{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T21:01:15Z","timestamp":1791234075524,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Wildlife Disease Association","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Journal of Wildlife Diseases"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Respiratory disease remains an important threat to bighorn sheep (BHS; Ovis canadensis), complicated by fragmented populations and environmental stressors. Significantly, BHS epizootic pneumonia can lead to all-age die-offs and is population limiting. We describe an interagency investigation of a die-off within a BHS herd in the Badlands region of South Dakota, USA from 2021\u201322. Minimum survey counts began declining 2 mo following a reported domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and BHS interaction and dropped from 262 to 56 BHS over 9 mo. Postmortem testing included histopathology, bacterial culture, molecular testing, and partial microbial sequencing in 13 affected BHS. Data from neighboring domestic small ruminants and historical BHS data were compared to outbreak observations. Histopathology revealed moderate to severe bronchopneumonia in many cases. Half of animals examined harbored mild to heavy lungworm burdens (5\/10). Pneumonic tissue culture yielded Trueperella pyogenes (10\/ 11), Bibersteinia trehelosi (5\/11), and no live Mycoplasma spp. (0\/11). Conversely, real-time PCR detected widespread Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (12\/13) for the first time in this herd, with co-occurring bluetongue virus (BTV, 4\/10). Two unique M. ovipneumoniae strains were found in BHS, one directly related to nearby domestic sheep isolates. Severe epizootic pneumonia was preceded by multi-strain M. ovipneumoniae spillover, with T. pyogenes causing suppurative pneumonia. High BHS density, a moderate-severe drought, and BTV transmission compounded disease susceptibility and mortality in this herd. Strengthened collaborations are necessary to manage BHS facing multiple coinciding health threats.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.7589\/jwd-d-25-00093","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]],"date-time":"2026-07-03T08:49:47Z","timestamp":1783068587000},"page":"655-665","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Domestic Spillover of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae with Concurrent Bluetongue Virus Implicated in Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) Epizootic Pneumonia Outbreak in Badlands, South Dakota, USA"],"prefix":"10.7589","volume":"62","author":[{"given":"Treana C.","family":"Mayer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Colorado State University, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 2450 Gillette Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Terry","family":"Spraker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Colorado State University, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 2450 Gillette Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Roghair","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Park Service, Badlands National Park, 25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, South Dakota 57750, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chadwick P.","family":"Lehman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks, Custer State Park, 13329 US Highway 16A, Custer, South Dakota 57730, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eddie","family":"Childers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Park Service, Badlands National Park, 25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, South Dakota 57750, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nathan L.","family":"Galloway","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Park Service, Biological Resources Division, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 200, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laurie","family":"Baeten","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Park Service, Biological Resources Division, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 200, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"4415","reference":[{"key":"4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"TE Besser, MA Highland, K Baker, et al.  \"Emerg Infect Dis.\"  18, \"Causes of pneumonia epizootics among bighorn sheep, western United States, 2008-2010.\" 406 (2012)","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1803.111554"},{"key":"5","unstructured":"\"Geneious Prime v2021.1.1.\"  (2021)"},{"key":"6","unstructured":"HK. 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