Desert bighorn sheep mortality due to presumptive type C botulism in California
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Abstract
During a routine telemetry flight of the Mojave Desert (California, USA) in August 1995, mortality signals were detected from two of 12 radio-collared female desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in the vicinity of Old Dad Peak in San Bernardino County (California). A series of field investigations determined that at least 45 bighorn sheep had died near two artificial water catchments (guzzlers), including 13 bighorn sheep which had presumably drowned in a guzzler tank. Samples from water contaminated by decomposing bighorn sheep carcasses and hemolyzed blood from a fresh bighorn sheep carcass were tested for the presence of pesticides, heavy metals, strychnine, blue-green algae, Clostridium botulinum toxin, ethylene glycol, nitrates, nitrites, sodium, and salts. Mouse bioassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected type C botulinum toxin in the hemolyzed blood and in fly larvae and pupae. This, coupled with negative results from other analyses, led us to conclude that type C botulinum poisoning was most likely responsible for the mortality of bighorn sheep outside the guzzler tank.
Suggested Citation
Swift, P.K., Wehausen, J.D., Ernest, H.B., Singer, R.S., Pauli, A.M., Kinde, H., Rocke, T.E., Bleich, V., 2000, Desert bighorn sheep mortality due to presumptive type C botulism in California: Journal of Wildlife Diseases, v. 36, no. 1, p. 184-189, https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-36.1.184.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Desert bighorn sheep mortality due to presumptive type C botulism in California |
| Series title | Journal of Wildlife Diseases |
| DOI | 10.7589/0090-3558-36.1.184 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year Published | 2000 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Wildlife Disease Association |
| Contributing office(s) | National Wildlife Health Center |
| Description | 6 p. |
| First page | 184 |
| Last page | 189 |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | San Bernardino County |
| Other Geospatial | Old Dad Peak |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |