EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON BRUCELLA-ABORTUS IN MOOSE (ALCES-ALCES)

Four moose (Alces alces) were inoculated conjunctivally with B. abortu s biovar 1 to determine their susceptibility to brucellosis, and to de scribe the serology, bacteriology, hematology, clinical chemistry, and pathology associated with infection. All moose became infected. Two m oose were killed at day 70 post-exposure, one (83F) died acutely at da y 85, and one was killed at day 166. None of the moose had clinical si gns, except for 83F immediately before death. Infected moose were read ily detected serologically by the buffered antigen plate test, Brewer card lest, standard tube agglutination test, and complement fixation t est as used for brucellosis in cattle. With the exception of samples f rom 83F taken 24 hours before death, clinical chemistry, and hematolog y results were stable for all moose, and similar to normal values seen in cattle. Lesions seen in all moose were indicative of endotoxemia, and moose 83F died of acute endotoxic shock. Brucella abortus biovar 1 was isolated from several tissues in all moose, most notably from lym ph nodes where counts often exceeded 4 X 10(4) colony forming units pe r g of tissue. Thus infection with B. abortus will kill moose, and pro gression of the disease is likely rapid under field conditions. Moose appear to be a dead-end host for brucellosis.