Use of Leg-Mounted Monitors to Assess the Effects of Treponeme-Associated Hoof Disease on Elk (Cervus canadensis) Activity.

ABSTRACT: Treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD) is an emerging disease of free-ranging elk (Cervus canadensis) in the northwestern United States. Affected elk develop chronic foot lesions, lameness, debilitation, and an apparent increase in mortality, but the onset of lameness and associated changes in activity are not fully understood. We evaluated the accuracy of a newly developed leg-mounted tri-axial accelerometer monitor (Advanced Telemetry Systems) on captive elk and collected monitor-derived data to assess activity before and during an experimental TAHD challenge. Monitors provided reliable data with 85% overall accuracy of the continuous onboard classification of activity as standing, moving, or bedded against direct visual observation using seven healthy elk. Further, following TA

SUBMITTER: Hill TO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12837264 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature