AN ABATTOIR STUDY OF TUBERCULOSIS IN A HERD OF FARMED ELK

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and distributi on of grossly visible lesions of tuberculosis in a herd of 344 North A merican elk (Cervus elaphus) depopulated during a three-month period i n 1991. Abattoir inspection detected mycobacterial lesions in 134 (39. 8%) of the 337 animals received for slaughter. The prevalence of lesio ns increased with the age of the animals. Lesions were predominantly s uppurative rather than caseous, and mineralization was less evident th an in tuberculous lesions in cattle. Lesions occurred predominantly in lymph nodes, and lungs were the only organs in which mycobacterial le sions were found. The distribution of lesions suggested that aerosol t ransmission was the most significant means of spread of the disease wi thin the herd. Giant liver flukes (Fascioloides magna) were observed i n approximately 80% of the adult elk.