Minimizing disease between elk and cattle

Scientists in Alberta are looking at the risk of disease transmission between elk (Cervus canadensis) and cattle and how it can be minimized. “Livestock management that minimizes the risk of contact with wildlife will reduce the risk of disease transmission,” TWS member Mark Boyce, one of the University of Alberta biologists who participated in the study, told the CBC. The more animals mix, the higher the threat of pathogens passing between species, so researchers looked at when and where elk and cattle were mostly likely to mix. They found the highest risk was in the winter, when elk are often found on pastures.

Read more from the CBC.