DIAGNOSIS OF PREGNANCY IN WOOD BISON USING A BOVINE ASSAY FOR PREGNANCY-SPECIFIC PROTEIN-B

Blood samples were collected from 51 wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) and evaluated for the presence of an antigen that cross-reacted with antisera to pregnancy-specific protein B(PSPB). The objective of this study was to determine if the PSPB radioimmunoassay (RIA) was a reliable indicator of pregnancy in these animals. Pregnancy of mature females was determined either at autopsy (20 animals) or by palpation per rectum after chemical immobilization (18 animals). The antigen was not detected in either males or juvenile females. There was minor cross-reaction in sera of one of nine nonpregnant females that had been exposed to males. The antigen was found in the sera of 25 of 27 females that were confirmed pregnant. It was concluded that the PSPB RIA was a useful tool in the determination of pregnancy in wood bison.