Forty female moose (Alces alces) captured in North Dakota, US, in March 2014 were tested for antibodies to a variety of pathogens. Antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV) were detected in 39 (98%) moose following a year with a high number of human cases, suggesting the population accurately reflects WNV activity. Fifteen percent of moose (6/40) had antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, implying expansion of the tick vector into the area. Antibodies to Anaplasma spp. were detected in 55% of moose (22/40), a higher rate than previously detected in cattle from the region. Low titers (100–400) to one or more serovars of Leptospira spp. were detected in 23% of moose (9/40), a common finding in wild ruminants. Exposure to other pathogens was uncommon (<8%; <3/40) or not documented. Survival and recruitment were high during the study period, suggesting a limited population-level impact at current levels of exposure and environmental co-stressors.
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5 July 2021
Exposure to Select Pathogens in an Expanding Moose (Alces alces) Population in North Dakota, USA
Charlie S. Bahnson,
Daniel M. Grove,
James J. Maskey Jr.,
Jason R. Smith
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Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 57 • No. 3
July 2021
Vol. 57 • No. 3
July 2021