Pathogens at the livestock-wildlife interface in Western Alberta: does transmission route matter?

Table 1 Description of elk samples obtained from ten herds across Western Alberta

Herd (abbreviation)	Exposure to cattle	Estimated herd size	Captured elk			Additional fecal sample collection	Herd description literature
Herd (abbreviation)	Exposure to cattle	Estimated herd size	Project	Serum samples	Fecal samples at capture	Additional fecal sample collection	Herd description literature
Beauvais lake (BL)	Exposed	150-250^e	Montane Elk Research Program	9	8	69	[33–36]
Castle-carbondale (CC)		500-700^e	Montane Elk Research Program	72	34	80
Livingstone (L)		340^e	Montane Elk Research Program	16	12	74
Porcupine hills (PH)		450-700^e	Montane Elk Research Program	8	3	69
Whaleback (WH)		700-1000^e	Montane Elk Research Program	30	12	93
Waterton (W)^a	Non-exposed	900^e	Montane Elk Research Program	16	10	64
Crowsnest pass (CP)^b		200^e	Montane Elk Research Program	17	7	38
Jasper National Park (JNP)^c		1300^f	Parks Canada	31	0	55	[37]
Banff National Park (BNP)^c		215^f	Parks Canada	20	0	NA	[38]
Yaha Tinda (YHT)^d		1000^f	University of Alberta - University of Montana	80	0	70	[39]

^aThe elk herd only partially spread outside the park boundaries during calving season.
^bCattle are only present for summer public grazing.
^cJNP and BNP are resident herds of the national parks and have no interaction with cattle.
^dAlthough the herd has recently been observed to extend its home range eastward toward ranched areas (Merrill, personal communication), this herd has had very limited contact with cattle over the last several years.
^eSource: Alberta Conservation Association Winter Survey 2001-2002 and 2006.
^fSource: Parks Canada.

ISSN: 1297-9716