Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 24(4), 1988, pp. 715-717
Septicemic Pasteurellosis in Elk (Cervus elaphus) on the United States National Elk Refuge, Wyoming
J. Christian Franson and Bruce L. Smith,2 1 National Wildlife Health Research Center, 6006 Schroeder Road,
Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA; 2 National Elk Refuge, P.O. Box C, Jackson, Wyoming 83001, USA
ABSTRACT: Septicemic pasteurellosis caused by bison that died in 1922. A 2-yr-old female Pasteurella multocida is believed responsible elk died of septicemic pasteurellosis in for the deaths of 48 elk (Cervus elaphus) on the National Elk Refuge near Jackson, Wyoming Carbon County, Wyoming in 1960 and (USA) during 1986 and 1987. Clinical signs in- several cases have been reported from cluded depression and salivation; necropsy find- pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra anleri- ings included congestion and petechial and cana) elsewhere in Wyoming (Thorne, ecchymotic hemorrhages in lymph nodes, dia- 1982). Murie (1951) indicated that P. mul- phragm, lungs and endocardium. Pasteurella tocida was isolated from one elk in the multocida was isolated from femur marrow of eight carcasses and a variety of tissues from eight Jackson Hole herd, but it is unclear wheth- others. er the animal died of septicemic pasteu- Key words: Septicemic pasteurellosis, Pas- rellosis. We report here septicemic pasteu- ten rella multocida, elk, Cervus elaphus nelsoni, rellosis in elk on the National Elk Refuge National Elk Refuge, epizootic, case history near Jackson, Wyoming in 1986 and 1987. study. During the winter of 1985-1986, 120 Septicemic pasteurellosis is an acute dis- elk mortalities (36 adult bulls, four spike ease of wild and domestic ruminants caused bulls, 45 cows and 35 calves) were recorded by Pasteurella multocida. Clinical signs on the United States National Elk Refuge described in domestic animals include fe- (43#{176}28’ to 43#{176}38’N, 110#{176}35’ to 110#{176}45’W) ver, profuse salivation, submucosal pete- from a peak population of 6,430 animals. chiation, severe depression, and death in Scavenging by coyotes (Canis latrans) pre- about 24 hr (Blood et al., 1979). Septicemic vented necropsy examination of most car- pasteurellosis is endemic in southern Eu- casses, but septicemic pasteurellosis is be- rope, parts of Africa, the Near East and lieved to be responsible for 38 mortalities southern Asia and causes considerable eco- (24 calves, 2 yearling cows, 12 adult cows) nomic loss in cattle and water buffalo (Bain during January, February, and March. et al., 1982). These animals died after exhibiting severe Septicemic pasteurellosis is uncommon depression with head held low and ears in the United States but has been reported drooping for a period of s24 hr. Profuse from dairy cattle (Kradel et al., 1969) and salivation was noted in several cases and several species of free-ranging wildlife. An tremors were observed in two animals. All epizootic of pasteurellosis occurred in bi- animals examined were in good body con- son (Bison bison) at Yellowstone National dition, based on gross physical appearance Park in 1922 (Gochenour, 1924). Hed- and presence of fat deposits. Necropsy dleston and Gallagher (1969) reported that findings in six carcasses (one cow, two male sera from bison at the National Bison calves, three female calves) included en- Range, Montana; Custer State Park, South larged, congested lymph nodes; petechial Dakota; Wichita Mountains National hemorrhages on surfaces of the dia- Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma; and Roose- phragm, lungs, and coronary fat; ecchy- velt National Park, North Dakota had sig- motic hemorrhages on the endocardium; nificant levels of antibody to P. multocida and splenic enlargement. Histopathologic strain M-1404 which was isolated from a observations included congestion and
715 716 JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES, VOL. 24, NO. 4, OCTOBER 1988
hemorrhage in heart, lung, spleen, and of 38 septicemic pasteurellosis mortalities lymph nodes; acute suppurative lymph- occurred. During peak mortality, 2,000 to adenitis; and bacteremia. Pasteurella mu!- 3,000 elk were using this feedground, an tocida was isolated according to standard area of about 162 ha. The adverse envi- microbiological methods (Weaver et al., ronmental conditions probably put addi- 1985) from two or more of the following tional stress on the elk and contributed to tissues from each carcass: liver, spleen, kid- the septicemic pasteurellosis outbreak. Bain ney, lymph node, lung, myocardium, tra- et al. (1982) indicate that in tropical coun- chea and brain. Isolates from three animals tries septicemic pasteurellosis occurs more were identified as serotype 3 by the use of frequently during the rainy season and that a gel diffusion precipitin test (Heddleston temperature and seasonal changes are et al., 1972). thought to influence the prevalence of A yearling cow died of severe pneu- clinical disease. monia caused by concurrent P. multocida During the winter of 1986-1987, 81 elk and Corynebacterium pyogenes infection. died on the Refuge. Pasteure!!a multocida This animal had been observed depressed (serotype 3 x 4) was isolated from tissues and separated from the herd for 5 days of an elk that exhibited no gross lesions. before it died. Gross lesions included ex- Pasteurella multocida (not serotyped) was tensive fibrinous adhesions between the isolated also from tissues from a second elk lungs, pleura, pericardium, and thoracic and from femur marrow of eight animals wall. Lungs contained abscesses consisting not suitable for necropsy because of scav- of yellow, cheesy exudate. Brucella abor- enging by coyotes. The 10 isolates came tus was also isolated from the uterus. from seven adult females, two yearling fe- Of the remaining 81 deaths, psoroptic males, and one adult male. Only two of mange was likely a contributing factor in the deaths occurred at the Nowlin feed- 28 (19 adult bulls and nine cows) based on ground; the rest occurred at the McBride clinical observations and recovery of Pso- feedground, about 4 km away. Feed- roptes cervinus from skin samples. Incisors ground conditions were better during were collected for aging (Keiss, 1969) from 1986-1987 because of above normal tem- 35 of the 38 suspected pasteurellosis mor- peratures and below normal precipitation, talities and from 69 of the other 81 dead which may have contributed to lower mor- elk. The age (1 = 2.0 yr; SE = ±0.4) of tality. The peak elk population on the Ref- those dying of pasteurellosis was signifi- uge during the winter of 1986-1987 was cantly lower than the age ( = 5.4 ± 0.5 7,820. yr) of non-pasteurellosis mortalities (t, = Ages of all the 81 dead elk were deter-
4.78; df = 102; P <0.001). mined. There was no significant difference
Mortality caused by septicemic pasteu- between the age (i = 4.1 ± 0.8 yr) of the rellosis corresponded with a period of ex- animals that died of pasteurellosis and the treme weather fluctuations. Peak mortal- age ( = 6.8 ± 0.6 yr) of the remaining ity of 17 animals occurred during 12 to 23 71 animals (t, = 1.61; df = 79; P > 0.05). February. During this period, 9.5 cm of It is of interest to note that septicemic pas- precipitation (mostly rain) fell and gusty teurellosis affected younger animals in wind conditions prevailed; on 18 February 1985-1986 (1 age = 2.0 ± 0.4 yr) than in a wind velocity of 184 km/hr was recorded 1986-1987 ( age = 4.1 ± 0.8 yr) (t, = at Jackson Hole airport near the north end 2.22; df = 43; P <0.05). One might expect of the Refuge. Precipitation and thawing very young or very old animals to be more temperatures resulted in extremely mud- likely to succumb to septicemic pasteurel- dy conditions, particularly at the Nowlin losis. Perhaps the P. multocida was more feedground (43#{176}31’N, 110#{176}44’W) where 32 virulent for younger animals during 1985- SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 717
1986, or the adverse feedground condi- KEISS, R. E. 1969. Comparison of eruption-wear tions may have rendered calves more sus- patterns and cementum annuli as age criteria in elk. The Journal of Wildlife Management 33: ceptible. 175-180. We thank R. Duncan for providing mi- KIIADEL, D. C., K. L. HEDDLESTON, J. V. RISSER, AND crobiology results and R. Stroud and T. J. E. MANSPEAKER. 1969. Septicemic pasteu- Roffe for histopathologic observations. rellosis (hemorrhagic septicemia) in young dairy cattle. Veterinary Medicine/Small Animal Cli- LITERATURE CITED nician 64: 145-147. MuluE, 0. J. 1951. The elk of North America. The BuN, R. V. S., M. C. L. DL ALwIs, G. H. CARTER, Stackpole Co., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the ANI) B. K. GUPTs. 1982. Hemorrhagic septi- Wildlife Management Institute, Washington, cemia. F.A.O. Animal Production and Health D.C., 376 pp. Paper No. 33, Food and Agriculture Organiza- TII0IINE, E. T. 1982. Pasteurellosis. In Diseases of tion of the United Nations, Home, Italy, 54 pp. wildlife in Wyoming, 2nd ed., E. T. Thorne, N. Bt.oou, D. C., J. A. HENDERSON, AND 0. M. HA- Kingston, W. H. Jolley, and H. C. Bergstrom (eds.). DOSTITS. 1979. Veterinary medicine, 5th ed. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Chey- Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, enne, Wyoming, pp. 72-77. 1135 pp. WE.. \’ER, R. E., D. C. HoI.I.IS, ANI) E. J. BOTTONE. GocuENoun, W. S. 1924. Hemorrhagic septicemia 1985. Gram-negative fermentative bacteria and studies. Journal of the American Veterinary Franc’lsella tularensis. In Manual of clinical mi- Medical Association 65: 433-44 1. crobiology, 4th ed., E. H. Lennette, A. Balows, HEDDI.ESTON, K. L., AND J. E. GALI.AGHEII. 1969. H. J. Hansler, Jr., and H. J. Shadomv (eds.). Septicemic pasteurellosis (hemorrhagic septi- American Society for Microbiology, Washington, cemia) in the American bison: A serologic survey. D.C., pp. 309-329. Bulletin of the Wildlife Disease Association 5: 206-207. Received for publication 11 February 1988. .SNI) P. A. REIWnS. 1972. Fowl cholera: Gel diffusion precipitin test for serotyp- ing Pasteurella multocida from avian species. Avian Diseases 16: 925-936.