Monitoring wolf diseases

NEW SECTION.  Section 1.  Monitoring wolf diseases.  With the assistance of the department of fish, wildlife and parks and the state veterinarian, the department of public health and human services shall develop and implement a program to detect, interdict and assess the epidemiological consequences of diseases that may afflict or may be carried by wolves and the actual and potential impact of wolves' role in such diseases upon human health in the state.  The program implemented shall include:

NEW SECTION.  Section 2.  List of possible diseases.  Compilation of a list of those infectious organisms which may infect, afflict or be carried by wolves, including but not limited to:
1. Rabies;
2. Brucella canis (Brucellosis);
3. Echinococcus granulosis, multiocularis (Hydatid Disease);
4. Yersinia pestis, (Plague);
5. Neospora sp., Toxocara sp., Sarcocystis sp. (Contagious protozoans);
6. Sarcoptes sp, Demodex sp.,  Cheyletiella sp.  (Mange);
7. Francisella tularensis (Tularemia); and
8. Toxocara sp.(Round-worms).

NEW SECTION.  Section 3.  Diseases affecting humans.  Compilation of a subset of that list in 1 of those infectious organisms that may infect or afflict humans;

NEW SECTION.  Section 4.  High risk categories.  Identification of high risk categories, vocations, occupations or recreations of people who are more likely to have been exposed by wolves to any of the infectious organisms listed under 2 above;

NEW SECTION.  Section 5.  High risk groups outreach.  Develop an outreach program to alert people in categories in 3 to their potential exposure to the diseases in 2;

NEW SECTION.  Section 6.  Testing and data collection.  Develop a testing and data collection program to test significant samples of people in 3 for diseases in 2 to determine the extent to which people of the state are exposed to dangerous diseases or disease organisms because of the presence of wolves in the state;

NEW SECTION.  Section 7.  Public health outreach.  Develop public outreach programs to inform the general public and people in 3 of the potential danger of diseases in 2, and what any person may do to avoid becoming infected or to access medical assessment of possible infection;

NEW SECTION.  Section 8.  Medical outreach.  Develop an outreach program to the state medical community to inform practitioners of the potential for infection of people by organisms in 2, symptoms to watch for, methods of detection, methods of treatment and reporting requirements;

NEW SECTION.  Section 9.  Animal health outreach.  Develop an outreach program to the animal health practitioners and monitors in the state to inform them of the potential for infection of other animals, including livestock and pets, by organisms in 2, symptoms to watch for, methods of detection, methods of treatment and reporting requirements;

NEW SECTION.  Section 10.  Reporting standards.  Develop standardized reporting requirements for the medical community and the animal health community to assure that data about existence of infections of organisms in 2 are centrally reported and tracked; and

NEW SECTION.  Section 11.  Report results periodically.  Report accomplishments and conclusions to the public and the legislature every six months.

End