Observing TB testing firsthand

by Sheila Mowat

Earlier this year, the MCPA was invited by Parks Canada to observe the TB testing process on elk in the lab at Riding Mountain National Park.

Directors Ray Armbruster, Kim Crandall and myself attended. Kim Jones, the communication officer with Parks Canada, met us at the gate and showed us to the lab and gave us a quick tour of the building.

Here is the process for the removal and testing of elk:

1. The elk are netted from a helicopter and a blood sample is taken. The elk are then collared and released.
2. The blood samples are sent to a lab for testing.
3. If the test results in a reactor, the elk are tracked through the electronic chip in the collars. A helicopter equipped with a shooter will find and shoot the elk that have reacted positive to the test.
4. The elk are either taken by helicopter to the lab or are transferred to a truck and driven to the lab, depending on where they are located in the park.
5. Once the elk arrive at the lab, the elk are hung and the lab work begins.

The day we went to observe, Parks Canada also invited their own staff to see the process since many of their general staff did not understand the process of elk testing.

Parks Canada gave Ray, Kim and I the VIP treatment, allowing us to go right into the lab area, but before we could go in, we had to suit up. We had to wear masks, coveralls, rubber boots and gloves before we could enter the lab area. Kim commented this was the first time he had worn rubber boots since he was a little kid. Unfortunately, the photo I took of him in the “Captain Morgan” pose did not turn out.

The first elk was brought in and the head was removed. They took approximately fifteen lymph node samples, divided evenly between the head, the thoracic cavity/lungs and the rest of the body. They are careful to keep the samples separate.

Tammy Kelly from CFIA was removing the samples for testing from the elk’s head while Doug Bergeson took samples from the remainder of the elk carcass and inspected it for lesions.Todd Shury and two vet students from the University of Saskatoon helped with the process.

After watching for awhile, I went to observe Bob Keffen from the CFIA, take individual samples from the plate. He made very fine, detailed cuts, as if slicing a loaf of bread in an effort to see if there were any lesions in the tissue samples. Watching him work in such a precise way, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself and wonder how he would carve a thanksgiving turkey.

After Bob finished slicing the samples, he placed them in bottles to send off for culturing. If any appeared suspicious, they were placed in marked containers so that the staff at the Nepean, Ontario lab would know to process those samples first.

We observed all morning and then during lunch, used the opportunity to discuss the programs and testing at the park, winding the discussion around to the testing of the cattle herds and the challenges producers face.

I had a good discussion with Paul Tarleton who is the Manager of Resource Conservation for the Park. We talked about the park in general and he showed me on a detailed map the various areas where the elk were taken from, as well as general discussion about other wildlife concerns.

Once we were confident we understood the process, Kim and I left the lab. Ray stayed behind to continue discussing producer concerns with the Parks Canada and CFIA staff. Ray has so much knowledge about the TB issue, the disease and the park that I now know that whenever I go to meetings with him, we’ll be the last ones to leave.

It turns out that morning they were testing elk that had been removed from the east side of the park. The elk we observed had no visible lesions either on their bodies or in the tissues samples. But as we were leaving, a couple of elk were brought in from the west side of the park. Ray commented that those elk were in much rougher shape and we speculated they were probably infected with TB.

There were 22 elk and three white tailed deer removed during the late April testing period due to reaction on one or more of the blood tests.

The results were that five bull elk and one White-tailed deer tested positive for TB. All six animals were from the western area of the park and the R.M. of Grandview - areas that previous wildlife TB positives originated.

Parks Canada is planning to continue to blood test 75 elk and 30 deer in the central portion of the Park. This area has not had enough wildlife surveillance to date and while we expect that the level of disease is low (based on hunter kills), the testing will confirm/determine the apparent prevalence of the problem in this area.

Currently, discussions are proceeding to reduce the elk and deer populations in the western region of the park. The extent of the reduction, timing, and affect on the First Nations communities as well as the stakeholders are all being reviewed. A final plan will not be announced until this fall, following consultations with everyone involved.

At this time the MCPA would like to thank Parks Canada for inviting us to participate in their testing and also to CFIA staff for answering our many questions.

We are anxious to solve the problem of TB in the wildlife in and around the park and believe open and honest communication will help us get that done.