27 CASES OF CWD SOUTH DAKOTA July 1 to January 20, 2009

SD GFP NEWS FOR 1-23-09

GFP Conducts CWD Testing in Big Game

RAPID CITY, S.D. -- The big game seasons have closed in South Dakota, and Game Fish and Parks biologists are finishing up their Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Program for 2008.

GFP tested 2,052 elk, white-tailed deer and mule deer from July 1 to January 20, 2009. Of the total samples, 27 specimens came back with a positive CWD result. Last year, a total of 2,558 tests on deer and elk revealed 19 positive results.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal brain disease of deer, elk, and moose that is caused by an abnormal protein called a prion. Animals in the late stages of infection with CWD show progressive loss of weight and body condition, behavior changes, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, depression, loss of muscle control, and eventually death. This disease can not be diagnosed by observation of physical symptoms because many big game diseases affect animals in similar ways.

“We are pleased with the cooperation that we received from our hunters this year, and how smoothly our testing program worked,” said Steve Griffin, GFP Big Game Biologist. “We have been conducting this testing since 1997 and this is the second year in a row that we have seen an increase in the number of positive results in South Dakota.”

GFP tested 381 elk (9 positive CWD tests), 473 mule deer (11 positive), and 1198 white-tailed deer (7 positive).

“Most of the animals that tested positive are from areas where we have found CWD in the past, but we did have a couple of new areas that we will need to keep an eye on,” said Griffin. “We annually evaluate our testing program and determine how we will proceed in the future.”

Since the beginning of this CWD Surveillance Program, more than 19,450 wild deer and elk have been tested, with 104 cases of CWD found.

http://www.sdgfp.info/GFPnews/News09/1_23_09.htm



Two deer test positive for CWD

City receives permit to kill 50 additional animals

By Curt Nettinga Tuesday, February 03, 2009 HOT SPRINGS – Two of the 50 deer killed in the first phase of Hot Springs’ deer thinning effort have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, according to a Game, Fish and Parks official.

“I can confirm that two of the deer harvested in Hot Springs did test positive (for CWD),” said Steve Griffins, a Disease Specialist for the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks in Rapid City. “Two adult female mule deer tested positive.”

Art Smith, a Wildlife Damage Management Program Administrator with the GF&P in Pierre, confirmed that the city had also applied for and been granted a permit extension to kill additional deer.

“The city has been granted permission to kill up to the 100 deer total,” Smith said. “That was the amount on the original application.”

Hot Springs Chief of Police Bob Evans said that the city will begin the second phase of thinning sometime within the next few days. “We have a permit to take up to another 50 deer,” he said. “We may not take that many.”

Smith said that following the initial 50 deer being killed, the city did additional deer counts, and then analyzed the impact of killing the first 50 as well as the complaint level and other issues before moving forward.

“The extension was granted on Jan. 20,” Smith added. “The end date is the same as on the application; the end of February.”

Evans, local GF&P representative DJ Schroeder and Animal Control Officer Dave Green conducted further deer counts before the decision was made to pursue another 50 deer.

“The count showed that the first 50 made an improvement,” Evans said, “but there are still plenty of deer out there.” Evans added that if anyone wishes to claim deer carcasses for the meat, they should come to the police station and sign up soon.

Griffins said that two positives in a pool of 50 – or four percent of the carcasses tested might be a bit higher than other places tested.

“Really, there is no common number,” he said. “Four percent might be high, but this is also the first year, so there is nothing to compare it with.” He added that in both cases, the person or persons who ended up with carcasses that tested positive were notified. In December, both Smith and Griffins said that there is no proven connection between CWD and any disease in humans.

Smith said he commends the City of Hot Springs for how they have handled the application and permit issues. “I just think they have done a good job,” Smith said. “I don’t have a dog in this fight, but they (the city) took a step back after the initial kill to evaluate before deciding to take the full complement of deer.”

Smith said that it was good to see the city’s concern to do the right thing. “There is never going to be a time that everyone agrees on what is the best thing to do when it comes to the deer,” he said. “I think that Hot Springs made a conscientious effort to get the information to make an informed decision.”

Griffins said that he would hope to get any further carcass heads quickly, so that testing could be completed.

http://www.hotspringsstar.com/articles/2009/02/03/hot_springs/news/doc498729574fff9006531473.txt



SOUTH DAKOTA'S CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE (CWD) TESTING UPDATE -2008

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As of 12-31-2008

1,895 total samples collected since July 1, 2008:

380 elk 419 mule deer 1,096 white-tailed deer Most samples are from the Black Hills and from prairie hunting units in Fall River, Custer, and eastern Pennington counties of western South Dakota. Most samples were taken from hunter-harvested animals. RESULTS As of 12-31-2008 we have received results from the SDSU Diagnostic Lab or Wind Cave National Park on 1,800 samples listed below.

380 elk 412 mule deer 1,008 white-tailed deer

Of the 1,800 samples tested to date, we have found 9 CWD positive Elk and 17 CWD positive deer. Below is a summary of these animals:

Elk female from Wind Cave National Park in Custer County. (Sick/Surveillance) Elk female from Unit H3B in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest) Elk male from Unit H3A in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest) Elk female from Wind Cave National Park in Custer County. (Sick/Surveillance) Elk male from Unit H3A in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest) White-tailed female from Unit BD4 in Custer County. (Sick/Surveillance) Elk female from Unit H3C in Fall River County. (Hunter Harvest) Elk female from Wind Cave National Park in Custer County. (Sick Surveillance) White-tailed female from Unit 27A in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest Mule deer male from Unit 27B in Fall River County. (Hunter Harvest)

Mule deer female from Unit 21B in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest)

White-tailed female from Unit 27B in Fall River County. (Hunter Harvest)

White-tailed male from Unit BD3 in Pennington County. (Sick/Surveillance)

Mule deer male from Unit 27B in Fall River County. (Hunter Harvest)

Mule deer female from Unit 27B in Fall River County. (Hunter Harvest)

Mule deer female from Unit 21B in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest)

Elk male from Wind Cave National Park in Custer County. (Sick Surveillance)

Mule deer male from Unit 27B in Fall River County. (Hunter Harvest)

White-tailed male from Unit 21A in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest)

Mule deer female from Unit 27A in Fall River County. (Hunter Harvest) Mule deer female from Unit 21A in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest)

Mule deer female from Unit 27B in Fall River County. (Hunter Harvest)

White-tailed male from Unit BH1 in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest)

Elk female from Unit H3C in Custer County. (Hunter Harvest)

Mule deer female from Hot Springs in Fall River County. (City Deer Removal)

Mule deer female from Hot Springs in Fall River County. (City Deer Removal)

In Summary: South Dakota Department of Game Fish and Parks and Wind Cave National Park has found 26 case of CWD (9 elk, 17 deer) in free ranging cervids in the testing period -July 1, 2008 to present.

To date, South Dakota has found 103 cases of CWD (71 deer and 32 elk) in free ranging deer and elk since testing began in 1997. Wind Cave National Park accounts for 24of these animals (16 elk, 8 deer). A total of 19,299 wild deer and elk have been tested for CWD since 1997.

Hunters may get their animal tested for chronic wasting disease by making their own arrangements directly through the SDSU Diagnostic Lab at (605) 688-5171.

http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/BigGame/CWDresults.htm

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Antemortem detection of PrPCWD in preclinical, ranch-raised Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) by biopsy of the rectal mucosa Full Scientific Reports

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2009/01/antemortem-detection-of-prpcwd-in.html

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Chronic Wasting Disease Investigation Update Michigan December 18, 2008

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2009/01/chronic-wasting-disease-investigation.html

Sunday, September 07, 2008

CWD LIVE TEST, and the political aspects or fallout of live testing for BSE in cattle in the USA

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2008/09/cwd-live-test-and-political-aspects-or.html

2008 CWD Laboratory Testing for Wild White-tailed Deer

http://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/0,1607,7-186-25806-202922--,00.html

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

CWD to tighten taxidermy rules Hunters need to understand regulations

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2009/01/cwd-to-tighten-taxidermy-rules-hunters.html

Monday, January 05, 2009

CWD, GAME FARMS, BAITING, AND POLITICS

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2009/01/cwd-game-farms-baiting-and-politics.html

Thursday, December 25, 2008 Lions and Prions and Deer Demise

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2008/12/lions-and-prions-and-deer-demise.html

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

CWD Update 93 December 29, 2008

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2009/01/cwd-update-93-december-29-2008.html

Tuesday, September 09, 2008 CWD MICHIGAN UPDATE September 5, 2008

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2008/09/cwd-michigan-update-september-5-2008.html

Monday, August 25, 2008 CWD FIRST DOCUMENTED IN MICHIGAN

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2008/08/cwd-first-documented-in-michigan.html

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Research Project: Detection of TSE Agents in Livestock, Wildlife, Agricultural Products, and the Environment Location: 2008 Annual Report

http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/01/research-project-detection-of-tse.html

TSS

Wednesday, February 04, 2009 Nebraska reports 22 cases of CWD in deer

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2009/02/nebraska-reports-22-cases-of-cwd-in.html

TSS