Posted on 05/13/2015 4:49:15 AM PDT by SJackson
Five elk recently transferred to Wisconsin from Kentucky as part of a reintroduction effort died in mid-April because of a tick-borne disease, the Department of Natural Resources announced Monday.
The elk died over a period of about one week in a quarantine pen in Jackson County, according to the DNR. The dead elk included one adult cow, which carried an unborn calf, and four yearlings (three females and one male).
Necropsies on the dead animals revealed they died of acute Babesiosis, according to the DNR. The disease is caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells and are spread by certain ticks, including the deer tick.
State wildlife officials presume the elk were bitten by ticks after their arrival in Wisconsin. The dead animals were part of a shipment of 26 elk brought to Wisconsin in late March as part of a multiyear agreement with Kentucky wildlife officials. The plan calls for Wisconsin to receive up to 150 elk from Kentucky.
"We're obviously disappointed," said Kurt Flack, a Wisconsin representative of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the leading financial contributor to the elk reintroduction. "It's shocking to lose five animals in so short a time. But we realize things like this can happen, and we maintain our support for bringing more elk to Wisconsin."
The newly transferred animals are being held in a 7-acre pen until they complete a quarantine, probably in early June.
While Babesiosis has previously been identified in Wisconsin and other states and is known to cause severe, acute disease in reindeer, elk and caribou, it's not clear if the disease has killed elk in Wisconsin before, according to Tami Ryan, chief of the DNR's wildlife health section.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
I would argue that the imported elk are from populations that have lost their immunity to the tick disease.
It’s like Indians and measels....... no immune defense
Out in Montana now as well. Wife came home from a hike a couple days ago and threw her clothes in the tub. I noticed a tick crawling around in the tub a few moments later. That ones in the septic system now.
Neighbor came over a few days ago to tell me he had “tick fever”. Had one on the groin all “swolled up”.
I’m cutting in my new shooting range today, excavator should start in an hour or so. I built the first one on the mountain where I live several years ago. Since then three neighbors have put them in ... all of them nicer than mine. Gotta keep up ya know!
Years ago, I read that Rocky Mountain Elk transported to the east to start new wild herds, often died of something called “brainworm”.
I’ll never forget the first shock of when we moved from the high plains to the Ozarks, of getting my first case of ticks.
Now I get bit so often I don’t think of it. I’ve learned how to scrape them off and kill them.
it is CHIGGERS that I can’t stand!
Hate when they get into the crease behind my knees.
I need to go out with a few gallons of roundup today or tomorrow. But even after nuking the area, the ticks don’t go away entirely. It is really something.
Get a flock of guieni hens.thry eat ticks and grubs- like those of Japanese beetles. Much moe effective.they are also excellent “watch dos” AND will fight off predators like fox, dogs etc. win win
According to my reading, if you get in the shower and briskly wash with hot soapy water within an hour or two, the chiggers don’t have time to embed themselves.
There are several diseases in deer, elk and moose populations which are increasing. In addition to the one in the article, chronic wasting disease, a prion disease, and brain abscesses, caused by a bacteria and which rots the antlers, are also spreading across the US.
Walker’s Fault.
I wonder if there are any elk around Elkton, KY.
Used to get them at Summer camp and playing in the leaves in the Fall. Mom and Grandma always painted the area where the chiggers were embedded with clear nail polish. Worked every time.
The only time I have run across the name of that disease is on the Red Cross questionnaire before giving blood—I always checked “no” since I figured that if I had had it I would know what it was.
There’s an Elkton Michigan too.
Are ticks good for anything? Can we eliminate or reduce them as tick born illness is also severe in the human population.
There’s another herd of about 40 Elk that were introduced to Maggie Valley NC around 12=13 years ago. I never went up to see them but my sister and BIL did. I guess they are still up there.
Can you add me to the list? Thanks!
1st time in Maggie Valley was 1973
Went again last year,
Was highly disappointed in the growth.
Yep. Lost my 6 year old Yellow Lab to Lyme’s Disease last year due to those @#$%^&*!! useless, awful, horrific wood ticks.
And we did everything right by her - had her vaccinated, had Frontline on her and she had regular tick shampoo baths and DAILY ‘tick checks.’
In Labs, it destroys their kidneys; quickly and quietly until it’s too late.
I want my state BATHED in DDT until these b@astards are DEAD. And all of their FAMILY is DEAD. I want them ALL DEAD!
Take the gun, leave the cannoli... ;)
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