INFECTION OF CATTLE WITH BRUCELLA-ABORTUS BIOVAR-1 ISOLATED FROM A BISON IN WOOD-BUFFALO-NATIONAL-PARK

An experiment was conducted to determine if cattle could be infected w ith a strain of Brucella abortus biovar 1 isolated from a bison in Woo d Buffalo National Park, Three pregnant cows inoculated conjunctivally with 5.7 x 10(8) cfu of the bacterium, and their subsequent calves, s howed seroconversion on standard serological tests for bovine brucello sis, and large numbers of the bacterium were isolated from numerous ti ssues at necropsy, A 4th cow that was moved into the pen that previous ly contained the inoculated cows subsequently showed seroconversion, a nd the same strain of B. abortus biovar 1 was isolated from numerous t issues. Although this strain from bison in Wood Buffalo National Park has existed in isolation from cattle for over 60 years, it remains inf ectious and contagious for cattle.