1 Wild Sheep Disease Management VentureWAFWA / WSWG Wild Sheep Disease Management Venture

2 respiratory disease is the main impediment to wild sheep conservationRecognizing that respiratory disease is the main impediment to wild sheep conservation Impacting herds in 15 of 19 WAFWA member agencies

3 At the 2014, NWSGC in Ft. Collins, CO we asked the questionsWhy do herds respond differently to key respiratory pathogens What can we do to improve the outcome of that response

4 A Steering Committee was formedClay Brewer (WAFWA, WSWG Chair) Mike Cox(NV) Rich Harris (WA) Rusty Robinson (UT) Emily Almberg (MT) Mike Miller (CO) Helen Schwantje (BC) Peregrine Wolff (NV) Subject matter experts were consulted Tom Besser (WA) Frances Cassirer (ID) Bob Garrett (MT) West Wide Disease Management Venture Was born

5 Disease Management VentureCollaborative and coordinated effort Including agencies, NPS and Tribal – First Nation Utilizing standardized and replicated studies Identifying variables that impact herd response to infection with respiratory pathogens

6 Disease Management VentureDevelop + validate adaptive management actions Improve population performance in herds, negatively impacted by respiratory disease

7 Enhanced Monitoring Standardized, multi-year monitoring of herd performance Population estimate Lamb survival and recruitment Adult survival Sub-herd structure Pathogen presence Nutritional status Genetic structure

8 Enhanced Monitoring Eight categories of herdsrisk of exposure to pathogens (low and high) Known status of pathogens (including emerging pathogens) response following the introduction of pathogens long term herd performance (poor to good)

9 Enhanced Monitoring Processsub-species basis, replicate herds 3 to 5 years centralized data base Analysis of data herd response performance variables predictive variables model probability of M. ovi elimination

10 Adaptive Management Actionshasten elimination of pathogens prevent the spread of the pathogen improve herd performance +/- evidence of M. ovi infection evaluate risk of combining animals from herds infected with identical strains of M. ovi.

11 Adaptive Management ActionsEvaluated with Enhanced Monitoring success cost/benefit logistics practicality Additional actions

12 Proposed Adaptive Management Action Selective Test and CullReduce or eliminate M. ovi shedders prevent M. ovi infection of lambs improve lamb survival

13 Proposed Adaptive Management Action DepopulationM. ovi positive/poor performing Repopulate if original disease source removed

14 Proposed Adaptive Management Action Combining animals with exact strainsAugmentation of M. ovi positive population with animals that have identical strain

15 Google Survey/Inventory of Candidate Herds from all Jurisdictions for DMVJurisdiction contact Information Herd Information – name, location, subspecies, native/reintroduced Herd Category (8 total categories) Consider Herd for Adaptive Mgmt Action Previous Demographic Data – pop estimate, lamb ratios, survival rates M. ovi. – sampling rate, ELISA and PCR tests, sample banking Pasteurellaceae - sampling rate, culture results, sample banking Screening for other Respiratory pathogens Genetic sampling Nutritional Status/Body Condition Scores Knowledge of Sub-herd Spatial Structure Herd Accessibility for monitoring and sampling Funding Needed for Future Monitoring

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17 e 84 herds total

18 Records by Herd Category

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20 Example of Stone Sheep Candidate Herd EntryBill Jex, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Mt. Frank/Mt. Monteith Stone Sheep, Native and Augmented Supposedly healthy herd at high risk of disease transmission 28 sheep augmented from ; 1992–1994 reports of wild rams breeding domestic ewes; By 1996 , 9 of 10 collared sheep died; 1996 observed only 6 sheep left Consider for Test and Cull Action No pathogen sampling conducted Good knowledge of sub-herd spatial structure Moderate accessibility > $20,000 needed for annual monitoring