Elk carried tapeworm disease

BILLINGS – An elk shot by a hunter outside Yellowstone National Park last fall carried a potentially debilitating tapeworm disease that can be transmitted by wolves, a state wildlife official said Wednesday.

State officials are investigating whether the elk contracted the disease from a wolf, or if it came from a coyote or dog, which also carry the tapeworm, said Mel Frost, spokeswoman for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The tapeworm, echinococcus granulosus, causes large, debilitating cysts to grow on the internal organs of elk, cattle and other hoofed animals.

Granulosus can be dangerous to humans, with symptoms ranging from coughing to brain impairment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Frost said her agency is not concerned about transmission to the public because the disease is difficult to contract and does not spread among humans.

Regarding wildlife and livestock, she said there was no concern of a widespread outbreak.