Wolves Giving Elk Tapeworm?

(Billings, Montana) An elk killed by a hunter was found to carry Echinococcus granulosus, a debilitating tapeworm disease that is transmitted by wolves and other canines.

From RockyMountainNews.com:

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 between humans. [ ... ]

The diseased elk near Yellowstone had cysts "from the size of marbles to the size of baseballs" on its lungs and liver, said retired state game warden Hank Fabich, who shot the elk in Paradise Valley.

The Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd, who want the number of wolves drastically reduced, have taken the incident as additional evidence that wolves are a danger to humans. Meanwhile, they have asked the Montana Legislature to fund action to take wolves off the Endangered Species List.