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8TuesdayMay282013MackenzievetstestnewmethodsofanthraxcontrolByMEAGANWOHLBERGVeterinaryscientistswiththedepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENRarelookingatnewinnovationsforkillingandcontrollingthespreadofanthraxintheMack-enzieBisonSanctuarytocutdownonlabourandresourcecostswhileeffectivelystop-pinganotheroutbreak.Thenewapproachin-volvestarpinginfectedcarcassestoallowthenat-uraldecompositionprocesstobreakdowntheanthraxbacteriaratherthanburn-ingthedeadanimalsusingwoodandcoalwhichcanbeexpensiveandlabourintensivetobringintotheaffectedareas.Duringlastyearsdev-astatingoutbreakintheMackenzieareawhenover400bisonwerekilledinthelargestcaseofanthraxintheterritoryshistorysci-entistswithENRtarpedeightcarcasseslocatedwellawayfrompotentialhumancontacttotesttheirtheorythatanthraxcanbebrokendownnaturally.Itshouldprovideyoubothtimeandnancialsav-ingsbecauseitsthetimeandmoneyofhaulinginfuelsandalltheworkittakestosetupacarcasstoburnitsaidBrettElkindiseaseandcontaminantsspecialistwiththeWild-lifeDivisionofENR.Foreachcarcassnowwereusingathousandpoundsofcoaltwotothreecordsofwoodwhichweoftenhavetoslinginbyhelicoptersoitsverylabourintensiveveryexpensivetohaulin.Anthraxisunlikemostdiseasesinthatitdoesnotremainintheanimallongafteritsbeenkilledandisnotspreadfromanimaltoanimal.Insteadanthraxsporeslivinginthesoilbe-comeingestedbytheani-malusingitsbodytomul-tiplybeforegoingbackoutintothesoiltheonlywaythebacteriaiscapableofreproducing.Thesporesaretheseverylong-livedthingswiththesehardcalcium-richwalls.Whentheygointhebodytheygerminateintobacte-riawhichisactuallyalotmorevulnerabletootherthings.ItsvegetativestageasbacteriaisnotthathardyElkinsaid.Thethinkingisifitstaysinthebodyandyoukeepthebodyintact-noscavenging-thebreak-downprocessofthebodywillkilltheorganism.Whilegoingoutandnd-inganthraxinthesoilofthebisonrangeisextremelydifcultElkinsaidboththewayitreproducesandstayslocalizedaroundthecarcassmakesitvulnerableandpossibletomanage.Theyrelong-livedbuttheydontlastforeversoba-sicallyforthepopulationtosurviveyouneedburstsofnewsporesTheywilldieontheirownovertimeortheyllgetushedawayoffmeadowsintotreeswherebisonmaybewontpickthemup.Sotheonlywaythepopulationsurvivesifyouwilliswhenoutbreakshappenthesporesusethehostasawaytoreproducehesaid.Ifwecancutdownthebursts-wemaynotcutthemdowntozero-butifwecangetmostofthenewonessotherearelessnewonescom-inginthanoldonesdyingitllcleanitout.Currentlythedepartmentincineratesinfectedcarcassesbyelevatingthemoverburn-ingcoal.Burningisalsousedwestartedwith150car-casses.ItsaslowprocesstoincineratethemsoifyoucantarpthemitbuysyoutimetocatchupbeforethescavengersgetonthemElkinsaid.Werenotcertainyetthisisgoingtobe100percenteffectiveanduntilwehavethatevidencewewilldoitasastagethingyoucantarpituntilyouhavetodisinfectthesurroundingareaacouplemetresaroundtheanimal.Lastyearstarpedanimalswerefoundtohavedecom-posedcompletelybymid-Septemberwhentheywerechecked.Aftertaking15samplesfromeachcarcassandanother15fromthesur-roundingareathosebisonwereincineratedtoensuretheanthraxwaskilled.Nowthedepartmentiswaitingtogetitslabresultsbacktoseeifthebacteriawassuccessfullybrokendownthroughputrefac-tion.Whiletheylikelywonthavethenewsuntillaterthissummertheyareplanningtodoadditionaltarpingthisyearalong-sideincinerationbecauseoftheadditionaltimeitgivesworkerstoaddressanoutbreak.Lastyearsoutbreakwassolargeandhappenedsoquicklythatontheveryrstdaywefoundthemtimeandthengetinthereandburnthem.IfthetarpingtechniqueisprovensuccessfulElkinsaidtheareaaroundthebisonuptofivemetresaroundand10cmdeepwillstillneedtobechemicallydisin-fectedasthedecompositionprocesswillnottakecareofthatnaturally.ThoughthenewmethodhasntbeenprovenyetElkinishopefulitwillturnouttobeanothertooltoaddtothedepartmentsarsenal.ItsworthlookingatBeingoneoftheguysouttherehaulinglogsImget-tingabitoldtobehaulinglogsyouhopeforsome-thingthatsjustaseffectiveandeasierandcheaperButtheproofwillbeinthepudding.Attheendofthedaywewanttomakesurewerecontrollingsporessothatwerereducingimpactonbisonsoifitworksitsgreatifitdoesntwellcon-tinuethewaywedo.ItsworthlookingatBeingoneoftheguysouttherehaulinglogsImgettingabitoldtobehaulinglogsyouhopeforsomethingthatsjustaseffectiveandeasierandcheaperButtheproofwillbeinthepudding.BrettElkinNWTEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesEnvironmentWildlifeImagescourtesyofENRAnENRemployeepreparesthetraditionaltreatmentfordisposingofanthrax-infectedbisonusingcoalandgreenwoodtoincineratethecarcass.Scientistsarehopinganeweasiermethodthattarpsdeadbisonwillnaturallybreakdownanthraxthroughdecompositioneffectively.WhiletraditionallyanthraxoutbreaksaremostcommonintheSouthSlaveandWoodBuffaloNationalParkareaslastyearsoutbreakintheMackenzieBisonSanctuarywastheworstonrecordintheNorthwestTerritories.WewouldliketothankeveryoneofourmotherMaggieBeaulieuspassing.SmithsLandingFirstNationSaltRiverFirstNationKaesersStoreFieldsStoreWallysDrugStoreMtisFireFightingCrewFortSmithHealthCentreStantonTerritorialHospitalAnitaDubeandChoirFranFunkDarlenePowderElizabethBourkeEdnaWoodwardHaroldBeaulieuJoanDelormeDorthyDesjarlaisMarthaPoitrasSorryifwehavemissedanybody.ThanksfromthebottomofourheartsTheBeaulieuFamilyLouiseStuSrStuJrRobinBeaulieuClaireAntoineSandyPoitrasHowardBenwellLarryBenwellJr.TimmothyNadaryLorraineFoyeCathyHouleGabeandAdelineWanderingspiritNoraEvansandfriendBevMabbitFreddyBeaulieuMaggieSikyeaDebbieSikyeaLouieBeaulieuShirleyTourangeauSandyandJimmyRubyCourtoreilleAllthephonecallsfrompeoplewhocouldntbehere.