title: Foot-and-mouth disease in North American bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni): susceptibility, intra- and interspecies transmission, clinical signs, and lesions.
abstract: There is limited information about the pathogenesis and epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in North American bison (Bison bison) or elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni). In these two experimental infection studies, we compared the susceptibilities of bison and elk to FMD virus (FMDV), respectively, with that of cattle; determined whether intra- and interspecies transmission could occur in bison and cattle, and elk and cattle; determined suitability of conventional available laboratory tests to detect FMDV infection in bison and elk; and investigated whether bison or elk are efficient long-term carriers of FMDV. In both studies, after a period of acclimation to the containment at Plum Island Animal Disease Center, animals were infected by intraepithelial tongue inoculation with 10,000 bovine tongue infective doses of FMDV, strain O1 Manisa. Inoculated animals were kept with contact animals; subsequently, inoculated and/or exposed contact animals were placed in rooms with unexposed animals. All bison developed oral mucosal and foot lesions similar to those of cattle. Bison developed fever, lameness, inappetence, and ptyalism. Physical examinations on bison revealed numerous small vesicles and erosions affecting tongue, gingiva, muzzle, hard and soft palates, coronary bands, and interdigital skin. Inoculated elk developed transient fever and mild focal tongue and foot lesions. Contact elk developed neither clinical signs nor gross pathologic lesions of FMD. At necropsy, lesions in bison included numerous extensive vesicles, erosions, and/or ulcers in the oral cavities, feet, and rumen pillars depending on the stage of disease. Less extensive oral, foot, and rumen lesions were present in the inoculated elk. All bison and inoculated elk developed antibodies to FMDV and were positive for FMDV by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Transmission occurred between cattle and bison, and bison and bison. It did not occur between elk and cattle. Elk-to-elk transmission studies resulted in only one contact elk developing serologic evidence of a subclinical infection. Other exposed elk developed neither clinical, pathologic, virologic, nor serologic evidence of disease. FMDV was not isolated from animals past 28 days postinfection.
authors.affiliation: National Wildlife Research Center, Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA. jack.c.rhyan@aphis.usda.gov
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rhyan
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gidlewski
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCollum
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Metwally
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: Sherrilyn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wainwright
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mebus
authors.forename: Mo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016164:Bison / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission; D003670:Deer / Q000276:immunology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000662:veterinary; D005536:Foot-and-Mouth Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000635:transmission*; D029544:Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008297:Male; D013045:Species Specificity; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D017201:Virus Shedding