Antibody Responses in Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) Infected with Mycobacterium bovis

Despite having a very low incidence of disease, reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) are subject to tuberculosis (TB) testing requirements for interstate shipment and herd accreditation in the United States. Improved TB tests are desperately needed, as many reindeer are falsely classified as reactors by current testing procedures. Sera collected sequentially from 11 (experimentally) Mycobacterium bovis-infected reindeer and 4 noninfected reindeer were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblotting, and multiantigen print immunoassay (MAPIA) for antibody specific to M. bovis antigens. Specific antibody was detected as early as 4 weeks after challenge with M. bovis. By MAPIA, sera were tested with 12 native and recombinant antigens, which were used to coat nitrocellulose. All M. bovis-infected reindeer developed responses to MPB83 and a fusion protein, Acr1/MPB83, and 9/11 had responses to MPB70. Other antigens less commonly recognized included MPB59, ESAT-6, and CFP10. Administration of purified protein derivatives for skin testing boosted serum antibody responses, as detected by each of the assays. Of the noninfected reindeer, 2/4 had responses that were detectable immediately following skin testing, which correlated with pathological findings (i.e., presence of granulomatous lesions yet the absence of acid-fast bacteria). The levels of specific antibody produced by infected reindeer appeared to be associated with disease progression but not with cell-mediated immunity. These findings indicate that M. bovis infection of reindeer elicits an antibody response to multiple antigens that can be boosted by skin testing. Serological tests using carefully selected specific antigens have potential for early detection of infections in reindeer.

2006 Michigan Dairy Farm Business Analysis Summary

This report summarizes the financial and production records of 139 dairy farms from throughout Michigan in 2006. To be included, the farms must have produced at least 50 percent of gross cash farm income from milk and dairy animal sales. The records came from Michigan State University’s TelFarm project and the Farm Credit Service system in Michigan. The values were pooled into averages for reporting purposes. The farms are larger than would be the average of all dairy farms in Michigan. While considerable variation in the data exists, average values are reported in the summary tables and discussion that follows.

Bovine Tuberculosis in Michigan Wildlife and Livestock

Since 1994, the state of Michigan has recognized a problem with bovine tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, in wild white-tailed deer from a 12-county area in northeastern Lower Michigan. A total of 65,000 free-ranging deer have been tested, and 340 have been found to be positive for M. bovis. The disease has been found in other wildlife species, and, in 1998, in domestic cattle, where to date 13 beef cattle and 2 dairy cattle herds have been diagnosed with bovine TB. Unfortunately, the situation is unique in that there have never been reports of self-sustaining bovine TB in a wild, free-ranging cervid population in North America. Scientists, biologists, epidemiologists, and veterinarians who have studied this situation have concluded that the most logical theory is that high deer densities and the focal concentration caused by baiting (the practice of hunting deer over feed) and feeding are the factors most likely responsible for the establishment of self-sustaining TB in free-ranging Michigan deer. Baiting and feeding have been banned since 1998 in counties where the disease has been found. In addition, the deer herd has been reduced by 50% in the endemic area with the use of unlimited antlerless permits. The measures of apparent TB prevalence have been decreased by half since 1997, providing hopeful preliminary evidence that eradication strategies are succeeding.

Refuge Update – May/June 2009, Volume 6, Number 3

Table of Contents: Recovering the New England Cottontail FOCUS..Ready for Tomorrow Build It and They Will Come CARE: Restoring America’s Wildlife Refuges

Refuge Update – May/June 2008, Volume 5, Number 3

Table of Contents: Liberating Rat Island, page 4 Focus on . . . Through the Eyes of Children, pages 10-19 Back to Midway, page 23

Refuge Update – May/June 2005, Volume 2, Number 3

Table of Contents: Friends Flourish, page 3 Yukon Delta Refuge Hosts Major Shorebird Research, pages 4-5 Focus on…Nature Photography, pages 8-14 Learning a New Language, pages 18-19

Refuge Update – May/June 2004, Volume 1, Number 3

Table of Contents: Recreation Fees Change the Face of Refuges, page 4 Focus on Cultural Resources, page 8 “Ambassadorship” is Thriving in Texas, page 15 BayScaping: Conserving Views and Habitats, page 16

Refuge Update – March/April 2008, Volume 5, Number 2

Table of Contents: Crystal River’s Manatee Rescue Squad, page 3 Focus on . . . Birds and Birding, pages 8-15 Assessing Damage in an Arizona Wilderness, page 16 Have Hammers, Will Travel page 18

Refuge Update – March/April 2009, Volume 6, Number 2

Table of Contents: America’s Birds: In an Alarming State Snakes Alive! Title Sub Title East Coast Wetlands Are Disappearing Chief’s Corner: What We Do Now Extreme Makeover for Bird Sightings by Mike Carlo Taking Care of Our World War II Legacy by Lisa Matlock Whatever Happened to . . . . San Francisco Bay Wetland Restoration Projects Recalling the Battle of Long Island Sound by David Klinger Bold Approaches for Climate Change How Alligator River Refuge Is Planning and Adapting by Mike Bryant Rapid Climate Change Is Transforming the Arctic by David Payer Tracking Change on Wildlife Refuges by Kathy Granillo Where SLAMM Foretells a Wetter Future Reviving the Land – and the Air by Bob Ford and Pete Jerome Connecting the Conservation Landscape a New Priority by Mike Scott and Bob Adamcik Awards for Refuge System Palmyra Atoll Refuge Becomes Ramsar Site Not So Strategic Habitat Conservation: A True Story by David Viker Putting Food on Alaskan Tables by Andy Aderman

Refuge Update – March/April 2006, Volume 3, Number 2

Table of Contents: Energy Company Fine Benefits Ottawa Refuge, page 3 Hide and Seek…but Mostly Hide page 4 Focus on …Pollinators, page 10 Great Storytellers, page 18

Refuge Update – March/April 2007, Volume 4, Number 2

Table of Contents: What’s Melting: Togiak Refuge Sizes Up Its Glaciers, page 3 Focus on Fish Conservation, pages 10-15 Whatever happened to…, pages 16-17 Wildlife Cooperatives, page 20

Refuge Update – March/April 2004, Volume 1, Number 2

Table of Contents: An Encyclopedia for the Refuge, page 4 Awarded for Excellence, page 5 MBNA Donates for Refuge System Projects, page 16 The Thoughts of a Detailee, page 19

Refuge Update – March/April 2005, Volume 2, Number 2

Table of Contents: Planting a Seed, page 4-5 Master Naturalist Initiative Joins the Refuge System, page 8 Focus on . . . Habitat Management, pages 10-21 Leatherback Turtles Are Helped to a Future, page 24-25

Refuge Update – July/August 2007, Volume 4, Number 4

Table of Contents: Counting Alpine Flora, page 3 Focus on Law Enforcement, pages 8–12 Virtual Geocaching, page 15 The Big Sit! at Your Refuge?, page 21

Refuge Update – July/August 2008, Volume 5, Number 3

Table of Contents: Protecting Borders and Wildlife, page 4 Scientists Puzzle over Great Lakes Die-Offs, page 6 Focus on. . . Strategic Habitat Conservation, pages 8-17 People Who Keep the Wheels Turning, page 22