The Center of Excellence (COE) for Bison Studies led M. bovis Task Force met today to continue their work on gaining a better understanding of the virus and offering mitigation options.
Members of the task force include not just members of the COE, but also researchers and staff of the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Wyoming, Colorado State University and South Dakota State University, the Nature Conservancy, Turner Enterprises, Inc., and the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service.
Dr. Bryan Kaplan, a newly hired M. bovis researcher with USDA Agriculture Research Service, updated the group and shared some encouraging news in that ARS is in the process of testing two vaccines by the end of this summer to be tested on ten bison to determine safety and efficacy.
Further, the COE recently announced that this year’s funded research projects include a project at the University of Wyoming that will assess the factors that influence the virulence of Mycoplasma bovis in bison.
See the NBA’s Mycoplasma bovis fact sheet- May 2022. Disclaimer: The National Bison Association assumes no responsibility for the content of the fact sheet, provided for informational purposes only. This content is based solely on anecdotal information from volunteers in the bison industry who have experienced losses due to Mycoplasma bovis as the science of M. bovis in bison advances.
CASE COUNT: 21 herds with confirmed cases in 10 states, according to the Mycoplasma Task Force with the Center of Excellence for Bison Studies at South Dakota State University.
CONDITIONS THAT MAY CAUSE INCIDENTS OF M. BOVIS
• Drought, poor pasture and water conditions.
• Crowded, dusty, high-stress environments.
• Excessive wildfire smoke.
• Any type of stress — environmental, nutritional, behavioral, etc.
• Parasite loads or other causes for a depressed immune system
Funding for these important research projects are the result of contributions to the National Buffalo Foundation, which has funded all research projects to date at the COE. Donations can be made to continue this research at https://www.nationalbuffalofoundation.org/donate/.
(Italic) NBA Weekly Update for July 15, 2022
Francie M Berg
Author of the Buffalo Tales &Trails blog
