Pneumonia in bighorn sheep
Pneumonia is considered to be the primary population-limiting factor for bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) across North America. This complex disease is associated with acute, all-age die-offs followed by herd-level maintenance of chronic infections and periods of low lamb recruitment that ultimately limit or drastically reduce population numbers. Multiple pathogens have been implicated in bighorn sheep pneumonia, and most die-offs are polymicrobial. Several bighorn sheep herds in Wyoming are known to carry important respiratory pathogens, such as Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and leukotoxigenic Pasteurellacae. However, the response to these pathogens differs across herds and across geographic regions. The Malmberg Lab provides pathology expertise for bighorn sheep pneumonia studies that aim to determine the role of interacting variables such as nutrition, habitat quality, micronutrient availability, and timing of parturition. Our work also supports studies that aim to better characterize respiratory pathogens of bighorn sheep using contemporary techniques such as whole genome sequencing and protein profiling via mass spectrometry.
Pneumonia is considered to be the primary population-limiting factor for bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) across North America. This complex disease is associated with acute, all-age die-offs followed by herd-level maintenance of chronic infections and periods of low lamb recruitment that ultimately limit or drastically reduce population numbers. Multiple pathogens have been implicated in bighorn sheep pneumonia, and most die-offs are polymicrobial. Several bighorn sheep herds in Wyoming are known to carry important respiratory pathogens, such as Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and leukotoxigenic Pasteurellacae. However, the response to these pathogens differs across herds and across geographic regions. The Malmberg Lab provides pathology expertise for bighorn sheep pneumonia studies that aim to determine the role of interacting variables such as nutrition, habitat quality, micronutrient availability, and timing of parturition. Our work also supports studies that aim to better characterize respiratory pathogens of bighorn sheep using contemporary techniques such as whole genome sequencing and protein profiling via mass spectrometry.
