Observations on animal and human health during the outbreak of Mycobacterium bovis in game farm wapiti in Alberta

This report describes and discusses the history, clinical, pathologic, epid emiologic, and human health aspects of an outbreak of Mycobacterium bovis i nfection in domestic wapiti in Alberta between 1990 and 1993, shortly after legislative changes allowing game farming. The extent and seriousness of t he outbreak of M. bovis in wapiti in Alberta was not fully known at its ons et. The clinical findings in the first recognized infected wapiti are prese nted and the postmortem records for the herd in which the animal resided ar e summarized. Epidemiologic findings from the subsequent field investigatio n are reviewed, the results of recognition and investigation of human expos ure are updated, and recommendations for reduction of human exposure are pr esented.