Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Regulations Issued to Protect NYS Deer Population from Chronic Wasting Disease

*PLEASE SEE UPDATED CWD SCIENCE FROM THE PRION2013 CONFERENCE ON POTENTIAL CWD TO HUMANS, CATS, MOTHER TO OFFSPRING, GAME FARMS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, BELOW THIS REPORT ABOUT NEW YORK STATE CWD.  ...TSS

 
 
Joe Morrissey, 518-457-0752, Joe.Morrissey@agriculture.ny.gov Pete Constantakes (DEC), 518-402-8000, pmconsta@gw.dec.state.ny.us

 

October 30, 2013

 

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Regulations Issued to Protect NYS Deer Population from Chronic Wasting Disease

 

 

Emergency Measures Restrict Importation of Certain Deer Species Disease Could Devastate NY’s Deer Population and Result in Severe Economic Repercussions on the State’s Sportsman Industry

 

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation today announced emergency regulations to prohibit the importation of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) susceptible deer into the State. The protection of the state’s deer population is important not only to the balance of the ecosystem but also is critical to supporting the hundreds of thousands of sportsmen and women whose recreational activities contribute some $780 million in economic impact statewide.

 

“These emergency measures will help mitigate the risk of CWD taking a firm hold here in New York State,” said State Acting Agriculture Commissioner James B. Bays. “I’m a hunter and an avid outdoorsman, and keeping New York’s wild and captive deer herds healthy will help protect multi-million dollar industries that create jobs and provide recreational opportunities for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. From our agency’s perspective, the most important thing that we can do is limit the exposure of deer to CWD. That’s exactly what these regulations will do.”

 

DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said, "New York State has a long tradition of deer hunting and deer management. It is imperative that we remain vigilant and prevent Chronic Wasting Disease from entering the State. These regulations will bolster existing protections already in place in New York and help to maintain a vibrant population of our most sought after game species. This show of stewardship help will ensure that sportsmen and sportswomen continue to have great deer hunting opportunities throughout the state."

 

The emergency regulations provide a ban on imports of specific species between November 16, 2013 and August 1, 2018. These species include Rocky Mountain elk, red deer, mule deer, black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer, sika deer, and moose.

 

Currently 21 states including New York prohibit the importation of certain species of live deer.

 

CWD is a fatal, neurologic disease to species of deer caused by a disease agent called a prion, which eventually destroys the brain tissue of infected animals. Prions are shed by infected animals in their saliva, feces and urine. The time from infection to the first outward signs of illness (animals appear weak and unsteady) may be two years or longer. Soil contaminated with CWD prions cannot be decontaminated and can remain as a source of CWD exposure to wild deer for years. At the present time, the only accepted means of diagnosis must be performed after an animal suspected of being infected with CWD is dead.

 

The primary tool for preventing spread of CWD is the USDA Herd Certification program, which requires herds that wish to ship animals interstate to undergo a five year certification process involving surveillance testing and maintenance of herd inventories. While the program has helped slow the spread of CWD, it cannot guarantee that certified herds will remain CWD-free. Despite the best efforts of qualified animal health professionals, CWD has arisen in four new states (PA, MO, MN, IA) since 2010 and all were participating in the Herd Certification program. The source of the most recent detection of CWD in both captive and wild deer in Pennsylvania remains unknown twelve months after the initial detection. Farms in other states purchased animals from the original infected herd in Pennsylvania; some escaped and some remain unaccounted for. Absent these regulations, states with potentially infected deer populations would be allowed to export deer to New York.

 

“If we continue to allow imports, we could receive CWD exposed deer or elk that originated in one state and subsequently passed through a facility in a third state,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. David Smith. “That’s not a risk we’re willing to take here in New York. CWD is extremely difficult to detect and control and once present, the costs to the wild deer population, captive deer owners, and the entire state are high. We do not want this disease proliferating throughout our state’s valuable wild populations and captive deer herds. New York will continue to work with stakeholders and animal health professionals as these important regulations move forward.”

 

The costs of states to deal with outbreaks in CWD in terms of resources and tax dollars are tremendous. Prevalence rates in some parts of Wisconsin are over 20 percent just 10 years after the introduction of CWD into the state, costing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources $14 million the first year alone, with much of the money pulled from other wildlife programs.

 

Furthermore, the economic impact that CWD could have on New York State is considerable. Based on the most recent data, New York’s wild deer herds have a $780.5 million economic impact in the state, while the economic impact of captive deer is $13.2 million. There are an estimated 823,000 hunting licenses in New York and the state ranks third in the nation in residential hunters. In 2011, New York was fourth in the nation in spending by hunters and generated an estimated $290 million in state and local taxes.

 

According to the latest data, there are 433 facilities across New York State that currently hold captive deer. Of these facilities, 25 imported a total of 400 CWD-susceptible deer from January 1, 2011 through March 29, 2013.

 

New York will still permit the importation of deer semen for artificial insemination. Zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums will also be allowed to still import CWD-susceptible species.

 

Bruce L. Akey, MS DVM, executive director, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, said: "The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) includes internationally recognized experts on the transmission of disease and the ecology of diseases in wildlife populations. Chronic Wasting Disease is a serious threat to New York's wild white-tailed deer herd. With recent confirmation of CWD in Pennsylvania, our disease specialists are very concerned that CWD may once again be detected in New York. It is entirely appropriate that New York's regulatory agencies, the Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation, take all reasonable measures to keep CWD out of New York. Given that there is no test currently available to detect CWD in live animals prior to movement, strong prevention measures are the only reasonable and economical way of managing CWD. Once CWD is confirmed in a population of white-tailed deer, the ecological and economic consequences will be catastrophic. We applaud the recent regulation prohibiting the importation of live captive white-tailed deer, the highest known risk factor for CWD."

 

Chuck Parker, president, New York State Conservation Council, said: “The New York State Conservation Council takes pride in being a major voice for the Sportsmen in New York for over 80 years. All of our positions and policies are the majority consensus of our membership. The voting representatives of the NYSCC through the affiliations of their local clubs represent upwards of 330,000 sportsmen in this state. The whitetail deer population in New York is enjoyed by sportsmen and outdoor enthusiast alike. The tradition of hunting has a proud history in New York and still offers an excellent opportunity for the sportsmen today. Along with the opportunity to hunt deer comes the economic impact to the state of nearly $800 million from deer hunting. Chronic Wasting Disease, if it was to be found in our wild deer population would create a serious environmental, recreational, and economic impact in New York. The New York State Conservation Council is strongly committed to supporting actions both by the Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure that Chronic Wasting Disease never again is found in New York.”

 

Jason Kemper, chairman of the Conservation Fund Advisory Board, said: “The New York State Conservation Fund Advisory Board makes recommendations to state agencies on state government plans, policies, and programs affecting fish and wildlife. The wild white-tail deer population is extremely valuable to the State of New York, generating about $780 million annually by hunting and associated businesses. License sales associated with deer hunting fund a majority of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s fish and wildlife management programs. The health and integrity of New York’s wild deer herd is vital to both our natural and hunting heritage as well as our economy. We applaud actions taken by the Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation to implement all reasonable measures to prevent CWD from ever again occurring in New York.”

 

Mike Fishman, president of the New York Chapter of The Wildlife Society, said: "The New York Chapter of The Wildlife Society strongly supports the joint regulatory efforts of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to restrict the import of live, captive deer and other cervids to New York to prevent the reintroduction of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD poses a significant threat to our wild deer populations. Reintroduction of the disease could have disastrous consequences on an important ecological and economic resource in New York. This restriction is a necessary conservation measure to protect a very important wildlife resource."

 

Alan White, executive director of the Catskill Center, said: “The Catskill Center supports efforts by both the Department of Agriculture and Markets, and the Department of Environmental Conservation to reduce the chances that CWD would ever again be found in New York State. We support the newly proposed regulation to prohibit the importation of live captive white-tailed deer from out of state. These captive deer are a known risk factor for the spread of CWD. Deer hunting has deep and rich traditions in the Catskill Mountains, and it is vital that we ensure that the health of New York’s wild white-tailed deer herd is not compromised by CWD.” A public hearing is scheduled to discuss the emergency regulations at noon on December 19, 2013 at the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, 10B Airline Drive, Albany.

 

 


 


 

 

For Release: Tuesday, September 10, 2013

 

DEC Seeks Hunter Support to Keep Chronic Wasting Disease Out of New York

 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds hunters that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) continues to pose a potential threat to New York's wild white-tailed deer herd, and hunters should take precautions to prevent the spread of the disease. Late last year, CWD was found on a deer farm in Pennsylvania and in early 2013, CWD was confirmed in Pennsylvania's wild white-tailed deer herd.

 

"Preventing the introduction of Chronic Wasting Disease into New York is vital to protecting our deer herds and is a high priority for DEC," said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. "DEC's deer management and outreach efforts work to ensure the health of New York's deer herd and to protect the recreational and viewing opportunities deer provide. The most effective way to protect New York's deer herd is to keep CWD infectious material out of the state and hunters can play an important role in this effort."

 

CWD is a highly contagious and deadly brain and nervous system disease that affects deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. CWD is always fatal and there are no vaccines or treatment available. The agent that causes the disease is called a prion and it is virtually indestructible. Prions are found in the lymph nodes, brain and spinal tissues of infected animals, which can shed (spread) prions in their urine, saliva, and feces. Also, certain parts of dead animals remain infectious on the landscape and in the soil for many years. There is no evidence that CWD can infect humans, but DEC urges caution when handling or processing CWD susceptible animals.

 

Individuals who hunt deer, elk or moose outside of New York should be familiar with New York's CWD regulation (6 NYCRR Part 189) regarding the importation of cervid carcasses and meat back into New York before returning home. It is illegal to bring in whole carcasses from any CWD susceptible animal taken at a shooting preserve or to bring in whole carcasses from any state or province that has had CWD confirmed in wild or captive cervid herds. It is also illegal to ship the unprocessed trophy head from those preserves or CWD positive states or provinces. It is legal to import finished mounted heads, however. A person may only bring back the meat, hide and antlers, and certain parts must be removed before entering New York. A full list of prohibited parts can be found on DEC's website.

 

Before leaving to hunt out-of-state:

 

•Know the CWD status of the state or province you plan to hunt in since it can change at any time. For example, four additional states became CWD positive in 2012 (Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Pennsylvania). •If caught in possession of an illegal carcass with the prohibited parts in New York, the carcass will be confiscated and destroyed (including antlers, hide and meat). •Know if the state or province you hunt in requires CWD samples to be submitted after harvest and before you return home. •Plan accordingly for how to handle an animal if your hunt is successful. •Locate meat processors in the state or province where you are hunting ahead of time so you can get your carcass processed quickly and legally before returning to New York. •If you decide to process your own animals, de-boning or quartering deer, elk or moose is easy if you plan ahead and have proper equipment. You can find "how to" videos on the internet before you go hunting. •If you intend to have a trophy mounted, you will need to know how to prepare the hide, cape and antlers to eliminate potentially infectious CWD material. •Proper handling of wild meat and the trophy will eliminate all the prohibited parts required by New York's CWD regulation.

 

DEC recommends that hunters dispose of any cervid carcass waste, even from New York deer, into a proper waste stream either by putting butcher scrap in with household trash or otherwise ensuring it ends up in a licensed landfill. Landowners may dispose of their own deer on their property, but it is illegal in all cases for deer cutters (meat processors/butchers) and taxidermists to dispose of waste generated from their business in any way other than a landfill or rendering facility.

 

DEC also recommends that people not use real deer urine-based lures because CWD can be transmitted through infected deer urine. Deer urine, used in commercial lures or scents, originates from captive deer on deer farms. In many cases, the urine from multiple deer farms is combined for commercial use. If there are CWD prions in the urine-based product it can contaminate the soil and potentially spread CWD to deer in that hunting area. If healthy animals ingest enough infectious CWD material, it could result in the establishment or spread of the disease. There are proven synthetic deer lure alternatives available on the market.

 

Every year hunters in New York are found in possession of deer or other cervid carcasses taken out-of-state. Many of these were imported illegally. Bringing in animals from CWD positive states or provinces and discarding the scrap on the landscape increases the risk that CWD will become re-established in New York.

 

This disease threatens the deer herd for every hunter and could jeopardize the quality of the hunting experience forever. In some states where the disease is well established, deer herds are experiencing infection rates as high as 50 percent in older age bucks and nearly 30 percent in the overall herd. New York is fortunate that CWD was not verified in any additional deer since the initial discovery in Oneida County in 2005. DEC remains vigilant about keeping CWD out of the state and continues to monitor the latest science about the disease to help keep New York's herds healthy.

 

For more information about CWD and the latest news on the disease, visit the DEC's website or the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance's web site in the right column.

 

 


 

 

For Release: Friday, February 1, 2013

 

DEC Adopts Chronic Wasting Disease Regulations in Response to Pennsylvania Discovery

 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has adopted changes to its Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) regulations that prohibit people from importing into New York state certain parts of white-tailed deer or elk taken in the state of Pennsylvania, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. This revision finalizes the emergency rule implemented last October.

 

The first case of CWD in the state of Pennsylvania was confirmed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture last fall. In response, DEC implemented an emergency rule to protect New York's valuable wild white-tail deer population by prohibiting the importation of the following parts of hunter-killed deer or elk taken in Pennsylvania: brain, eyes, spinal cord, tonsils, intestinal tract, spleen or retropharyngeal lymph nodes.

 

"As is the case with many other states where CWD has been identified, hunters who take a deer or elk in Pennsylvania must remove the prohibited parts before entering New York state," DEC Commissioner Martens said. "Most successful hunters will opt to butcher a deer or elk and put the meat in a cooler before traveling back to New York."

 

DEC has conducted an extensive surveillance program since CWD was first confirmed in New York in 2005 and has not discovered any additional cases of CWD since then. CWD is a contagious neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose. It causes a characteristic spongy degeneration of the brains of infected animals resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and death.

 

It is not known exactly how CWD is transmitted. The infectious agent may be passed from animal to animal through feces, urine or saliva. The minimal incubation period between infection and development of the clinical disease appears to be about 16 months. The maximum incubation period is unknown, as is the point at which shedding of the CWD agent begins during the prolonged course of infection.

 

The movement of infectious material may be one route of transmission. This amendment to the CWD regulations will prohibit the importation of those parts of a deer or elk where the disease is most likely to be found. While the exact health risks of consuming meat from an animal infected with CWD are unknown, DEC advises hunters not to consume the meat of any animal that acts abnormal and to exercise precautions when butchering animals, such as using rubber or latex gloves.

 

Additional information about CWD and New York's CWD Regulation can be found on DEC's website.

 

 


 

 

 

PART 189: CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE

 


 

 

Status of CWD

 

No new Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) cases have been identified in New York since 2005.

 

CWD Timeline in New York

 

Below are details on the initiation of DEC's CWD surveillance program, information on the first case of CWD in New York and actions taken by DEC to minimize its spread.

 

2002

 

•New York initiated a statewide CWD surveillance program in response to the first detection of the disease in western states of North America.

 

2003

 

•DEC initiated Part 189: Chronic Wasting Disease regulations to reduce the risk of bringing the disease into New York and to minimize its spread if it was detected in our state.

 

2005

 

•In early April, the first case of CWD was confirmed in five white-tailed deer from two captive breeding facilities in Oneida County. •After detection, a containment area was imposed around the infected area in Madison and Oneida counties (Wildlife Management Unit 6P), with a mandatory deer check for harvested deer. •An intensive monitoring program was established by DEC to sample deer in the infected area. Monitoring efforts for the month of April resulted in testing 290 deer samples from Oneida County, 2 from Madison County and 25 from Hamilton County. •In late April, two wild white-tailed deer were confirmed to have CWD within the infected area.

 

2009

 

•Mandatory testing of deer from the Oneida/Madison county containment area ended, with routine testing to continue statewide.

 

2010

 

•More than 31,000 wild white-tailed deer were tested statewide from 2002 through 2010. •In July, the Oneida/Madison containment area was lifted as no new cases of CWD were detected

 

 


 

 

 

2005 CWD NEW YORK

 

 

Published Date: 2005-03-31 23:50:00

 

Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Chronic wasting disease, cervids - USA (NY)

 

Archive Number: 20050331.0932

 

CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE, CERVIDS - USA (NEW YORK)

 

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A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>

 

ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

 

Date: 31 Mar 2005

 

From: Kristine Brown brownkr@michigan.gov

 

Source: NY Dept. of Agriculture press release [edited]

 


 

Positive Case of CWD Found in Oneida County Deer

 

Mandatory Testing Protocols Find CWD in a Captive White-Tailed Doe

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

The 1st positive case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in New York State has been confirmed in a white-tailed doe from a captive herd in Oneida County. CWD is a transmissible disease that affects the brain and central nervous system of deer and elk. There is no evidence that CWD is linked to disease in humans or domestic livestock other than deer and elk.

 

The animal that tested positive for CWD was a 6-year-old white-tailed doe that was slaughtered from a captive herd in Oneida County as part of the State's mandatory CWD surveillance and testing protocols. Preliminary tests performed at the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University determined the presumptive positive, which was confirmed late yesterday by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has officially quarantined the index herd in which the positive deer was found, and will depopulate and test all deer on the premises. Other herds associated with the index herd have also been quarantined and an investigation has been initiated to find and test any susceptible deer that came into contact with the index herd and to assess the health and environmental risks associated with such establishments. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will conduct intensive monitoring of the wild deer population surrounding the index herd to ensure CWD has not spread to wild deer.

 

CWD is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of deer and elk. Scientific and epidemiological research into CWD is ongoing. To date, research shows that the disease is typified by chronic weight loss, is always fatal, and is transmissible between susceptible species. CWD has only been found in members of the deer family in North America, which include white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose.

 

CWD has been detected in both wild and captive deer and elk populations in isolated regions of North America. To date, CWD has been found in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming in the United States, and in Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada.

 

Establishing the known CWD health status of captive and wild cervid populations is a critical component for controlling CWD. In New York, the responsibility for controlling CWD is shared between the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, DEC, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

 

New York's cooperative, active surveillance program serves as a model for the nation in CWD control. The State Department of Agriculture and Markets monitors the health and movement of all captive deer and elk for the presence of common livestock diseases, including CWD. In July 2004, the Department initiated the CWD Enhanced Surveillance and Monitoring Program, which requires captive deer and elk herd owners to take various actions, including routine sampling and testing, animal identification and an annual herd inventory. Since the inception of testing for CWD in 2000, 681 captive deer and elk have been tested and found negative for CWD. DEC issues licenses to individuals who possess, import or sell white-tailed deer. DEC also routinely tests New York's wild deer population. Following the discovery of CWD in Wisconsin, DEC implemented a statewide surveillance program in April 2002 to test wild white-tailed deer for the presence of CWD. Samples are collected and sent to an approved USDA laboratory for analysis. To date, DEC has taken samples from 3457 wild white-tailed deer, including 40 from the county where the positive deer was found. All samples from wild white-tailed deer have tested to date have been negative for CWD. DEC will also implement precautionary regulations limiting transportation and possession of whole carcasses and some parts of wild deer taken near the location of the captive herd. These regulations will be similar to those currently in place for importation of carcasses and parts of deer into New York.

 

DEC has also implemented regulations restricting various activities to help control CWD within the State, including restrictions on the importation of live deer and elk, deer feeding, importation and possession of certain deer parts and carcasses, and transportation of deer and elk carcasses through New York State.

 

USDA APHIS supports individual State programs by providing funding for CWD prevention and surveillance. USDA APHIS reimburses states conducting CWD testing on their wild and captive cervid population and also provides indemnification dollars for captive herds that must be destroyed due to the presence of CWD.

 

New York State has 433 establishments raising 9600 deer and elk in captivity. In the wild, DEC estimates there are approximately one million deer statewide.

 

--

 

Kristine Brown

 

Laboratory Technician

 

Wildlife Disease Laboratory

 

Wildlife Division

 

Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources

 

brownkr@michigan.gov

 

[This is the 1st time CWD has been found in New York State. This is a blow to the NY cervid industry. Undoubtedly, in addition to the actions identified in the press release, NY will be examining how the positive deer came to be in New York State. Was the animal imported from a previously positive region? Was this a case of spontaneous disease? The officials will be conducting a very thorough investigation. - Mod.TG]

 

[ProMEd-mail thanks to A-lan Banks and Terry S. Singeltary Sr. for submitting newswires covering this topic. - Mod.MPP]

 

See Also

 

Chronic wasting disease update 2005 (02) 20050201.0346

 

Chronic wasting disease update 2005 20050131.0337 2004

 

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Chronic wasting disease update 2004 (05) 20041218.3338

 

Chronic wasting disease update 2004 (04) 20041212.3290 ...................tg/pg/mpp

 

 


 

 

Published Date: 2005-05-05 23:50:00

 

Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Chronic wasting disease, cervids - USA (NY)(05)

 

Archive Number: 20050505.1241

 

 CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE, CERVIDS - USA (NEW YORK)(05)

 

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A ProMED-mail ipost

 


 

ProMED-mail, a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

 

Date: 4 May 2005

 

From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.

 

Source: Official News release, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation [edited]

 


 

 The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today announced that it has received the remainder of test results for chronic wasting disease (CWD) that were part of intensive sampling efforts in central New York. DEC has received 2 positive results for the disease out of 292 wild deer sampled.

 

The 1st positive result in a wild deer was announced on 27 Apr 2005, and came from a yearling white-tailed deer sampled from the Town of Verona, Oneida County. The 2nd positive result is from a 3-year-old doe (female), located within a mile of the location where the initial positive result was detected. The sample tissues were tested at the State's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University. These are the 1st known occurrences of CWD in wild deer in New York State. DEC implemented intensive monitoring efforts after CWD was found in 2 captive white-tailed deer herds in Oneida County, the 1st incidents of CWD in New York State. On 8 Apr 2005, the State Department of Agriculture and Markets (DAM) completed testing of the captive deer and found a total of 5 positive results for CWD in the 2 captive herds.

 

DEC, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services program, completed intensive monitoring on 30 Apr 2005. The effort resulted in 290 samples of wild deer from Oneida County, 2 from neighboring Madison County, and 25 wild deer from the Town of Arietta, Hamilton County. Since 2002, DEC has conducted statewide sampling of wild deer for CWD. When combined with sampling efforts in Oneida and Hamilton Counties, DEC has collected more than 3700 samples from wild white-tailed deer.

 

DEC and DAM will continue public outreach to interested parties in central New York to help educate citizens on CWD and to discuss next steps to be taken. The agencies will hold a public meeting on Thu 12 May 2005, at 7 p.m. in the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School Auditorium, located on State Highway 31 in the Town of Verona. In addition, DEC and DAM will conduct additional outreach and continue to aggressively pursue inspection and enforcement across the State. DAM continues to investigate, sample and test white-tailed deer from 2 captive herds directly associated with the 2 herds that were confirmed positive for CWD in Oneida County. Results for these sampling efforts will be announced when available.

 

Statewide sampling for CWD -- which has resulted in more than 1000 tests each year -- will be increased to closely monitor the distribution and prevalence of CWD in wild deer. In addition, DEC has implemented emergency regulations regarding the handling, transport and management of deer in the State. The emergency regulations are currently in effect and represent an aggressive response to the recent discovery of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Oneida County. DEC's emergency regulations are designed to ensure the proper handling of deer and prevent further spread of CWD in the wild herd. The emergency regulations are effective for 90 days. In addition, DEC will begin the process of developing permanent regulations, which will appear in the State Register and include a 45-day public comment period.

 

CWD is a transmissible disease that affects the brain and central nervous system of certain deer and elk. There is no evidence that CWD is linked to disease in humans or domestic livestock other than deer and elk. More information on CWD can be found at DEC's website at <http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/deer/currentcwd.html> For more information contact: Michael Fraser (518) 402-8000 #05-48 --

 

ProMED-mail

 


 

 

See Also

 

Chronic wasting disease, cervids - USA (NY)(04) 20050428.1187

 

Chronic wasting disease, cervids - USA (NY) (03): human exposure 20050409.1028

 

Chronic wasting disease, cervids - USA (NY)(02) 20050402.0952

 

Chronic wasting disease, cervids - USA (NY) 20050331.0932

 

.............................tg/pg/jw

 

 

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*** PRION2013 CONGRESSIONAL ABSTRACTS CWD ***

 

 

CWD POTENTIAL TRANSMISSION TO HUMANS SCIENCE

 

 

PRION2013 CONGRESSIONAL ABSTRACTS CWD

 

 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

 

HD.13: CWD infection in the spleen of humanized transgenic mice

 

Liuting Qing and Qingzhong Kong

 

Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, OH USA

 

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a widespread prion disease in free-ranging and captive cervid species in North America, and there is evidence suggesting the existence of multiple CWD strains. The susceptibility of human CNS and peripheral organs to the various CWD prion strains remains largely unclear. Current literature suggests that the classical CWD strain is unlikely to infect human brain, but the potential for peripheral infection by CWD in humans is unknown. We detected protease-resistant PrpSc in the spleens of a few humanized transgenic mice that were intracerebrally inoculated with natural CWD isolates, but PrpSc was not detected in the brains of any of the CWD-inoculated mice. Our ongoing bioassays in humanized Tg mice indicate that intracerebral challenge with such PrpSc-positive humanized mouse spleen already led to prion disease in most animals.

 

***These results indicate that the CWD prion may have the potential to infect human peripheral lymphoid tissues.

 

Oral.15: Molecular barriers to zoonotic prion transmission: Comparison of the ability of sheep, cattle and deer prion disease isolates to convert normal human prion protein to its pathological isoform in a cell-free system

 

Marcelo A.Barria,1 Aru Balachandran,2 Masanori Morita,3 Tetsuyuki Kitamoto,4 Rona Barron,5 Jean Manson,5 Richard Kniqht,1 James W. lronside1 and Mark W. Head1

 

1National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences; School of Clinical Sciences; The University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh, UK; 2National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD; Canadian Food Inspection Agency; Ottawa Laboratory; Fallowfield. ON Canada; 3Infectious Pathogen Research Section; Central Research Laboratory; Japan Blood Products Organization; Kobe, Japan; 4Department of Neurological Science; Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine; Sendai. Japan; 5Neurobiology Division; The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian; Edinburgh, UK

 

Background. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a known zoonotic prion disease, resulting in variant Creurzfeldt- Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans. In contrast, classical scrapie in sheep is thought to offer little or no danger to human health. However, a widening range of prion diseases have been recognized in cattle, sheep and deer. The risks posed by individual animal prion diseases to human health cannot be determined a priori and are difficult to assess empirically. The fundamemal event in prion disease pathogenesis is thought to be the seeded conversion of normal prion protein (PrPC) to its pathological isoform (PrPSc). Here we report the use of a rapid molecular conversion assay to test whether brain specimens from different animal prion diseases are capable of seeding the conversion of human PrPC ro PrPSc.

 

Material and Methods. Classical BSE (C-type BSE), H-type BSE, L-type BSE, classical scrapie, atypical scrapie, chronic wasting disease and vCJD brain homogenates were tested for their ability to seed conversion of human PrPC to PrPSc in protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) reactions. Newly formed human PrPSc was detected by protease digestion and western blotting using the antibody 3F4.

 

Results. C-type BSE and vCJD were found to efficiently convert PrPC to PrPSc. Scrapie failed to convert human PrPC to PrPSc. Of the other animal prion diseases tested only chronic wasting disease appeared to have the capability ro convert human PrPC to PrPSc. The results were consistent whether the human PrPC came from human brain, humanised transgenic mouse brain or from cultured human cells and the effect was more pronounced for PrPC with methionine at codon 129 compared with that with valine.

 

Conclusion. Our results show that none of the tested animal prion disease isolates are as efficient as C-type BSE and vCJD in converting human prion protein in this in vitro assay.

 

***However, they also show that there is no absolute barrier ro conversion of human prion protein in the case of chronic wasting disease.

 

 

PRION2013 CONGRESSIONAL ABSTRACTS CWD

 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

 

***Chronic Wasting Disease CWD risk factors, humans, domestic cats, blood, and mother to offspring transmission

 


 

 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

 

*** As Chronic Wasting Disease CWD rises in deer herd, what about risk for humans?

 


 

 

PRION2013 CONGRESSIONAL ABSTRACTS CWD

 

 

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

 

Mother to Offspring Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE prion disease

 


 

 

Thursday, August 08, 2013

 

Characterization of the first case of naturally occurring chronic wasting disease in a captive red deer (Cervus elaphus) in North America

 


 

 

Wednesday, September 04, 2013

 

***cwd - cervid captive livestock escapes, loose and on the run in the wild...

 


 

 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

 

Review and Updates of the USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services (VS) National Chronice Wasting Disease (CWD) Program 2012-2013

 


 

 

Sunday, September 01, 2013

 

hunting over gut piles and CWD TSE prion disease

 


 

 

THIS IS NOT GOOD...

 

 

Uptake of Prions into Plants

 


 

 

Prion2013

 

Friday, August 09, 2013

 

***CWD TSE prion, plants, vegetables, and the potential for environmental contamination

 


 

 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

 

The New Hornographers: The Fight Over the Future of Texas Deer, Captive shooting pens, and the CWD TSE prion disease

 


 

 

 

Thursday, October 03, 2013

 

TAHC ADOPTS CWD RULE THAT the amendments _REMOVE_ the requirement for a specific fence height for captives

 

Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) ANNOUNCEMENT October 3, 2013

 


 

 

 

TEXAS CWD STATUS 2001 – 2002 email snips to TAHC...tss

 

 

Captive Cervids

 

There have been no reported CWD infections of captive elk or deer in Texas. There is currently no mandatory surveillance program for susceptible cervids kept on game farms, although, there has been voluntary surveillance since 1999, which requires owners of participating herds to maintain an annual herd inventory and submit samples for all mortalities of animals over 16 months of age.

 

snip...

 

SO, i thought i would just see where these Ecoregions were, and just how the CWD testing was distributed. YOU would think that with the cluster of CWD bordering TEXAS at the WPMR in NM, you would have thought this would be where the major CWD testing samples were to have been taken? wrong! let's have a look at the sample testing. here is map of CWD in NM WPMR bordering TEXAS;

 

 

 

NEW MEXICO 7 POSITIVE CWD WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE MAP

 


 

 

 

NEXT, let's have a look at the overall distribution of CWD in Free-Ranging Cervids and see where the CWD cluster in NM WSMR borders TEXAS;

 

Current Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in Free-Ranging Cervids

 


 

 

 

NOW, the MAP of the Exoregion where the samples were taken to test for CWD;

 

CWD SURVEILLANCE SAMPLE SUBMISSIONS TEXAS

 


 

 

Ecoregions of TEXAS

 


 

 

IF you look at the area around the NM WSMR where the CWD cluster was and where it borders TEXAS, that ecoregion is called Trans Pecos region. Seems if my Geography and my Ciphering is correct ;-) that region only tested 55% of it's goal. THE most important area on the MAP and they only test some 96 samples, this in an area that has found some 7 positive animals? NOW if we look at the only other border where these deer from NM could cross the border into TEXAS, this area is called the High Plains ecoregion, and again, we find that the sampling for CWD was pathetic. HERE we find that only 9% of it's goal of CWD sampling was met, only 16 samples were tested from some 175 that were suppose to be sampled.

 

 

AS i said before;

 

 

> SADLY, they have not tested enough from the total population to

 

> know if CWD is in Texas or not.

 

 

BUT now, I will go one step further and state categorically that they are not trying to find it. just the opposite it seems, they are waiting for CWD to find them, as with BSE/TSE in cattle, and it will eventually...

 

snip...see full text ;

 


 

 

snip...

 

 

Monday, February 11, 2013

 

TEXAS CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD Four New Positives Found in Trans Pecos

 


 

 

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

 

Chronic Wasting Disease Detected in Far West Texas

 


 


 

 

Monday, March 26, 2012

 

Texas Prepares for Chronic Wasting Disease CWD Possibility in Far West Texas

 


 

 

Monday, March 26, 2012

 

3 CASES OF CWD FOUND NEW MEXICO MULE DEER SEVERAL MILS FROM TEXAS BORDER

 


 

 

Saturday, October 19, 2013

 

ACA Council Meets to Endorse Several Proposed USAHA Resolutions (CWD TSE PRION DISEASE)

 


 

 

 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

 

IOWA DNR EMERGENCY CONSENT ORDER IN THE MATTER OF TOM & LINDA BRAKKE D/B/A PINE RIDGE HUNTING LODGE UPDATE AUGUST 21, 2013

 


 

 

Sunday, January 06, 2013

 

USDA TO PGC ONCE CAPTIVES ESCAPE

 

*** "it‘s no longer its business.”

 


 

 

Saturday, June 29, 2013

 

PENNSYLVANIA CAPTIVE CWD INDEX HERD MATE YELLOW *47 STILL RUNNING LOOSE IN INDIANA, YELLOW NUMBER 2 STILL MISSING, AND OTHERS ON THE RUN STILL IN LOUISIANA

 


 

 

Monday, June 24, 2013

 

The Effects of Chronic Wasting Disease on the Pennsylvania Cervid Industry Following its Discovery

 


 

 

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

 

CWD GONE WILD, More cervid escapees from more shooting pens on the loose in Pennsylvania

 


 

 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

 

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD quarantine Louisiana via CWD index herd Pennsylvania Update May 28, 2013

 

6 doe from Pennsylvania CWD index herd still on the loose in Louisiana, quarantine began on October 18, 2012, still ongoing, Lake Charles premises.

 


 

 

October 16, 2013

 

Pennsylvania Adjusts CWD Rules

 


 

 

Monday, October 07, 2013

 

The importance of localized culling in stabilizing chronic wasting disease prevalence in white-tailed deer populations

 


 

 

Monday, October 21, 2013

 

Current CWD Status WHHCC Meeting – 5-6 February 2013

 


 

 

 

MAD COW TESTING ONLY CATCHES SOME MAD COWS

 

 

SPREADING IT ALL AROUND

 

Saturday, October 19, 2013

 

***A comparative study of modified confirmatory techniques and additional immuno-based methods for non-conclusive autolytic Bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases

 


 

 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

 

Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations BSE TSE PRION 2013

 


 

 

Wednesday, October 09, 2013

 

WHY THE UKBSEnvCJD ONLY THEORY IS SO POPULAR IN IT'S FALLACY, £41,078,281 in compensation REVISED

 


 

 

Thursday, October 10, 2013

 

*** CJD REPORT 1994 increased risk for consumption of veal and venison and lamb ***

 


 

 

Monday, October 14, 2013

 

Researchers estimate one in 2,000 people in the UK carry variant CJD proteins

 


 

 

Sunday, August 11, 2013

 

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease CJD cases rising North America updated report August 2013

 

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease CJD cases rising North America with Canada seeing an extreme increase of 48% between 2008 and 2010

 


 

 

Friday, August 16, 2013

 

*** Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) biannual update August 2013 U.K. and Contaminated blood products induce a highly atypical prion disease devoid of PrPres in primates

 


 

 

Sunday, September 08, 2013

 

Iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease via surgical instruments and decontamination possibilities for the TSE prion

 


 

 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

 

Cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of surface prion contamination

 


 

 

 

*** The potential impact of prion diseases on human health was greatly magnified by the recognition that interspecies transfer of BSE to humans by beef ingestion resulted in vCJD. While changes in animal feed constituents and slaughter practices appear to have curtailed vCJD, there is concern that CWD of free-ranging deer and elk in the U.S. might also cross the species barrier. Thus, consuming venison could be a source of human prion disease. Whether BSE and CWD represent interspecies scrapie transfer or are newly arisen prion diseases is unknown. Therefore, the possibility of transmission of prion disease through other food animals cannot be ruled out. There is evidence that vCJD can be transmitted through blood transfusion. There is likely a pool of unknown size of asymptomatic individuals infected with vCJD, and there may be asymptomatic individuals infected with the CWD equivalent. These circumstances represent a potential threat to blood, blood products, and plasma supplies.

 

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