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October 23, 2013 at 2:32 am #703MikeKeymaster
from arufon – ‘http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2005/06/09/AR2005060901904.htmlLARAMIE, Wyo. — University of Wyoming scientists will attempt to
identify a toxin in lichen that resulted in 450 elk deaths last year,
and possibly determine the safety of eating game that consumed the
lichen.A five-member team from UW’s Department of Veterinary Sciences
launched the study, which will also attempt to determine whether
cattle and sheep can safely graze in lichen-infested areas like the
Red Rim of south-central Wyoming where the massive die-off occurred.A grant from the College of Agriculture will pay for researching the
lichen Xanthoparmelia chlorochroa and which compounds in the plant
led to the elk deaths about 15 miles southwest of Rawlins.“Without the identity of the toxin, there is no practical way to
evaluate the toxicity of X. chlorochroa under various environmental
conditions to see if temperature, moisture or ultraviolet radiation
influences its toxicity,” said the lead investigator, professor Merl
Raisbeck of the Veterinary Sciences Department, which is under the
College of Agriculture.Other members of the team are assistant professor Todd Cornish,
associate professor Don Montgomery, graduate student Becky Dailey and
Assistant State Veterinarian Walter Cook.The team will test the lichen’s effect on sheep and will be carried
out for about two years at the State Veterinary Laboratory and UW’s
Livestock Center west of Laramie.Researchers were alerted to the problem in February 2004 when hunters
searching for coyotes discovered two cow elk unable to stand.
Eventually, an estimated 450 elk lost strength and coordination and
either died or were humanely destroyed.Testing eventually ruled out metals, toxins and environmental
poisons, according to the project abstract prepared by the
researchers.A book published in the 1960s on poisonous plants raised the
possibility that lichen was the cause.“Eventually, we were able to identify the causative agent,” the
abstract states. “As is often the case, one answer created many more
questions. Within 24 hours of the release of our findings, wildlife
managers and ranchers were demanding answers to the questions that we
hadn’t yet considered.”The scientists were asked about the safety of eating animals that had
ingested the plants and whether cattle and sheep can safely forage in
areas containing the lichen.They were also asked how a plant thought to be excellent forage could
poison such a high number of elk. Some wondered if there was a way to
predict similar events.Raisbeck said the concerns are legitimate because the lichen is found
in many areas throughout southern Wyoming. But he said until the
identity of the toxin is known, scientists have no way to diagnose
poisoning in smaller episodes or gauge the extent of the problem
across the region.The findings could also have ramifications for the food and drug
industry since lichen is widely marketed as a nutritional supplement,
the abstract said.“As such, it is completely unregulated by the usual food- and drug-
safety agencies, yet evidence is piling up that lichen products have
already resulted in numerous human deaths, and the National
Institutes of Health is showing interest in the health effects of so-
called ‘health foods,'” the abstract stated.One possible toxin contained in the lichen is usnic acid, which is
known to cause liver damage in humans and mice.There is conflicting evidence that usnic acid can cause a syndrome
similar to what was exhibited by the Red Rim elk, but it has never
been tested in ruminants, the researchers said.
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