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Hill Thesis Final
Embargoed Access, Embargo ends: 10/07/2026
Thesis
USE OF LEG MOUNTED MONITORS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS Of TREPONEME-ASSOCIATED HOOF DISEASE ON ELK (CERVUS CANADENSIS) ACTIVITY
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2025
Abstract
Treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) is an emerging infectious disease of free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis) in the northwestern United States. Affected elk exhibit lameness, debilitation, and an apparent increase in mortality, but the onset of lameness and associated change in activity is not fully understood. We assessed the impact of TAHD on activity of captive research elk using tri-axial. We assessed the use of leg-mounted triaxial accelerometer monitors (Advanced Telemetry Systems) to quantify activity changes in captive elk challenged with TAHD. These monitors were programmed to classify behavior as moving, standing, or bedded based on changes in movement and leg orientation. We hypothesized that activity monitors would accurately reflect elk activity and that changes in activity would be more sensitive to lameness detection than daily visual observations. To validate monitor accuracy, we compared activity classifications from monitors, to direct visual observations using a confusion matrix. Monitors achieved 85% overall accuracy, with highest agreement between visual observation and monitor output for standing and bedded behaviors. Following experimental TAHD challenge, activity was recorded at 1-minute intervals and compared with daily locomotion scores. Five elk were assigned to the treatment group and two to control. Treatment elk developed minor TAHD lesions (Grades I–II), while control elk showed no signs of disease. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to assess associations between locomotion score, lesion grade, and activity levels. While no significant relationship was found between moving or standing activity and locomotion score, increased bedding was associated with higher locomotion scores. Additionally, treatment elk spent more time bedded than controls during the treatment period days. These findings suggest that leg-mounted activity monitors can detect subtle changes in elk activity linked to minor TAHD lesions and may serve as a useful tool for future wildlife disease monitoring efforts.
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Details
- Title
- USE OF LEG MOUNTED MONITORS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS Of TREPONEME-ASSOCIATED HOOF DISEASE ON ELK (CERVUS CANADENSIS) ACTIVITY
- Creators
- Trent Hill
- Contributors
- Lisa A Shipley (Advisor)Margaret A Wild (Advisor)Ryan Long (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- School of the Environment (CAHNRS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 43
- Identifiers
- 99901296995301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis