EFFECTS OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE ON REPRODUCTION AND FAWN HARVEST VULNERABILITY IN WISCONSIN WHITE-TAILED DEER

EFFECTS OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE ON REPRODUCTION AND FAWN HARVEST VULNERABILITY IN WISCONSIN WHITE-TAILED DEER



Julie A. Blanchong1,6, Daniel A. Grear2, Byron V. Weckworth3, Delwyn P. Keane4, Kim T. Scribner3 and Michael D. Samuel5

+ Author Affiliations

1Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, 339 Science 2, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA

2Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, 226 Russell Labs, 1630 Linden, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA

3Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 13 Natural Resources, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA

4Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 445 Easterday Lane, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA

5U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, 226 Russell Labs, 1630 Linden, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA

↵6 Corresponding author (email: julieb@iastate.edu)

Abstract

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that affects free-ranging and captive North American cervids. Although the impacts of CWD on cervid survival have been documented, little is known about the disease impacts on reproduction and recruitment. We used genetic methods and harvest data (2002–04) to reconstruct parentage for a cohort of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns born in spring 2002 and evaluate the effects of CWD infection on reproduction and fawn harvest vulnerability. There was no difference between CWD-positive and CWD-negative male deer in the probability of being a parent. However, CWD-positive females were more likely to be parents than CWD-negative females. Because our results are based on harvested animals, we evaluated the hypothesis that higher parentage rates occurred because fawns with CWD-positive mothers were more vulnerable to harvest. Male fawns with CWD-positive mothers were harvested earlier (>1 mo relative to their mother’s date of harvest) and farther away from their mothers than male fawns with CWD-negative mothers. Male fawns with CWD-positive mothers were also harvested much earlier and farther away than female fawns from CWD-positive mothers. Most female fawns (86%) with CWD-positive mothers were harvested from the same section as their mothers, while almost half of male and female fawns with CWD-negative mothers were farther away. We conclude that preclinical stages of CWD infection do not prohibit white-tailed deer from successfully reproducing. However, apparently higher harvest vulnerability of male fawns with CWD-positive mothers suggests that CWD infection may make females less capable of providing adequate parental care to ensure the survival and recruitment of their fawns.


http://www.jwildlifedis.org/content/48/2/361.abstract?etoc




Saturday, February 04, 2012

Wisconsin 16 age limit on testing dead deer Game Farm CWD Testing Protocol Needs To Be Revised

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2012/02/wisconsin-16-age-limit-on-testing-dead.html








*** Chronic Wasting Disease CWD CDC REPORT MARCH 2012 ***

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Occurrence, Transmission, and Zoonotic Potential of Chronic Wasting Disease

CDC Volume 18, Number 3—March 2012



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CWD has been identified in free-ranging cervids in 15 US states and 2 Canadian provinces and in ≈ 100 captive herds in 15 states and provinces and in South Korea (Figure 1, panel B).

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Long-term effects of CWD on cervid populations and ecosystems remain unclear as the disease continues to spread and prevalence increases. In captive herds, CWD might persist at high levels and lead to complete herd destruction in the absence of human culling. Epidemiologic modeling suggests the disease could have severe effects on free-ranging deer populations, depending on hunting policies and environmental persistence (8,9). CWD has been associated with large decreases in free-ranging mule deer populations in an area of high CWD prevalence (Boulder, Colorado, USA) (5).



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full text ;


http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/18/3/11-0685_article.htm




see map ;


http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/18/3/11-0685-f1.htm





Thursday, February 09, 2012


50 GAME FARMS IN USA INFECTED WITH CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE


http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2012/02/50-game-farms-to-date-in-usa-infected.html








Friday, February 03, 2012


Wisconsin Farm-Raised Deer Farms and CWD there from 2012 report Singeltary et al


http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2012/02/wisconsin-farm-raised-deer-farms-and.html








Thursday, April 05, 2012


Prevalence and Effects of Chronic Wasting Disease in Elk from Rocky Mountain National Park


http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2012/04/prevalence-and-effects-of-chronic.html





http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/






TSS