Greater Yellowstone Area Brucellosis Situation

1. Greater Yellowstone Area Brucellosis Situation Myles WattsDepartment of Agricultural Economics and Economics Montana State University November 14, 2008

2. Current Facts • GYA states brucellosis class free status in continuous jeopardy • GYA wildlife harbor the only continuous pool of brucellosis in North America • Slaughter of bison leaving the park is a politically unpopular solution • Concentration of elk increases infection in wildlife and transmission to livestock

3. Objectives • Goals: • Eradicate brucellosis in the GYA and US • Maintain livestock grazing in the GYA • Safeguard wildlife and livestock from further infection • Maintain a vigorous, healthy wildlife population

4. Plans Currently Under Discussion • Brucellosis Action Plan (BAP) • Developed by Board of Livestock and State Veterinarian • Progressive Management Area Plan (PMA) • Developed by Montana Stock Growers and Montana Farm Bureau • National Brucellosis Elimination Zone Proposal (NBEZ) • Developed by Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA

5. Brucellosis Action Plan (BAP)(Released 11/13/2008: Preliminary Interpretation) • Need for a plan and documentation (testing) as foundation to regain Class Free status • Defines management areas based on level of risk

6. Brucellosis Action Plan (BAP)(Released 11/13/2008: Preliminary Interpretation) • Outlines strategies for two different proposals • First proposal contains 3 areas and will be referred to as BAP3 • The second proposal contains only two areas and will be referred to as BAP2 • Requirements for Area 2 in BAP2 are the same as Area 3 in BAP3 • Requirements for Area 1 in BAP2 are the same as Area 1 in BAP3

7. BAP3: Risk Areas • Area 1: Special Focus Area • GYA area with documented infected wild bison or elk • Area 2: Assurance Area • Area where GYA elk may range and brucellosis prevalence is negative or unknown • Area 3: Remainder of Montana

8. BAP3: Risk Areas

9. BAP2: Risk Areas

10. BAP3 and BAP2: Duration • Short term plan • Continues until the longer of: • All herds in Area 1 conduct a whole herd brucellosis test • Montana regains Class Free status

11. BAP3: Surveillance • Required Cattle testing Area • Entire herd testing 1 • Movement testing (to outside 1) 1 • Change of ownership/cull cattle 1,2,3

12. BAP3 and BAP2: Vaccination • Official calfhood vaccination required for all areas

13. BAP3: Individual Animal Identification Area • Ear tags 1,2,3* • OVC: orange metal • USDA or USDA approved • Metal tags • RFID tags • Montana approved ear tags *Recommended

14. BAP3: Best Management Practices Area • Aborted fetus testing 1*,2* • Adult vaccination 1* • Game proof fencing (Hay stacks/feed storage) 1*,2* • Avert cattle and elk commingling 1*,2* • Register cattle in National Id database 1*,2* • Miscellaneous other recommendations 1*,2* *Recommended

15. BAP3 and BAP2: Wildlife • FWP participation will include • Hazing of elk • Provide game proof fencing materials • Feed storage area • Cattle feeding areas • Other elk and cattle separation efforts • Cosign herd plans • Work with livestock producers on elk brucellosis surveillance

16. Progressive Management Area (PMA) • Montana producer organizations are working with USDA to provide a long term resolution • Need coordination between • Government (e.g. USDA, APHIS,DOI) • Private Interests • Will lead to a MT, WY, ID coordination

17. PMA Objectives • Regain brucellosis Class Free status • Implement separate but complementary brucellosis management plans for bison, cattle, and elk • Minimize economic impact of the brucellosis infections on producers

18. PMA : Immediate Response • Implementation of the later discussed comprehensive management plans will not address animal infection potential during the next several months • Spatial separation of wildlife and livestock should be used to address this interim situation

19. PMA Approach: Three Parallel Tracks • USDA is receptive to working with Montana producers on three parallel tracks • Short term: Montana Action Plan, • Mid term: Harmonized state level (MT,WY,ID) action plan • Long term: Enhance GYIBC MOU and IBMP for long term solution (UM&R??)

20. PMA: Comprehensive Management Plan Needed • Critical elements to manage disease outbreak • ID cattle, bison and elk • Testing • Vaccination (elk vaccine is not available) • Tagging • Traceability • Management of concentrated elk

21. PMA Definition • PMA will be the county where the sero positive cattle are located and any county within ten miles of the location of the cattle. • PMA adjacent counties are defined as any county adjacent to the PMA county unless the location of the cattle are more than 50 miles from the adjacent county border.

22. PMA and Adjacent Counties Example

23. Cattle in PMA • Vaccinated, tagged (840), and annually tested • Producer/location/animal ID in database • Movements traced • Compensation for testing, tagging, vaccination, tracking and tracing

24. Cattle in PMA (cont.) • Requirements for cattle in adjacent PMA counties • Vaccinated, tagged (840), and tested • Producer/premise/animal ID in database • Compensation for testing, tagging and vaccination • Herds previously compliant will be recognized • Remainder of Montana – Move to an 840 tag environment for voluntary heifer vaccination to replace metal tags

25. Bison in PMA • Bison leaving YNP captured and tested for brucellosis • Positive – slaughtered • Negative • High frequency ear tag and/or panel tag • Vaccinated • Long term contraception/sterilization • Tracked • Bison: Follow Bison Management Plan

26. Elk in PMA • Aggressively sample elk leaving YNP and test for brucellosis. • Positive – slaughtered • Negative • Tagged with high frequency ear tag and/or panel tag • Vaccinated when effective vaccine becomes available • Tracked • Address elk concentration

27. PMA: Recovery of Class Free Status • Recovery of Class Free status in 6 months for non PMA and adjacent PMA counties upon completion of vaccination, testing, and tagging • Recovery of Class Free in PMA area in accordance with UM&R. May require continued management plan.

28. PMA: Other Considerations Funding • Previous USDA biosecurity education funding can be used • USDA funding of testing, vaccination and tag, tracing and tracking in PMA • USDA funding of testing, vaccination and tag in PMA adjacent counties • Montana ????

29. PMA: Other Considerations • Program to gain experience/skills for other zoonotic disease outbreaks • Vaccine Efficacy • Cattle and Bison • Elk • Vaccine research and development • Need quick buy in with key stakeholders if moving forward

30. National Brucellosis Elimination Zone (NBEZ) • Define a high risk zone for livestock • Remainder of state maintains class free status • Boundary flexible and dependent on brucellosis infection risk • Herd risk scoring will be used to tier herds within NBEZ

31. NBEZ – Herd Risk Scoring • Based on • Management practices • Biosecurity • Contact and presence of elk and bison populations • Mitigating management strategies • Mingling or mixing with herds of higher risk status

32. NBEZ - Mitigation • Surveillance • Risk status will affect surveillance levels • Higher surveillance within the NBEZ • Animals removed from NBEZ will be targeted for higher surveillance using electronic animal movement information and mandatory identification

33. NBEZ - Mitigation • Herd level surveillance may include • Movement testing • Investigation of abortions • Serologic testing of herds • Electronic movement certificates • Vaccination • Restricting movement of livestock only to slaughter

34. NBEZ - Implementation • Will require regulatory changes • Many months to completion • APHIS will work with GYA states to establish program specifics • National Animal Identification System and the Animal Health Surveillance and Monitoring System will be used to enhance surveillance capabilities

35. NBEZ - Implementation • Livestock movement • Limited to assure that the risk of disease spread outside the zone is minimal without testing • Key components: • NBEZ implementation of Premise and Animal ID • Combined with other efforts such as • Check stations • Permitting • Electronic movement certificates • Slaughter surveillance • Frequent record review

36. NBEZ - Wildlife • Concurrent planning effort with wildlife agencies • Coordinated surveillance of both the domestic livestock and wildlife