Project Number: 5348-32000-031-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 03, 2010
End Date: Aug 31, 2015

Objective:
Develop effective strategies for limiting or eliminating the shedding of respiratory pathogens from domestic sheep under range conditions. Data clearly shows that Mannheimia Haemolytica strain A2, found in domestic and bighorn sheep can lead to population limiting pneumonia is bighorn sheep and economic losses in domestic sheep. Working collaboratively with the University of Idaho and the United States Sheep Experiment station the pattern of respiratory pathogen shedding including M. haemolytica will be identified under different seasonal and management range conditions. Domestic sheep identified as “shedders” will be used to test methods such as completive inhibition to limit or eliminate pathogen shedding.

Approach:
The conditions and level(s) of M. haemolytica shedding from domestic sheep is a critical issue for the development of policy concerning the grazing of domestic sheep under range condtions, especially where there is potential contact with bighorn sheep. Nasal swabs will be collected from 125 domestic sheep under three different seasonal and/or range conditions at the USSES. Such samples will be sent to the microbiological laboratory at Caine Center, the University of Idaho. Samples will be processed for the presence and level of M. haemolytica and Mycoplasma species. At the completion of sampling (three samplings per year for 3 years) “high” shedding and “low” shedding sheep will be identified and transported to ARS laboratory in Pullman, WA. These sheep will be treated with leukotoxin free Bibersteinia trehalosi which has been shown to inhibit M. haemolytica by contact dependent inhibition. Treated sheep will then be tested for their ability to shed M. haemolytica. Documents SCA with U of ID.