State of Montana Newsroom
Public Meeting Notice: Montana Department of Livestock will Discuss Results of Brucellosis Surveillance in the Ruby Mountains on March 18, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, March 5, 2020
CONTACT:
Dr. Eric Liska, Brucellosis Program Veterinarian, (406) 444-3374
Dr. Tahnee Szymanski, Assistant State Veterinarian, (406) 444-2043
Public Meeting Notice: Montana Department of Livestock will Discuss Results of Brucellosis Surveillance in the Ruby Mountains on March 18, 2020
Helena, Mont. – The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) will hold an informal public meeting in Twin Bridges on March 18th following the recent discovery of two brucellosis-exposed elk in the Ruby Mountains. 100 elk were sampled by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks for brucellosis exposure as part of an ongoing surveillance to determine the incidence and distribution of the disease in wildlife. 43 of the captured animals were fitted with GPS collars to monitor their movements.
The capture occurred in the Ruby Mountains outside of the current boundary of Montana’s Designated Surveillance Area (DSA). The DSA is an area where cattle and domestic bison are subject to brucellosis testing (movement/sale) and identification requirements due to the risk of exposure to brucellosis-infected wildlife. In the past, the discovery of brucellosis-exposed elk outside of the DSA has resulted in adjustments to its boundary to ensure that at-risk cattle and domestic bison are included in brucellosis surveillance.
The meeting will be held in Twin Bridges at the Madison County Fairgrounds Pavilion on March 18, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. DOL intends to discuss the brucellosis elk surveillance results and their implications, answer questions, and gather input from local livestock producers, veterinarians and other interested parties.
The mission of the Montana Department of Livestock is to control and eradicate animal diseases, prevent the transmission of animal diseases to humans, and to protect the livestock industry from theft and predatory animals. For more information on the Montana Department of Livestock, visit http://liv.mt.gov/.