Chapter 8 : Brucellosis in Terrestrial Wildlife and Marine Mammals

Abstract:

There are currently six named species of Brucella plus the newly discovered group of brucellae infecting marine mammals. Brucella melitensis is primarily a disease of goats and sheep that is present in most areas of the world where goats are raised. In humans, B. melitensis is considered the principal cause of brucellosis and is clinically the most severe. In the United States, disease caused by B. melitensis in animals is considered exotic, and nearly all cases of human infection are due to the consumption of imported unpasteurized goat cheese. Bison migrations outside Yellowstone National Park (YNP) boundaries have occurred with increased frequency since 1980, usually during the winter. When the bison migrate onto private land, they pose a potential threat of spreading brucellosis to domestic cattle, thereby putting the state's class free status at risk. The development of effective strategies to control and eradicate brucellosis from bison and elk in the greater Yellowstone area (GYA), from feral swine across the southern and central states, from reindeer and caribou in the arctic, and perhaps finally from marine mammals presents an unprecedented challenge. With the continuing emergence of this disease and these disease issues in free-ranging populations of wildlife, solutions can only be found based on good science, public education, and innovative, collaborative work between research scientists, regulatory and wildlife veterinarians, and wildlife managers.