After several months of analyzing samples, the Veterinary Institute now believes it has found out the cause of the sudden death of over 100 reindeer in Herøy municipality. – Now we can conclude that it is highly likely that copper poisoning is the cause of the disease in the reindeer. So says senior researcher and veterinarian Aksel Bernhoft, at the Veterinary Institute. How the animals got the copper is still not clear to either the police or the Veterinary Institute. Defying advice The mysterious reindeer death led in May to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority asking all farmers in the area where the reindeer had grazed to keep their animals inland. They believed that grazing in open fields would be too risky for the animals. Tor Karstein Angel’s cows graze peacefully in the fields where 100 reindeer died earlier this year. Photo: Ole-Christian Olsen / news Tor Karstein Angel is a cattle farmer in Nord-Herøy, and says that he is now glad that he defied this recommendation. – We took the chance and released the animals. But if something had happened, it could have cost us dearly. The reason is that the insurance would not have covered the loss of animals if the advice from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority had not been followed. But that issue did not become a topic. – Everything has gone well with everyone, and I have spoken to other farmers as well and no one has lost an animal, says Angel. The main reason why the farmers took the chance to release the animals was to save on winter fodder. – It would cost us a lot. Angel is also not particularly satisfied with the communication with, among others, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority while the case has been ongoing. – I think they have disappointed us greatly, and the dialogue has not been very good. We haven’t received any help, and I don’t think we would have received five cents in compensation if the animals had been kept inside this summer. – Unfortunate, says the Norwegian Food Safety Authority Section Chief Kim Stene in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority in Helgeland states that their advice is based on the Veterinary Institute’s risk assessment from May this year. And still applies. – It is unfortunate that pet owners do not follow a risk-based and clear recommendation from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. The recommendation was given as a precautionary measure to ensure against an escalation of the incident and further suffering for animals in the area. However, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will not intervene. The reason why several hundred reindeer died and fell ill on Herøy this spring is probably copper poisoning. Now the police want to find the source of the copper. Photo: Odd Arne Sandøy – The time for gathering and slaughtering is now approaching. We would rather see if the situation as it has developed can provide more knowledge that can help clarify the matter. Animals that have grazed in this area will be checked in connection with slaughter. This is to obtain further information in the matter and to ensure food safety. Stene says he understands that the recommendation not to use the pastures is perceived as an intervention in the middle of summer. – But here we had to make an assessment between animal welfare and the fact that many animals had died of unknown causes. We have an ongoing assessment of the status and the situation, and we will subsequently evaluate our measures in the matter. It was at the end of April this year that a large number of reindeer died inexplicably on Herøy in Nordland. The reindeer herd of around 400 animals arrived in Herøy in December. Photo: Lars-Petter Kalkenberg / news – The Norwegian Food Safety Authority cannot withdraw the recommendation until we receive information about where the copper comes from and whether it is still present, says Stene. Probably exposed to too much copper Bernhoft in the Veterinary Institute says he does not think the poisoning is due to a natural cause. – The reindeer must have been exposed to high levels, and it is probably a concentrated source of copper that is the cause of this. He flatly denies that the animals may have been poisoned as a result of having licked on copper in solid form that has been lying in nature. – That can probably be ruled out. It must be copper in a more soluble form, for example copper sulphates. Copper sulphates are used, among other things, for the impregnation of wood, as pesticides and against harmful insects and fungi, according to Store norske lexikon. Copper (Cu) Copper is an important trace element in the body, and can exist in three oxidation stages. Sources of emissions of copper into the air are industry, and especially smelters. Road and rail traffic can contribute to increased levels in some limited areas due to wear and tear, mainly due to braking. The level of copper in the air is highest near larger sources. Exposure to copper takes place primarily via food and drinking water. Inhalation makes a small contribution to the total exposure. Studies in the working environment and experimental studies indicate that inhalation of copper compounds causes irritation in the respiratory tract, inflammatory reactions and respiratory morbidity. Copper is included in several biological enzymes and as structural components in the body. The metal can function both as an electron donor and electron acceptor, and this property is used in several of the body’s enzymes. The brain is an organ that contains a relatively large amount of copper, and a lack of copper is harmful. On the other hand, exposure to high levels of copper will cause unwanted health effects. Source: FHI Copper is also used for impregnating nuts in the farming industry. – What happens to animals that get copper poisoning? – Large amounts of copper can destroy the blood cells, and animals can suffer tissue damage in the liver and kidney. It can also cause tissue damage in the mucous membranes, leading to diarrhoea, dehydration and emaciation. – No farmers have lost animals, says Tor Karstein Angel. Photo: Ole-Christian Olsen / news If the animals eat or drink concentrated large amounts of copper, the digestive system can be damaged. – So that can explain some of the autopsy findings that have been seen. Sheep are particularly vulnerable Animals being poisoned by copper is nothing new, says Bernhoft. And sheep in particular are exposed to this type of poisoning. Copper is found in nature and is a vital substance for survival. But the extent to which copper is taken up in the bodies of ruminants is linked to another element: molybdenum. Bernhoft explains: – In ruminants, molybdenum and copper are bound together in the rumen. Then it is not absorbed into the body, but goes straight through. – If there is a lot of molybdenum in the soil, the uptake of copper is lower. Molybdenum is scarce inland, and therefore it is often added to sheep’s feed. On the coast, however, there are large deposits of the element – then copper is added to the feed. But the amounts that have been added, Bernhoft does not think will have any impact on reindeer. – Yes, but you probably wouldn’t expect that from reindeer. They have a much greater capacity to store copper.
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100 reindeer died of poisoning on Herøy – the farmers sent the animals to pasture anyway – news Nordland
