Elk herd found dead in northeastern N.M.

Elk herd found dead in northeastern N.M.



By Tina Jensen

Updated: Wednesday, August 28, 2013, 11:21 PM MDT

Published: Wednesday, August 28, 2013, 11:21 PM MDT



http://www.krqe.com/news/local/elk-herd-found-dead-in-northeastern-nm



More than 100 elk found were dead on a ranch about 20 miles north of Las Vegas this week.





MORA, N.M. (KRQE) - State biologists are trying to unravel a mystery of what killed a herd of elk in northeastern New Mexico.



More than 100 elk found were dead on a ranch about 20 miles north of Las Vegas this week.



Sky News 13 flew over the gruesome discovery on the sprawling 75,000-acre Buena Vista Ranch near Mora.



The elk weren't shot, so the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is investigating just what caused the deaths.



Their top suspicion: something called Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD. The often-fatal disease is caused by insect bites.



"With EHD, an elk could get a fever," said Game and Fish spokesperson Rachel Shockley. "It's usually a pretty fast illness, and up to eight to 36 hours later the animals go into shock, and then they die."



With elk bow hunting season starting on Sunday, some guided expeditions in the area may be called off.



Biologists are sending tissue samples from the elk and water samples from the area for testing.



If it is EHD, Game and Fish says it's not contagious to humans. The disease is spread from insect bites, not animal to animal.



Game and Fish say no other die-offs of elk have been reported in New Mexico so far this year.



They say hunters should avoid harvesting elk that appear sick and to call and report anything unusual.

Hi Autry ,

On this statement, (and up to eight to 36 hours later the animals go into shock, and then they die."). Does anyone know how to help ease the "Shock" or help in the Prevention of the animals going into shock that we might be able to save some the animals?

This would be horrible news, I haven't heard of elk dying from EHD yet. Maybe that is due to my lack of knowledge with elk though. 

A few Elk have died this year from EHD on game farms but they are not very likely to die from EHD.  This was the first cases that were proved to have elk die from it.  Elk are kinda like cattle they will get it but end up being the carriers for next years disease start.  Cattle are the main carrier over for the disease to start again next year when the midge bites them.


Also the elk that died in N. M. died from drinking out of a water source that had a type of alge that produced toxins that killed them very fast.

I was curious about that Jack, I suspected that they had consumed bad water. So if elk and cattle are the main carriers for EHD, does the treatment for EHD not lay in elk and cattle as opposed to vaccinating our deer? I know vaccines help, but they are only so good. Vaccines are usually made with the three most common strains of EHD from the previous year. Maybe we are missing a key step in the transmission and mutation of this disease? Maybe there is a way to treat the disease by preventative treatment of the wild elk and cattle, perhaps something similar to rabies treatment of raccoons. I would think someone has already thought of these same questions I have come up with. I would like to know who is actually working to prevent further spread of EHD. Like rabies, it may not be completely curable, but by treating wild elk and free range cattle perhaps it is possible to prevent such prolific death loss of whitetail deer herds. 

Deerchaser885651383627327


It is going to be hard to treat a wild herd. I don't buy that cattle and elk are the only carriers. I live in south Alabama. There is not an elk within 100'S of miles and no cattle within 25 miles of me. We have basically no wind except March and April. So, where Yare the carriers coming from? We have midge flies from June to October and my deer are exposed all summer. I have never had a deer with more a quarter northern survive a full year.


It is going to be hard to treat a wild herd. I don't buy that cattle and elk are the only carriers. I live in south Alabama. There is not an elk within 100'S of miles and no cattle within 25 miles of me. We have basically no wind except March and April. So, where are the carriers coming from? We have midge flies from June to October and my deer are exposed all summer. I have never had a deer with more a quarter northern survive a full year.

Brett,


Never said elk and cattle were the only carriers but are the animals that survive EHD in most areas and live through it.  I'm sure any animal that survives EHD is the host carrier of the disease which will start the cycle all over next year.  It more than likely is the reason there are more types of EHD every year.  I would say any deer that have the disease and survive are also the carriers.  Just my opinion.

Completely agreed Jack. So what is the solution? Where do these midge flies come from? Do they have similar life cycles to that of a mosquito? If so, it may be possible to treat certain sources of water. One thing I have wondered is, why are deer in MT, ND, SD, MI, WI, and any other northern state now dying from EHD? Has the disease mutated enough where it is able to travel further? Does anyone know what university or specific doctors are researching EHD? 

Toxic algae blamed for elk deaths in northeastern New Mexico


http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/health_and_science/toxic-algae-blamed-for-elk-deaths-in-northeastern-new-mexico/article_42e2331f-c9f3-5ae9-9678-89d1d1160eeb.html

Maybe I stated it wrong which I am very prone to do. My intent was to say if you don't have cattle or elk around who is the carriers? I also believe that the more the deer are exposed the more immune they will become but many will die in the mean time. Why is the north and mid west having midge fly outbreaks for the last few years? Is this normal or due to the extreme heat cycles for the last few years? I will say, these are just my opinions because I have no science or facts to back it up. Unfortunately, in my area, I have to live with it.

This was discussed at USAHA. I believe wildlife theory is that the midge is simply just spreading to these new areas and believe that these new areas will continue to be effected during hot dry seasons in the future.

Rhonda, where is the midge getting EHD from in the first place, or have midge flies always carried EHD? 

I don't know. I do know there were pockets that had no reports. They didn't seem to know why those pockets had still not been infected.

Deerchaser885921383697840



Maybe I stated it wrong which I am very prone to do. My intent was to say if you don't have cattle or elk around who is the carriers? I also believe that the more the deer are exposed the more immune they will become but many will die in the mean time. Why is the north and mid west having midge fly outbreaks for the last few years? Is this normal or due to the extreme heat cycles for the last few years? I will say, these are just my opinions because I have no science or facts to back it up. Unfortunately, in my area, I have to live with it.




 From what I know the north and Midwest are seeing more outbreaks due to water loss from streams, rivers and lakes. Most of the midge life cycle occurs in the substrate of lakes and rivers and with the lack of water it exposes larva and signals its time to go! I have also learned that a midge life cycle in the north can take up to 7 years start to finish, where in the south they can complete the cycle 2-3x a year. Midges also get carried up north by weather fronts from the south.

food for thought,


An midge expert gave a talk for IDEFA a few months ago. I did not go but I was told he said that the MAJOR host is cattle.  Northern Indiana got hit hard again this year. I was talking to one of our SBOAH veterinarians and she told me that there are several export holding stations for cattle in northern Indiana.  These cattle are being sold and shipped over seas.  Makes me wonder if this is more than coincidental that ehd has hit northern Indiana hard the last 2 years.