Health status of mule deer and white-tailed deer herds on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:37417

Creekmore, T E; Franson, J C; Sileo, L ^[1]; Griess, J M; Roy, R R ^[2]; Baker, D L ^[3]

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1. National Wildlife Health Research Center, Madison, WI (United States)
2. Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Commerce City, CO (United States)
3. Colorado Division of Wildlife, Ft. Collins, CO (United States)

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal is a fenced, 6,900-ha Superfund site under remediation by the US Army and the Shell Oil Company. A variety of environmental contaminants including organochlorine pesticides, metals, and nerve-gas-production by-products are in the soil or in the water on the site. The authors evaluated the health of 18 radio-collared deer (13 mule deer [Odocoileus hemionus] and 5 white-tailed deer [O. virginianus]) collected by gunshot. Prior to collection, more than 4,000 locations of the 18 deer were plotted during a period of more than 2 years. Blood samples from the euthanized animals were collected for serologic, hematologic, and contaminant evaluations. Necropsies were preformed and tissues collected for histopathologic examinations and environmental contaminants analyses. Results indicate that the physical conditions of the mule deer were fair/good and of the white-tailed deer were good. Antibody prevalence against epizootic hemorrhagic disease serotype 2 was 85% and bovine virus diarrhea 56%. Two mule deer had severe testicular atrophy, and one of these animals also had antler deformities. Three mule deer had alopecia with dermatitis and hyperkeratosis. Results of heavy metal, and organochlorine pesticide analyses from blood and tissue samples and other analyses will be presented.

• OSTI ID: 37417
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410273--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
COLORADO
DEER
LAND POLLUTION
METALS
MILITARY FACILITIES
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
REMEDIAL ACTION
SENSITIVITY
TOXICITY
US SUPERFUND
WATER POLLUTION