Take this serious!

[Lowedog]

This raises a question in my mind.  If this is such a problem with wolves why haven't we heard about it devastating Canada and Alaska?   

[Special T]

population density

[wolfbait]

population density

The lower 48 has had one hunting season on wolves, in Alaska and Canada the wolves are hunted, and trapped and even controlled by aerial shooting. The lower 48 has allowed the wolves to over populate areas. The higher the wolf population the higher the chances that humans will be infected with this Parasite. In Idaho this is being studied now as a health risk, and in Washington also. Managing one predator over all other game is just plain wrong, and those responsible may soon be finding out just what kind of a bed they made for themselves by importing the Canadian wolves. People may not care about the wildlife getting slaughter but I bet most of them don't want to come down with this Parasite disease spread by wolves.

http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/html/Echinococcosis.htm

[Shootmoore]

I wonder if in the process of making dogfood it kills the organisim?  Isn't a lot of guts etc used for that?  Would suck if we start feeding our pets dogfood with this in it.  Would spread like wildfire across the nation.

Shootmoore

[Special T]

if not the density of the wolves the density of the people... 90% of canadians live within 100 miles of the border. onhundred miles from the border only equates to like 10-20% of canadian land mass??

[villageidiot]

Sounds like the US Dept. of Ag. needs to hear about this worm issue.  They slamed the door to Canada when the mad cow deal showed up and killed the whole dairy herd the animals showed up in.  If they could take this one and slam the door and open season on them wolves and require fish and wildlifeto exterminate them, our prayers  would be answered for good.  I hope this worm infestation turns into a huge thing and the people responsible for bringing them in are held accountable.

[wolfbait]

This is a letter I received from some folks that I met through a good friend, they have been at the wolf battle for many years, and are still fighting the injustice that has been done to our wildlife and to the people. I sent them the link to W-H about "Alveolar hydatid disease (AHD), also known as Alveolar echinococcosis" and this was their response.




This is all quite good, I like your summation better than the whole read. I also noticed it does not mention E. Granulosus, which seems to be the variety that has been found in such high concentrations in Idaho wolves, and had never been seen south of the Canadian border till 2006. It also has no mention of wild ungulates and the domestic livestock industry and how that might affect the transmission to humans as "accidental intermediate hosts". Most importantly, how do people with pets and kids protect themselves from infection. We have to remember that talking to hunters and livestock growers is preaching to the choir. We have to get the folks that really don't care one way or the other if there are wolves out there. We have to put the fear of God in those folks and make them understand that their lives and well being will be affected by this parasite and that it was transplanted here for nothing more that political leverage. Or worse that it was brought in by shear negligence and laziness. In all the years of wolf business in Idaho it has become obvious that most people really don't care if there are no animals in the forest, out of sight out of mind. If they are the ones with the political voice loud enough to make a difference here then they need to be informed about their own potential health risks.

This is an article by a Russian (1978) discussing the wolf's role in transmission of parasites and disease. Ed Bangs was given this info prior to reintroduction and buried it.

The Wolf and the Spread of Disease by N. Nazarova
Translated from the Russian Hunting and Game Management
November, 1978, Pages 24, 25

   Although there has been much attention directed towards the "predator--prey" biocenosis (i.e., intertwined existence), there isn't yet a unified view of the role of the predator: some researchers are trying to prove the existence of a balance in this biocenosis and ascribe to the predator the leading role in determining the number of prey; others propose that the number of predators is relatively small and that they don't cause tangible harm to the numbers of "useful" animals as opposed to the "harmful" ones.

   Many propose that the wolf limits the numbers of hooved animals (Naumov, 1933; Semyonov-Tyanshanskij, 1948, 1969; Druri, Terletskij, 1962; Markidin, 1968; Komarov, Lavrov, 1969; Kheruvimov, 1969 and others).

   The existence of diametrically opposed viewpoints speaks to the complexity of the problem and its incomplete research.

   Turning to the question of the role of wolves and other predators (fox, polar fox, wolverine, etc.) in the spreading of infectious diseases it should be stressed that here, too, there is incomplete research.  However, there are in the literature many reports of a percentage of observed wolves being the carriers of infectious diseases (brucella, deer-fly fever, listerosis, anthrax, and others), reports which provide a strong basis to think tha the predator plays an important role in their spread.  It is most likely that this highly mobile predator ranging over dozens of miles is able to spread these diseases over significant distances.

   Within the last few years wolfpacks have formed, which in order to survive, have been drawn to carrion, especially to dead cattle pits where the carcasses of the dead cows have not been properly buried despite the clear directives of veterinary medicine.  In such situations these wolf carrion-eaters prove to be extremely serious spreaders of infectious diseases.

   The wolf has been blamed for instances of the extremely severe diseases of both domesticated animals and man -- rabies.  Lupine rabies after a latent period manifests itself in extreme agitation and aggression.  Within a very short time such a dangerously sick wolf can widely spread out of his area of activity.  For example, there is a recorded episode of just such a spread of rabies among farm animals and people in Belarus in 1957 when a rabid wolf within just a day and a half roamed over a hundred miles, bit 25 people (19 seriously), some 50 farm animals, and who knows how many forest creatures (Lin, 1962).  Similar happenings are not rare.  Moreover, while recognizing the undoubtedly serious role of the wolf in the spread of the rabies virus to man, one must be cognizant of the incomplete research in the wolf's role in limiting the numbers of other carriers of this disease, namely, the fox.  The most recent examples of epizootic rabies (i.e. rapidly spreading) in Europe have occurred after the wolf was long gone, in the western regions of Europe and then spreading to the east.

   Research has been done both in Russia and abroad to try to explain the role of the wolf in the spread of invasive or helminithic (I.E. caused by worms) diseases.  In the Soviet Union alone the wolf can be infected with more than 50 types of parasites.  Among these are several dangerous ones which can be transmitted to farm animals and to people.  Significant damage can be done to wild hooved animals by larval parasites such as echinococcia, cysticercocci, and coenuri, all of which can attack man also.  According to data from the Lenningrad Oblast' during a serious flare-up of cysticercosis not one observed female moose give birth to two calves, whereas in the Murmansk Oblast' where the outbreak was three times less severe all the moose females had two calves.  The same type of situation was noted by Kheruvimov in 1969 in the Tambov Oblast'.  There are also reports of the deaths of female moose and female deer caused by echinococcossi and cysticecocci.  Wolves in the wild, seriously infected with the adult stage of cysticercosos by a tapeworm of the taenia family, are the sources of this parasitic invasion.  It has been noted that where there aren't any wolves, the number of cysticerosis infected wild hooved animals is much less (Peterson, 1955).  According to our data those wolves seriously infected with tapeworms (the source of larval parasites in feral hooved animals and in man) are found where their main food supply is hooved animals.  In the Nenets Autonomous Region (Nazarov, Belaev, 1975) all observed wolves were seriously infected with tapeworms and four out of five had widespread echinoccocci.  In the Belovezhsk Forest from 1957 to 1962 all eight wolves who underwent autopsies were found to be infected with tapeworm types of parasites harmful to both animals and people.

   Together with the sufficiently negative influence of the wolf on its biocenosis by means of its spreading of infectious diseases to both animals and people, there are also not so rare data pointing out the elimination by the wolf-predator of sickly prey.  In all likelihood, such sickly prey are the source of the diseases for healthy animals who get infected through the actions of the wolf.  Most likely, both sides have a point in this matter.  However, up to now neither side has evaluated the problem from an economic point of view.  Moreover, in the report on the wolf (Dr. Mech) the culling-out role of the wolf was strongly emphasized, whereas its negative influence on nature as a spreader of disease was not discussed.

   What's been said here leads us to the conclusion that deeper research on the wolf's epizootic role in the ecosystem is necessary, research which is free from pre-conceived notions (common in the past) and based on modern methodology.

   That there is a need for stringent regulation of the wolf population in the USSR there can be no doubt.

[Lowedog]

So, the wolves in Canada and Alaska would have this parasite, it's just not a catastrophic problem there?

[WAcoyotehunter]

Are there records of and sampling on coyotes, dogs...before wolf recovery?  Has this been around for a long time but gone unnoticed because no one was looking? 

[Lowedog]

I wondered that too.  Especially with coyotes.  You would think if a wolf has it then a coyote would be sure to have it. 

[WAcoyotehunter]

well...no more wolf poo fights.

[Little Dave]

This raises a question in my mind.  If this is such a problem with wolves why haven't we heard about it devastating Canada and Alaska?   

In the Southern Canadian Rockies they have been taking measures to reduce wolf population for some time, including poisoning them.

The moose my cousin's husband took outside of Fairbanks last year was infested with this parasite.  He was authorized by the state to destroy the meat after the test results indicated the parasite.

If there ever was a likely place to have a huge outbreak of this parasite, it would be here in Washington.  We average about 90 people per square mile.  Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, the Canadian provinces, nowhere near that density.

[Little Dave]

Here's something additional to consider... take this sampling from a  promotional piece about wolves that I found:

Researchers Jack Laufer and Peter Jenkins have described the coexistence of wolves and Cascades-area tribes, such as the Skagit and Skykomish prior to white settlement, as being relatively harmonious, yet varied... [baskets, dances, cave paintings, I'll spare you the detail]... Perhaps by understanding our early relationships to these creatures, they can once again serve as the powerful symbol of what it means to live in the West.

So... way back then, what was life expectancy?
My great grandmother was born in 1901.  She lived 103 years, but ages ago when I was a kid I got real curious about what her life expectancy was beacuse she just kept living, and living, and living.  Turns out it was age 45 when she was born.

This particular disease is probably among the diseases that have been around for a real long time, but only in recent decades to we have the technology to detect it... and treat or at least remove a few cysts and heavily medicate to keep it from getting worse.  I imagine in ancient times, the natives would get the worm.  They'd probably go insane once the worms get to the brain and nobody would think much of it because it happened all the time.  It was probably common to have low life expectancy like 35 to 40.  A lot like some of the more remote countries in Africa today.

http://www.conservationnw.org/wildlife-habitat/return-of-the-wolf
Wolfbait, your friend Fitkin is featured in this one.  

[wolfbait]

A Warning To Outdoor Users About Echinococcus, From Worms
December 10, 2009

 
This is a warning to outdoor users about a potentially deadly biological event that could result from one’s curiosity to poke at and kick through scat from wolves, coyotes and foxes. Of course not everyone knowingly does this but many hunters, trappers and simply the curious, want to know what these animals have been eating.
Back in the end of November I gave you a link to a story, “Of Wolves and Worms”. That story introduced many of us to the subject of worms being found in wolves in the Greater Yellowstone area.

According to a new study out in the October issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, three-millimeter-long tapeworms known as Echinococcus granulosus, are documented for the first time in gray wolves in Idaho and Montana. And the authors didn’t just find a few tapeworms here and there… turns out that of 123 wolf intestines sampled, 62 percent of the Idaho gray wolves and 63 percent of the Montana gray wolves were positive. (Ew!) The researchers wrote: “The detection of thousands of tapeworms per wolf was a common finding.” (Again… Ew!!) This leads to the interpretation that the E. granulosus parasite rate is fairly widespread and established in the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves.

There is discussion about how some think the worms ended up in the wolves in this region but the article tends to downplay any serious concerns people should have from coming in contact with these tapeworms and the eggs they leave behind.
In the comments section of the article, Will Graves, author of the book “Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages“, left his thoughts on his own research discoveries about the dangers to humans of these parasites.

In the first paragraph in my letter to Mr. Bangs dated 3 October 1993 on the DEIS (DraftEnvironmental Impact Statement) which was titled “The Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho,” I warned about the damages and problems wolves would cause to Yellowstone and other areas by carrying and spreading parasites and diseases over larger areas. Some of these parasites are damaging not only to wild and domestic animals, but can also be dangerous to humans. One of these parasites is Echinococcous Granulosus and Echinococcus M. Since 1993 I have been working to tell people what I have learned from about 50 years of research on the characteristics, habits and behavior of Russian wolves. From that research I came to the conclusion that one of the most serious consequences of bring wolves into the US would be the wolves carrying and spreading around damaging/dangerous parasites and diseases. I did my best to explain this in my book titled, “Wolves in Russia – Anxiety Through the Ages” edited by Dr. Valerius Geist. Details about my book are in my web site: wolvesinrussia.com.
After several years effort, I finally recently obtained help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Parasitic Research Center in Beltsville, MD. This research center will try to conduct research on the blood taken from wolves in our western states. One parasite they will be researching is to determine if wolves carry and spread the parasite Neospora Caninum around. It is established that coyotes and dogs carry this damaging parasite.
I remember that about two years ago there was a report about one wolf carrying Echinococcus Granulosus in Montana.
Much more research is needed about the danger wolves bring to our environment. Some of the parasites carried by wolves are dangerous to humans.(emphasis added)

Around this same time that Will Graves posted his comments, he contacted me by email and asked if I could somehow be of assistance to him in obtaining blood samples from wolves taken during the Idaho and Montana wolf hunts. The word went out quickly and hopefully Graves gets what he needs to help him in his research. This can become extremely valuable information for all of us.
In the meantime, Dr. Valerius Geist, professor emeritus University of Calgary and Dr. Charles Kay, of Utah State University, who holds degrees in wildlife ecology, environmental studies and wildlife biology, exchanged thoughts on the discovery of worms in Yellowstone wolves in emails I received.

Well, Charles? What else is new? What did we warn about, how we were censored as alarmists………………………
And yes, a colleague assured us that all that is not a problem for us, but for some native types. Nothing to worry about, really. Remember how, early on, we put out a warning – do not kick dry wolf feces or poke about in such looking for evidence of food habits. Do not handle wolf feces as it will disturb the tiny Echinococcus eggs that float up like little dust cloud to envelop you, and you are very likely to ingest some of that “dust”. This know-how, which we older Canadian types carried away from our parasitogy lessons was poo-hood by some American colleagues. Wolves are after all, harmless! Remember the question we posed: is it really such a great idea completing ecosystems when the progression is herbivores, carnivores, finally diseases and parasites?

It is not my intention nor that of Drs. Geist and Kay to attempt to instill unnecessary fear in people but to educate, as it was back in the day before wolf reintroduction. There are very important lessons and warnings that all should heed and take into consideration when in the woods or maybe even in your own back yard.
Dr. Geist emailed me the other day and asked me if I would be kind enough to post this information so that anyone and everyone will be aware of the potential for some very serious health issues.

Urgent: could you make a point of it that now, that we know that the majority of wolves are infected with Echinococcus, that all hunters control their curiosity and not poke about in wolf or coyote feces to find out what these predators ate. these feces are saturated with tiny, lightweight Echinococcus eggs that rise like dust plume from the disturbed feces and envelop the poking hunter. If the air-born eggs are ingested, the an infection is possible, and having Echinococcus cysts grow inside oneself is not a desirable condition. Trust me!

He followed that up with more information about the dangers.

As to the pathogenicity of Echinococcus granulosus: Yes, I noticed that Foayt, leaning on Raup’s research in Alaska, toned down the dangers from this northern form. My understanding based on what we learned from an old, experienced parasitologist at the University of British Columbia is that it’s nothing to fool around with. It’s serious! In my career as a biologist in touch with the north, I have heard nothing else. I have not, however, done a recent literature search. Foayte’s assessment may be on even though it conflicts with mine. Either way, getting an Echinococcus cyst of any kind is no laughing matter as it can grow not only on the liver or the lungs, but also in the brain. And then it’s fatal.
There is however, another much more alarming angle. Echinococcus multilocularis is a nightmare, and much more virulent than Echinococcus granulosus of any strain. We cannot encapsulate this cyst, and it grows and buds off like a cancer infecting different parts of the body incessantly. Were some of the wolves infected with multilocularis? Coyotes and foxes carry it and it has been spreading. Do canids in Idaho, Montana, etc. have it? It’s found in Alberta. Regardless, now is the time to send out an SOS to ALL outdoor users. Hold your curiosity in check, do not poke into the feces of wolves, coyotes and foxes. If you do you will release clouds of Echinococcus eggs which will envelop you, and you may ingest the eggs, bring the eggs home and endanger your family. This is nothing new to me and I have lived with this constraint on my curiosity for over 40 years. This is just a know how that maintains your personal and your family’s safety. Also, never feed uncooked offal to your dog as it may become infected with Echinococcus and infect you and your family. Echinococcus cysts love to be in lung and liver, and if consumed by dogs you have a health hazard on your hands. And such cysts now grow in deer and elk where you live. Somebody should take a second look searching out Echinococcus multilocularis.

You and I probably have no idea in the world whether these worms exist in the woods we hunt, trap, hike, etc. but good advice given by Dr. Geist should tell us it’s not something we should mess around with. Squelch the curiosity to dig in the poop and just assume there could be hidden danger.
I want to take a moment to thank Will Graves, Dr. Val Geist and Dr. Charles Kay for caring enough about the rest of us to be willing to share their findings and experiences.
Tom Remington
http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/2009/12/10/a-warning-to-outdoor-users-about-echinococcus-from-worms/

[wolfbait]

A Warning To Outdoor Users About Echinococcus, From Worms
December 10, 2009

 In the first paragraph in my letter to Mr. Bangs dated 3 October 1993 on the DEIS (DraftEnvironmental Impact Statement) which was titled “The Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho,” I warned about the damages and problems wolves would cause to Yellowstone and other areas by carrying and spreading parasites and diseases over larger areas. Some of these parasites are damaging not only to wild and domestic animals, but can also be dangerous to humans.
Tom Remington
http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/2009/12/10/a-warning-to-outdoor-users-about-echinococcus-from-worms/

Some heads need to roll, and some wolves need to go. This kind of puts a new light on the wolves, now that people will be getting this information. Regardless if they have no care for all the game herds that are being slaughtered, or all the livestock that ranchers are losing. The diseases that an overpopulation of wolves will spread and the fact that they themselves could very easily become infect, may make many realize that their warm and fuzzy wolves were made out of lies. Bangs and the people who knowingly put this country in this mess need to take a walk off the plank.