Update On Chronic Wasting Disease

By Bruce Haak, Nongame Biologist
Idaho Department of Fish and Game - Southwest Region

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a rare disorder of the central nervous system found in mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk. While related to BSE (mad cow) disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep, there is no evidence that CWD is associated with illness in either humans or livestock. It is, however, highly contagious and must be controlled.

Once found only in a small area near Ft. Collins, Colorado, CWD has spread into the eastern Rockies and Plains States, and was just recently identified in New York state.

Surveillance is the key to detecting the presence of CWD in populations of deer and elk. In an attempt to document the presence or absence of this disease in Idaho, Fish and Game initiated a monitoring program in 1997. A more intensive and detailed surveillance program, one that incorporated a large number of wildlife biologists and conservation officers, began in 2002. The goal of this investigation was to determine if animals demonstrating the symptoms of CWD could be encountered by field personnel. By analyzing the factors related to the disease, Fish and Game is attempting to predict when CWD might become a problem.

At present, no known cases of CWD have been reported in Idaho. However, it is important to note that the threat of infection exists along our borders. Wyoming and Utah have CWD in wild big game herds. In an attempt to be proactive, there has been an aggressive state-federal program to eradicate CWD in captive herds of deer and elk within the United States. Within the last five years, infected animals were detected in a captive cervidae (deer/elk) population in Montana; all of the animals were destroyed.

Because of the far-reaching implications of this disease, a scientific sampling scheme to gather data, and an education program to notify the public about this threat, were developed. Tissue samples collected from deer and elk heads at hunter check stations continue to be analyzed for the presence of CWD. In addition, hunters, butchers and taxidermists in high-risk areas were contacted to explain the need to report any unusual animals that they might encounter. Finally, press releases to newspapers, television stations, and radio stations helped spread the word of this statewide investigation to the public.

In the future, wildlife professionals and big game ranchers will need to work together to ensure that CWD does not become established here through either the natural movements of big game herds or the importation or escape of captive deer and elk.
 

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