Carlin Kenner

Biology 1615
4-5-15
Ovis Canadensis
Ovis Canadensis is a paranasal sinus tumor that have been recently described as a disease
that is affecting the bighorn sheep in Rocky Mountain area in Colorado. These tumors are
believed to cause a thickening of the maxillary also referred to as the frontal sinus, hypotheses of
these tumors is that they are preventing optimal clearance of bacteria from the frontal sinuses. By
preventing the pathogenic bacteria from leaving the frontal sinuses is resulting in the lives of
bighorn sheep being lost from an upper respiratory infection brought on by the trapped bacteria.
Why are the sinus of bighorn sheep in Colorado being study? Bighorn sheep have been
known to die from pneumonia brought on from a bacteria. Ovis Canadensis affecting the
maxillary area by trapping bacteria into the frontal sinus is leading to an increase in upper
respiratory tract infection that are resulting in death.
Researcher aim in studding the Ovis Canadensis is to get a better understanding of just
how it the Ovid Canadensis are affects the sinus tissues and to get a better understanding of why
the secondary infection of the pasteurellaceae (bacteria) occurs and that can becomes fatal to
bighorn sheep.
Researcher examined 136 bighorn sheep from February 2009 till July 2012. Bighorn
sheep that were both free ranging and captive animals that had been found dead were used for
this study. It was in the paranasal sinus cavities that researcher were looking for signs of a tumor
in the maxillary sinus.

Researcher would categorized tumors from 0, 1 and 2, these scores are based on how big
the tumor was inside the sinus. Sample of tissue was taken for the sinuses so the researcher could
do PCR testing. PCR testing is going to give researcher either a positive or negative results for
IktA primer. An IktA primer is a gene sequences that is found in postmortem, pasteurellaceae and
leukotoxin which are bacteria that can be found in the issues when a tumor has trapped it in the
sinuses, leading to a fatal infection in bighorn sheep. From PCR testing three sets of logistic
regression models were developed to explore the association between tumor score and the
probability of detecting bacterial pathogens in the upper respiratory tracts in bighorn sheep.
From the 136 bighorn sheep that were tested only 97 cases were postmortem. Only 39
bighorn sheep in the study were a full carcasses and 58 of them were head or skulls only. This
study included both male and female ranging in age from 9 months up to 10 years of age. Out of
the 136 bighorn sheep that were tested only 12 cases were positive for IktA. Researcher had to
confirm their finding of the PCR testing, they did this by using lung tissue samples off of the
same bighorn sheep to test for the IktA in the lung. Though both testing researchers conclude that
from these case demonstrated lesions consistent with the presence of leukotoxin, including
features such as nuclear streaming suggested that researchers results are positive result from
IktA, which meant the PCR testing on the tissue from the sinuses was accurate.
The conclusion from PCR results found positive for M. ovipneumoniae in 1/50 (2%) of
tumor score of 0, 7/33 (21%) of a tumor score of 1, 5/14 (36%) of a tumor score of 2. When
testing for Ikta 3/50 (6%) of a tumor score of 0, 8/33 (24%) of a tumor score of 1, 5/14 (36%) of
a tumor score of 2. This data strongly supports an effect of tumor score on the probability of
detecting bacteria in the upper respiratory tract.

In discussion tumors in bighorn sheep it is no the sinus tumors that cause the death of the
bighorn sheep, it is the bacteria that gets trapped as a results of the tumors changing the anatomy
of the upper respiratory tract. The tumors impairing clearance of bacterial infections in the upper
repertory tract is a big contributing factor to the death rates of bighorn sheep. This study has
suggested that shedding of bacteria from the upper respiratory tract may be variable between
individuals within a heard, which can be based on if the patient has a sinus tumor or not. The end
goal of this study is to be able to swab bighorn sheep that are believed to have a nasal tumor
study that swab and be able to find a way to help them get rid of the bacteria that is not able to
escape the nasal sinus. This would results in saving the lives of bighorn sheep instead of loosing
them.