KANSAS NINE DEER TEST POSITIVE FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
KANSAS NINE DEER TEST POSITIVE FOR CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
July 19, 2012
All but three from northwest Kansas; numbers stable
PRATT— The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has
announced that nine deer from Kansas tested positive for chronic wasting
disease, seven confirmed and two presumptive, for the current test year. That
total is down from 10 confirmed positive during last year’s testing. The two
presumptive positive samples will be sent to the National Veterinary Services
Laboratory in Ames, Iowa for confirmation. All but three of the nine deer — one
from Stafford County one from Sumner County, and one from Ford County — were
animals from northwestern Kansas. The Stafford, Sumner, and Ford county cases
were firsts for each county. Eight of the deer were taken by hunters during the
2011 hunting seasons, and one was euthanized by a KDWPT natural resource officer
after it was reported as acting sick. Two cases were from Norton County and one
each from Decatur, Ford, Rawlins, Stafford, Sumner, Trego, and Wallace
counties.
All cases were white-tailed deer. This season’s testing results bring the
total number of confirmed CWD cases in Kansas to 49 since testing began in 1996.
In total, 2,447 animals were tested for CWD for the 2011 deer seasons. Although
most testing is finished for the year, KDWPT will continue testing some
vehicle-killed and sick or suspect-looking deer, as well as deer taken with
depredation permits, through July 31.
Annual testing is part of an ongoing effort by KDWPT to monitor the
prevalence and spread of CWD. The fatal disease was first detected in a Kansas
wild deer taken in Cheyenne County in 2005.
CWD is a member of the group of diseases called transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (TSEs). Other diseases in this group include scrapie in sheep
and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle,
and Cruetzfeldt-Jacob disease in people. CWD is a progressive, fatal disease
that results in small holes developing in the brain, giving it a sponge-like
appearance under the microscope. An animal may carry the disease without outward
indication, but in the later stages, signs may include behavioral changes such
as decreased interactions with other animals, listlessness, lowering of the
head, weight loss, repetitive walking in set patterns, and a lack of response to
humans. Anyone who discovers a sick or suspect deer should contact the nearest
KDWPT office.
“It must be noted that many symptoms of CWD are indicative of other
diseases,” says KDWPT wildlife disease coordinator Shane Hesting. “A sick deer
may or may not be infected with CWD. CWD is a serious deer disease but is still
a rare disease in Kansas. There is no vaccine or other biological method that
prevents the spread of CWD. However, there is no evidence that CWD poses a risk
to humans or livestock in the natural environment.”
Still, precautions should be taken. Hunters are advised not to eat meat
from animals known to be infected, and common-sense precautions are advised when
field dressing and processing meat from animals taken in areas where CWD is
found. More information on CWD can be found on KDWPT’s website, ksoutdoors.com
or at the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance website, www.cwd-info.org.
-30-
Thursday, February 09, 2012
THREE KANSAS DEER CONFIRMED POSITIVE IN EARLY STAGES OF CWD TESTING
Thursday, March 31, 2011
TEN KANSAS DEER CONFIRMED POSITIVE IN CWD TESTS
Thursday, January 06, 2011
KANSAS FIRST CASE OF CHRONIC WASTING IN 2010 DEER SEASON CONFIRMED
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Kansas has more CWD cases
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Captive Deer Breeding Legislation Overwhelmingly Defeated During 2012
Legislative Session
Surveillance for CWD in free-ranging populations has documented a continual
geographic spread of the disease throughout North America.
Volume 18, Number 3—March 2012
Synopsis
Occurrence, Transmission, and Zoonotic Potential of Chronic Wasting Disease
snip...
Originally recognized only in southeastern Wyoming and northeastern
Colorado, USA, CWD was reported in Canada in 1996 and Wisconsin in 2001 and
continues to be identified in new geographic locations (Figure 1, panel A). 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). Except in South Korea, CWD has not been detected
outside North America. In most locations reporting CWD cases in free-ranging
animals, the disease continues to emerge in wider geographic areas, and
prevalence appears to be increasing in many disease-endemic areas. Areas of
Wyoming now have an apparent CWD prevalence of near 50% in mule deer, and
prevalence in areas of Colorado and Wisconsin is <15% in deer. However,
prevalence in many areas remains between 0% and 5% according to reports and data
obtained from state and provincial wildlife agencies. Prevalence in elk is lower
than in deer but reaches 10% in parts of Wyoming. Known risk factors for CWD
include sex and age, and adult male deer show the highest prevalence (5).
Polymorphisms in the PrP (PRNP) gene appear to influence susceptibility in deer
and elk (2,6,7), but remain less understood than the strong genetic influences
for scrapie.
SNIP...
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).
kind regards, terry
layperson
Terry S. Singeltary Sr. P.O. Box 42 Bacliff, Texas USA 77518
flounder9@verizon.net
posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at
9:47 AM
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