which document natural resistance in humans can be cited. One such work from the 1880s looked at tenement housing and diphtheria outbreaks. The disease was severe and contracted easily, yet on the same floor some families were found all dead, some families contained survivors and others were resistant to diphtheria. We need to look at cattle and bison for natural resistance to brucellosis. Genetically the two species are very similar, the difference is only found in 1 or 2% of genes. With the genetic map of DNA, discovering the phenotype of brucellosis resistant bison and susceptible bison is possible. For example, the bovine n-ramp 1 gene contains NH2 and COOH to pump nitrous oxide which aids in lowering pH which in turn kills the brucella bacteria. It appears that this gene is 85% conserved in mammals, and it is an ancient gene. When bison and cattle are compared, both show changes in amino acids, with no polar changes, while water buffalo have polar changes. The difference demonstrates 1 to 2 million years of species separation, since a 1-2% change will occur each century. Hybrid bison exist and can be traced to herds like the Charles Goodnight bison herd, they are genetically different although they look similar to Bison bison. Bison Genetics Study Sponsored By The National Science Foundation -James Derr The study was intended to identify and characterize genetic variation from selected mitochondrial and nuclear gene regions in extant and historical bison populations. This information could be used as a model to investigate the relationship between extant and historical bison genetic diversity. Five herds were found to have cattle mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the James Mckay herd in Canada, the Charles Goodnight herd in Texas, the Walking Coyote herd in Montana, the Frederick Dupree herd in South Dakota and the Charles Jones herd in Kansas. In the past, cattlemen were interested in combining cattle with bison to increase cattle production, the resulting hybrids represented a loss of genetic variation in bison. The hybrids have cattle mtDNA. There are legal ramifications if hybrids are included in bison populations since the presence of these animals could challenge the protection of the species as a whole. The mtDNA sequence information is inherited only from the female. The mtDNA dictates energy production in cells. There is a high rate of nucleotide substitution and therefore a great deal of information which can be found in mtDNA. To compare extant and historic bison DNA the study focused on specific groups of animals at Antelope Island, Custer National Park, Elk Island, and many others. Historic DNA was collected from jump sites less then 500 years old. The sites include the Burkett site, the Grey site, the Goose Creek site, the Krogman Ranch site and the Vore site. The results demonstrated that a presence of domestic cattle mtDNA occurred in 6 of 15 bison populations, or a total of 30 of the 572 bison (5.2%), also six different genotypes were found which represent a minimum of 6 different hybrid events. Haplotypes were found in bison from Custer National Park, the Finney Ranch herd, the Maxwell herd, the William's herd (100%) and others. This information can be useful for future bison management, for instance, incoming bison should be screened for cattle mtDNA or if hybrids are identified within a herd, breeding procedures can be put in place to prevent females from breeding or a selective process could be enforced which retains only the bull calves. The nuclear gene study focused on assessing the allelic frequency of genes important for natural disease resistance in bison and cattle. Present in bovine is a three allele micro-satellite system, which contains information regarding the pedigree of the herd. By looking at the micro-satellites one can reconstruct the pedigree, known as reverse pedigree genetics based on the micro-satellite loci and the number of alleles. Based on this study the Yellowstone bison herd maintains a reasonable genetic variation. It is known that some bull bison were introduced from the Charles Goodnight herd, yet genetic hybridization has not been found in the bison tested. In summary, DNA determined from hair follicles can provide; 1. a quick test to determine if the bison are hybrids 2. data that confirms a hybridization event 3. evidence of natural disease resistance and 4. how past population bottlenecks effect current bison genetics. This presentation was intended to inform the GYIBC about the technology available which can be applied to wildlife and domestic animal management. Vaccine does not provide the only solutions; genetic considerations also need to be acknowledged in wild and domestic animal management. Dr. James Derr noted that he is not advocating genetic engineering, but that the discovery of naturally occurring resistance to brucellosis may be a viable solution. In order to fully explore this option it is important to not reduce the bison population levels any further and risk the elimination of these disease resistant genes. Bison already do not have the same genes which were present before 1800, however they have managed to survive as a species with the exception of some introduced hybrid animals. We should know the genetic makeup of bison before management decisions are made which may compromise the future of bison genetic health. Tom Thorne inquired that if brucellosis is a somewhat recently introduced disease should bison be managed for 1800s genetics or for disease resistance? Dr. Derr responded that managers first need to know what type of genetic variation exists along with historic data to help guide us to manage appropriately for future bison genetics. Bob Nervig asked if the Custer National Park herd and the Wind Cave herd commingle. Dr. Derr responded that they do, yet none of the animals at Wind Cave have cattle mtDNA. It could be that the cows don't travel or some of the bulls have not been tested yet. Joe Templeton offered that brucellosis resistance may be difficult to trace since the disease does not present a severe selection process, diseased animals remain in the population To select for either a resistant gene or phenotype, diseased animals could be removed, as in cattle, 100 million were killed, thus the genes have shifted. Bob Nervig asked if there is a difference in breed susceptibility. Joe Templeton remarked that bison are like Jersey cattle. In Jersey cattle, Strain 19 created more vaccinate titers and more animals succumb to brucellosis as compared to Holsteins and pigs. However, with one generation of selection, managers can triple those phenotypes which are compatible with management philosophies, based on current and historic genetic data. Bob Nervig asked if Texas A&M had looked at brucellosis in horses. Joe Templeton added that the horse n-ramp is currently being isolated by a graduate student to determine susceptibility to brucellosis. Epidemiology In Yellowstone Bison - Tom Roffe This is the third year of the project which includes capturing calving bison. New information includes identification of septicemic calves with an infection and some sero-converted 3 and 4 year olds lost their calves. The study of the Jackson bison herd has had some difficulty as the bulls ripped off the transmission collars, so now the use of ear tags has been put in place. A suspicious female was immobilized, she had a doughy uterus, as a result of ectomiosis not abortion. One elk fetus abortion has been documented. 35 moose were tested and no brucella was found, which could be because it kills them or due to ecological niches the diseased animals do not come in contact with moose. RB51 vaccine was given to bison calves to test the bio-safety, we will have a publication when the study is complete. Currently, 7 animals remain (3 are non-vaccinates) at Fort Niobrara. Vaccine persistence lasted a long time in the animals, hopefully they will breed. The Idaho calf study will observe the effects of vaccine exposure en utero. Field strain infection has been found in Idaho and Yellowstone animals. Jack Rhyan noted that an RB51 non-target species study for mice and ravens would begin soon in Fort Collins. Chairman Huff added that the new reports contain breakthrough information including pathology and documented abortions in bison. He thanked Dr. Davis, Dr. Derr, Dr. Templeton and Dr. Kennedy for coming from far away to attend the GYIBC Executive Committee meeting.

Keywords: breeding, animal, mammal, ungulate, bison, Bison bison, brucellosis, Cervidae, elk, wapiti, Cervus elaphus, disease, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Idaho, Swan Valley, Teton Basin, Jackson Hole, National Elk Refuge, Teton County, livestock, GYIBC, radio collar, ear tag, livestock