Mortality in captive elk from salmonellosis

Salmonella typhimurium DT104 infections of captive elk (Cervus elaphus nels oni) calves resulted in mortality in eight of 13 affected calves. Salmonell osis in these elk calves was characterized by diarrhea, fever, lethargy: in appetence an death usually ensued within 72 hr of initial clinical signs. A ffected calves did not respond to antibiotic and fluid therapy. The source of the bacteria likely was one or more of the calves when they were capture d in the wild at less than 5 days of age. In our captive holding facility, the disease spread quickly and was difficult to control. Phage typing, puls ed field gel electrophoresis, antibiotic sensitivity testing, and plasmid p rofiles determined that this Salmonella sp. strain was the epidemic strain common to cattle, sheep and humans.