Friday, May 30, 2025

Oklahoma Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE 2025 Update

Oklahoma Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE 2025 Update

***Oklahoma CWD TSE Prion 2025
Oklahoma deer hunters may have heard about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) afflicting deer and elk in other states. CWD is a neurological disease that affects the brains of deer, elk, moose, and other members of the deer family, creating holes that resemble those in sponges. It is always fatal to the animal, and no treatment or vaccine against CWD exists at this time. CWD has been confirmed in wild deer and/or elk in Oklahoma and surrounding states including Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas.

In 1998, CWD was confirmed in a captive elk herd in Oklahoma County which had originally been imported from Montana. The U.S. Department of Agriculture euthanized that herd to decrease the threat of the disease spreading into the surrounding free-ranging deer herd. Subsequent testing outside of the enclosure did not locate any positive animals. In April 2019, CWD was confirmed in one farmed Oklahoma elk in Lincoln County. ODWC announced it would step up surveillance in areas adjacent to the breeding facility. 

In 2022, the Wildlife Department was notified by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) of a road-killed deer infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) found 2.5 miles south of the Oklahoma-Texas border near Felt, Okla., in southwestern Cimarron County. With the proximity of this infected deer to Oklahoma's border, ODWC activated its CWD Response Strategy. This includes the designation of Selective Surveillance Areas (SSA). 

ATTENTION Cimarron, Texas, Woodward, Major, and Woods County Hunters Two CWD-positive cases were confirmed in recent months in Oklahoma: one in Texas County about 4 miles north of Optima Wildlife Management Area, and another about 15 miles east of Woodward.

ODWC’s response plan in cooperation with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is to contain CWD within areas where it is detected and to minimize its artificial spread to other areas by establishing selective surveillance areas (SSA).

Previously, ODWC was notified by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) of a road-killed deer infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) found 2.5 miles south of the Oklahoma-Texas border near Felt, Okla., in southwestern Cimarron County.

https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/hunting/resources/deer/cwd/ssa

In 2023, Oklahoma's first case of CWD was confirmed in a free-ranging wild deer in Texas County. ODWC has conducted CWD monitoring on hunter-harvested deer and road-killed deer and elk since 1999. This case marks the first time the disease has been detected in laboratory testing of tissue samples from more than 10,000 wild deer and elk throughout Oklahoma.

ODWC takes disease issues very seriously because of the potential effects on the state’s rich hunting traditions, human health concerns, the risk to natural resources, and the $1.2 billion impact hunting has on our state's economy annually. ODWC’s primary objective is to minimize the risk to Oklahoma's wild deer, elk, and other susceptible cervids within our borders.  

ODWC is reviewing and updating its response strategy in response to new scientific research and the disease's closer proximity to our state. ODWC is also coordinating with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, and other agencies to monitor the state’s captive cervid herds and provide information to the public as it becomes available.

Importation of Cervid Carcasses or Carcass Parts

No person shall import, transport, or possess any cervid carcass or part of a cervid carcass from outside the boundaries of Oklahoma. The following items are the only exceptions:

  • Antlers or antlers attached to clean skull plate or cleaned skulls (all tissue removed);
  • Animal quarters containing no spinal materials or meat with all parts of the spinal column removed;
  • Cleaned teeth;
  • Finished taxidermy products;
  • Hides or tanned products.

ODWC continues to monitor and test for the presence of CWD. A total of 79 wild deer were sampled and tested for CWD in conjunction with the 2017 herd health evaluations. CWD was not detected in any of the samples. Most recently, as part of the 2018 herd health evaluations, 42 samples were collected and submitted to Colorado State University for testing. None of those samples tested positive for the disease. Testing is expected to continue into future years.

CWD was first detected in captive mule deer in Colorado in 1967. It is a slow-progressing disease with a long time lag between becoming infected and showing outward symptoms.  Infected animals begin to lose weight, lose their appetite and develop an insatiable thirst. They tend to separate from their herds, walk in repetitive patterns, stumble or tremble, carry their head low, salivate, urinate frequently, and grind their teeth.

The disease spreads when animals are in close contact, but also when animals contact soil that contains prions (protein particles) from urine, feces, saliva, or an infected animal’s carcass.

CWD transmission to humans or livestock has not been documented. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, as a precaution, that people or animals do not eat any part of an animal diagnosed with or showing signs of CWD.

Oklahoma CWD 2025 Test Results
Select CWD surveillance map
Deadly chronic wasting disease discovered in Oklahoma’s wild deer herd 
Wildlife officials working to stop spread, urge hunters to drop off meat samples for testing 
BY: ED GODFREY - NOVEMBER 22, 2023 5:30 AM
 Mule deer seem to be more susceptible to chronic wasting disease than white-tailed deer, according to biologists. Oklahoma has mule deer in the far western parts of the state. (Photo by Ed Godfrey/For Oklahoma Voice) The first appearance of chronic wasting disease in Oklahoma’s wild, free-ranging deer population is threatening the health of its herd.
“We’ve only had two confirmed cases in the state, one in Texas (County) and one in Woodward County,” said Dallas Barber, big game biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
“It’s a disease that is very slow to develop, but once it gets its hooks into an area it is something that is not possible to eradicate,” he said.
Oklahoma has an estimated 750,000 wild deer.
Even though it’s only been confirmed in two deer in the northwest Oklahoma, Rod Hall, state veterinarian with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, thinks it’s likely more deer in Oklahoma have chronic wasting disease.
“I suspect we have it in other parts of the state, too,” Hall said. “They just haven’t found it.”
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a slow-progressing, neurological disease that is almost always fatal in deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. CWD is related to “mad cow disease” and attacks the brain. Animals can be infected and spread the disease long before they show symptoms.
It is often called zombie deer disease, although Hall said scientists don’t like to call it that because the description instills fear in people. 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that deer taken by hunters from an area where chronic wasting disease is present be tested before consuming the meat. There is no evidence the disease can be transmitted from deer and elk to humans or livestock.
Deer hunting is big business in Oklahoma with a total economic impact of $600 million, according to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
The agency earned more than $7 million from the sale of deer licenses alone the last fiscal year, and that doesn’t include the sale of general hunting licenses which are also required. 
Last season, Oklahoma hunters killed a record 134,158 deer during all hunting seasons, which include archery, youth, muzzleloader, gun and special antlerless seasons.
“Chronic wasting disease is one of the greatest threats facing deer, elk and moose populations across the country, jeopardizing hunting opportunities, ecosystems and our nation’s outdoor economy,” said Mike Leahy, director for wildlife, hunting and fishing policy for the National Wildlife Federation.
State wildlife officials have been testing for the disease since the late ‘90s. It was previously discovered in Oklahoma in two private elk herds which had to be euthanized.
The disease spreads through bodily fluids when animals are in close contact, but also when animals contact soil that contains prions (protein particles) from urine, feces, saliva or an infected animal’s carcass.
“If you have a deer that is shedding infectious material on the landscape, it could remain active in that spot for years,” said Barber, the biologist. 
Animals infected with CWD eventually lose weight, lose their appetite and develop an insatiable thirst. They tend to separate from their herd and behave erratically. 
CWD has been documented in 30 states and Canada. Every state bordering Oklahoma has animals infected with the disease, and the first cases in Oklahoma’s free-ranging wild deer were found last summer when the Wildlife Department received reports of sick deer.
As a result of the two confirmed cases, the Wildlife Department established a surveillance area in northwest Oklahoma where they have increased monitoring for CWD and created sites where hunters can drop off deer samples for testing. There are also special rules for transporting deer carcasses from the area.
“We are just trying to slow the human-aided movement of those prions,” Barber said.
Some western states have seen significant decline in mule deer populations as a result of CWD, Barber said.
“Science is showing that mule deer are more susceptible to the disease,” he said.
Oklahoma is home to a few mule deer in the far western portion of the state, but the state’s deer herd is predominately whitetails.
Hall attended an international symposium on CWD in Minnesota earlier this year. 
“I came away from that (symposium) with the impression, especially in whitetail deer, the disease is probably not going to have a real drastic impact on the number of deer we have in Oklahoma,” Hall said.
If CWD does become entrenched in Oklahoma, Hall said he believes the numbers of deer dying from it will go up but “it is such a slow-spreading disease, I think it is not going to have a drastic effect on the population.
“Now if we are talking about mule deer or elk, it could potentially have a more drastic effect. I think we could see a small decrease in the (whitetail deer) population but my gut feeling is it is not going to just decimate the native whitetails in Oklahoma.”
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is responsible for monitoring CWD in captive deer and elk herds in the state. There are 110 farms in Oklahoma with captive herds, but only 13 are required to test for the disease because animals are transported across state lines, Hall said.
Any death of a captive deer or elk over one year old on farms that do business out of state has to have the animal tested, he said.
Barber said Arkansas has high prevalence rates of CWD in a couple of corners of the state. Kansas also has one hot spot, while the CWD cases in Texas are sporadic across the state, he said.
All Oklahoma can do is keep monitoring for CWD and try to keep it contained as best as possible, Barber said.
“We don’t know where it is at all together,” he said. “We just have two little dots on a map. We will know more as we start testing more from that area.”
“CWD transmission to humans or livestock has not been documented. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, as a precaution, that people or animals do not eat any part of an animal diagnosed with or showing signs of CWD.”
***> Price of TSE Prion Poker goes up substantially, all you cattle ranchers and such, better pay close attention here...terry <***
Transmission of the chronic wasting disease agent from elk to cattle after oronasal exposure
Justin Greenlee, Jifeng Bian, Zoe Lambert, Alexis Frese, and Eric Cassmann Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, Ames, IA, USA
Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the susceptibility of cattle to chronic wasting disease agent from elk.
Materials and Methods: Initial studies were conducted in bovinized mice using inoculum derived from elk with various genotypes at codon 132 (MM, LM, LL). Based upon attack rates, inoculum (10% w/v brain homogenate) from an LM132 elk was selected for transmission studies in cattle. At approximately 2 weeks of age, one wild type steer (EE211) and one steer with the E211K polymorphism (EK211) were fed 1 mL of brain homogenate in a quart of milk replacer while another 1 mL was instilled intranasally. The cattle were examined daily for clinical signs for the duration of the experiment. One steer is still under observation at 71 months post-inoculation (mpi).
Results: Inoculum derived from MM132 elk resulted in similar attack rates and incubation periods in mice expressing wild type or K211 bovine PRNP, 35% at 531 days post inoculation (dpi) and 27% at 448 dpi, respectively. Inoculum from LM132 elk had a slightly higher attack rates in mice: 45% (693 dpi) in wild type cattle PRNP and 33% (468) in K211 mice. Inoculum from LL132 elk resulted in the highest attack rate in wild type bovinized mice (53% at 625 dpi), but no K211 mice were affected at >700 days. At approximately 70 mpi, the EK211 genotype steer developed clinical signs suggestive of prion disease, depression, low head carriage, hypersalivation, and ataxia, and was necropsied. Enzyme immunoassay (IDEXX) was positive in brainstem (OD=4.00, but non-detect in retropharyngeal lymph nodes and palatine tonsil. Immunoreactivity was largely limited to the brainstem, midbrain, and cervical spinal cord with a pattern that was primarily glia-associated.
Conclusions: Cattle with the E211K polymorphism are susceptible to the CWD agent after oronasal exposure of 0.2 g of infectious material.
Funded by: This research was funded in its entirety by congressionally appropriated funds to the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. The funders of the work did not influence study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
"Cattle with the E211K polymorphism are susceptible to the CWD agent after oronasal exposure of 0.2 g of infectious material."
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Strain characterization of chronic wasting disease in bovine-PrP transgenic mice
Nuria Jerez-Garrido1, Sara Canoyra1, Natalia Fernández-Borges1, Alba Marín Moreno1, Sylvie L. Benestad2, Olivier Andreoletti3, Gordon Mitchell4, Aru Balachandran4, Juan María Torres1 and Juan Carlos Espinosa1. 1 Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain. 2 Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Ås, Norway. 3 UMR Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)/École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), Interactions Hôtes Agents Pathogènes, Toulouse, France. 4 Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Canada.
Aims: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious prion disease that affects cervids. Various CWD prion strains have been identified in different cervid species from North America and Europe. The properties of the infectious prion strains are influenced by amino acid changes and polymorphisms in the PrP sequences of different cervid species. This study, aimed to assess the ability of a panel of CWD prion isolates from diverse cervid species from North America and Europe to infect bovine species, as well as to investigate the properties of the prion strains following the adaptation to the bovine-PrP context.
Materials and Methods: BoPrP-Tg110 mice overexpressing the bovine-PrP sequence were inoculated by intracranial route with a panel of CWD prion isolates from both North America (two white-tailed deer and two elk) and Europe (one reindeer, one moose and one red deer).
Results: Our results show distinct behaviours in the transmission of the CWD isolates to the BoPrP-Tg110 mouse model. Some of these isolates did not transmit even after the second passage. Those able to transmit displayed differences in terms of attack rate, survival times, biochemical properties of brain PrPres, and histopathology.
Conclusions: Altogether, these results exhibit the diversity of CWD strains present in the panel of CWD isolates and the ability of at least some CWD isolates to infect bovine species. Cattle being one of the most important farming species, this ability represents a potential threat to both animal and human health, and consequently deserves further study.
Funded by: MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and by European Union NextGeneration EU/PRTR
Grant number: PCI2020-120680-2 ICRAD
"Altogether, these results exhibit the diversity of CWD strains present in the panel of CWD isolates and the ability of at least some CWD isolates to infect bovine species. Cattle being one of the most important farming species, this ability represents a potential threat to both animal and human health, and consequently deserves further study."
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cwd scrapie pigs oral routes
***> However, at 51 months of incubation or greater, 5 animals were positive by one or more diagnostic methods. Furthermore, positive bioassay results were obtained from all inoculated groups (oral and intracranial; market weight and end of study) suggesting that swine are potential hosts for the agent of scrapie. <***
>*** Although the current U.S. feed ban is based on keeping tissues from TSE infected cattle from contaminating animal feed, swine rations in the U.S. could contain animal derived components including materials from scrapie infected sheep and goats. These results indicating the susceptibility of pigs to sheep scrapie, coupled with the limitations of the current feed ban, indicates that a revision of the feed ban may be necessary to protect swine production and potentially human health. <***
***> Results: PrPSc was not detected by EIA and IHC in any RPLNs. All tonsils and MLNs were negative by IHC, though the MLN from one pig in the oral <6 month group was positive by EIA. PrPSc was detected by QuIC in at least one of the lymphoid tissues examined in 5/6 pigs in the intracranial <6 months group, 6/7 intracranial >6 months group, 5/6 pigs in the oral <6 months group, and 4/6 oral >6 months group. Overall, the MLN was positive in 14/19 (74%) of samples examined, the RPLN in 8/18(44%), and the tonsil in 10/25 (40%).
***> Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PrPSc accumulates in lymphoid tissues from pigs challenged intracranially or orally with the CWD agent, and can be detected as early as 4 months after challenge. CWD-infected pigs rarely develop clinical disease and if they do, they do so after a long incubation period. This raises the possibility that CWD-infected pigs could shed prions into their environment long before they develop clinical disease. Furthermore, lymphoid tissues from CWD-infected pigs could present a potential source of CWD infectivity in the animal and human food chains.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PrPSc accumulates in lymphoid tissues from pigs challenged intracranially or orally with the CWD agent, and can be detected as early as 4 months after challenge. CWD-infected pigs rarely develop clinical disease and if they do, they do so after a long incubation period. This raises the possibility that CWD-infected pigs could shed prions into their environment long before they develop clinical disease. Furthermore, lymphoid tissues from CWD-infected pigs could present a potential source of CWD infectivity in the animal and human food chains.
Volume 31, Number 1—January 2025
Dispatch
Detection of Prions in Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) from Areas with Reported Chronic Wasting Disease Cases, United States
Paulina Soto, Francisca Bravo-Risi, Rebeca Benavente, Tucker H. Stimming, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Patrick Whitley, Clint Turnage, Terry R. Spraker, Justin Greenlee, Glenn Telling, Jennifer Malmberg, Thomas Gidlewski, Tracy Nichols, Vienna R. Brown, and Rodrigo Morales Author affiliation: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas, USA (P. Soto, F. Bravo-Risi, R. Benavente, T.H. Stimming, R. Morales); Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile (P. Soto, F. Bravo-Risi, R. Morales); US Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (M.J. Bodenchuk, P. Whitley, C. Turnage, J. Malmberg, T. Gidlewski, T. Nichols, V.R. Brown); Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (T.R. Spraker, G. Telling); US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA (J. Greenlee) Suggested citation for this article
Abstract
Using a prion amplification assay, we identified prions in tissues from wild pigs (Sus scrofa) living in areas of the United States with variable chronic wasting disease (CWD) epidemiology. Our findings indicate that scavenging swine could play a role in disseminating CWD and could therefore influence its epidemiology, geographic distribution, and interspecies spread.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of particular concern because of its uncontrolled contagious spread among various cervid species in North America (https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/distribution-chronic-wasting-disease-north-america-0External Link), its recent discovery in Nordic countries (1), and its increasingly uncertain zoonotic potential (2). CWD is the only animal prion disease affecting captive as well as wild animals. Persistent shedding of prions by CWD-affected animals and resulting environmental contamination is considered a major route of transmission contributing to spread of the disease. Carcasses of CWD-affected animals represent relevant sources of prion infectivity to multiple animal species that can develop disease or act as vectors to spread infection to new locations.
Free-ranging deer are sympatric with multiple animal species, including some that act as predators, scavengers, or both. Experimental transmissions to study the potential for interspecies CWD transmissions have been attempted in raccoons, ferrets, cattle, sheep, and North American rodents (3–7). Potential interspecies CWD transmission has also been addressed using transgenic (Tg) mice expressing prion proteins (PrP) from relevant animal species (8). Although no reports of natural interspecies CWD transmissions have been documented, experimental studies strongly suggest the possibility for interspecies transmission in nature exists (3–7). Inoculation and serial passage studies reveal the potential of CWD prions to adapt to noncervid species, resulting in emergence of novel prion strains with unpredicted features (9–11).
Wild pigs (Sus scrofa), also called feral swine, are an invasive population comprising domestic swine, Eurasian wild boar, and hybrids of the 2 species (12). Wild pig populations have become established in the United States (Appendix Figure 1, panel A), enabled by their high rates of fecundity; omnivorous and opportunistic diet; and widespread, often human-mediated movement (13). Wild pigs scavenge carcasses on the landscape and have an intimate relationship with the soil because of their routine rooting and wallowing behaviors (14). CWD prions have been experimentally transmitted to domestic pigs by intracerebral and oral exposure routes (15), which is relevant because wild pigs coexist with cervids in CWD endemic areas and reportedly prey on fawns and scavenge deer carcasses. Considering the species overlap in many parts of the United States (Appendix Figure 1, panel B), we studied potential interactions between wild pigs and CWD prions.
Snip…
Conclusions
In summary, results from this study showed that wild pigs are exposed to cervid prions, although the pigs seem to display some resistance to infection via natural exposure. Future studies should address the susceptibility of this invasive animal species to the multiple prion strains circulating in the environment. Nonetheless, identification of CWD prions in wild pig tissues indicated the potential for pigs to move prions across the landscape, which may, in turn, influence the epidemiology and geographic spread of CWD.
CDC, About Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
KEY POINTS
Chronic wasting disease affects deer, elk and similar animals in the United States and a few other countries.
The disease hasn't been shown to infect people.
However, it might be a risk to people if they have contact with or eat meat from animals infected with CWD.
https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-wasting/about/index.html
DETECTION OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE PRIONS IN PROCESSED MEATS.
Abstract
The zoonotic potential of chronic wasting disease (CWD) remains unknown. Currently, there are no known natural cases of CWD transmission to humans but increasing evidence suggests that the host range of CWD is not confined only to cervid species. Alarmingly, recent experimental evidence suggests that certain CWD isolates can induce disease in non-human primates. While the CDC strongly recommends determining CWD status in animals prior to consumption, this practice is voluntary. Consequently, it is plausible that a proportion of the cervid meat entering the human food chain may be contaminated with CWD. Of additional concern is that traditional diagnostic techniques used to detect CWD have relatively low sensitivity and are only approved for use in tissues other than those typically ingested by humans. In this study, we analyzed different processed meats derived from a pre-clinical, CWD-positive free-ranging elk. Products tested included filets, sausages, boneless steaks, burgers, ham steaks, seasoned chili meats, and spiced meats. CWD-prion presence in these products were assessed by PMCA using deer and elk substrates. Our results show positive prion detection in all products. To confirm the resilience of CWD-prions to traditional cooking methods, we grilled and boiled the meat products and evaluated them for any remnant PMCA seeding activity. Results confirmed the presence of CWD-prions in these meat products suggesting that infectious particles may still be available to people even after cooking. Our results strongly suggest ongoing human exposure to CWD-prions and raise significant concerns of zoonotic transmission through ingestion of CWD contaminated meat products.
***> Products tested included filets, sausages, boneless steaks, burgers, ham steaks, seasoned chili meats, and spiced meats.
***> CWD-prion presence in these products were assessed by PMCA using deer and elk substrates.
***> Our results show positive prion detection in all products.
***> Results confirmed the presence of CWD-prions in these meat products suggesting that infectious particles may still be available to people even after cooking.
***> Our results strongly suggest ongoing human exposure to CWD-prions and raise significant concerns of zoonotic transmission through ingestion of CWD contaminated meat products.
Transmission of prion infectivity from CWD-infected macaque tissues to rodent models demonstrates the zoonotic potential of chronic wasting disease.
Samia Hannaoui1,2, Ginny Cheng1,2, Wiebke Wemheuer3, Walter Schulz-Schaeffer3, Sabine Gilch1,2, Hermann Schatzl1,2 1University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. 2Calgary Prion Research Unit, Calgary, Canada. 3Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany
Snip…
***> Further passage to cervidized mice revealed transmission with a 100% attack rate.
***> Our findings demonstrate that macaques, considered the best model for the zoonotic potential of prions, were infected upon CWD challenge, including the oral one.
****> The disease manifested as atypical in macaques and initial transgenic mouse transmissions, but with infectivity present at all times, as unveiled in the bank vole model with an unusual tissue tropism.
***> Epidemiologic surveillance of prion disease among cervid hunters and people likely to have consumed venison contaminated with chronic wasting disease
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Transmission of Cervid Prions to Humanized Mice Demonstrates the Zoonotic Potential of CWD
Samia Hannaouia, Irina Zemlyankinaa, Sheng Chun Changa, Maria Immaculata Arifina, Vincent Béringueb, Debbie McKenziec, Hermann M. Schatzla, and Sabine Gilcha
Results: Here, we provide the strongest evidence supporting the zoonotic potential of CWD prions, and their possible phenotype in humans. Inoculation of mice expressing human PrPCwith deer CWD isolates (strains Wisc-1 and 116AG) resulted in atypical clinical manifestations in > 75% of the mice, with myoclonus as leading clinical sign. Most of tg650brain homogenates were positive for seeding activity in RT-QuIC. Clinical disease and presentation was transmissible to tg650 mice and bank voles. Intriguingly, protease-resistant PrP in the brain of tg650 mice resembled that found in a familial human prion disease and was transmissible upon passage. Abnormal PrP aggregates upon infection with Wisc-1 were detectable in thalamus, hypothalamus, and midbrain/pons regions.
Unprecedented in human prion disease, feces of CWD-inoculated tg650 mice harbored prion seeding activity and infectious prions, as shown by inoculation of bank voles and tg650 with fecal homogenates.
Conclusions: This is the first evidence that CWD can infect humans and cause disease with a distinctive clinical presentation, signature, and tropism, which might be transmissible between humans while current diagnostic assays might fail to detect it. These findings have major implications for public health and CWD-management.
The finding that infectious PrPSc was shed in fecal material of CWD-infected humanized mice and induced clinical disease, different tropism, and typical three banding pattern-PrPres in bank voles that is transmissible upon second passage is highly concerning for public health. The fact that this biochemical signature in bank voles resembles that of the Wisc-1 original deer isolate and is different from that of bvWisc-1, in the migration profile and the glyco-form-ratio, is valid evidence that these results are not a product of contamination in our study. If CWD in humans is found to be contagious and transmissible among humans, as it is in cervids [57], the spread of the disease within humans might become endemic.
Transmission of cervid prions to humanized mice demonstrates the zoonotic potential of CWD
Acta Neuropathol 144, 767–784 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-022-02482-9
Published
22 August 2022
Fortuitous generation of a zoonotic cervid prion strain
Aims: Whether CWD prions can infect humans remains unclear despite the very substantial scale and long history of human exposure of CWD in many states or provinces of USA and Canada. Multiple in vitro conversion experiments and in vivo animal studies indicate that the CWD-to-human transmission barrier is not unbreakable. A major long-term public health concern on CWD zoonosis is the emergence of highly zoonotic CWD strains. We aim to address the question of whether highly zoonotic CWD strains are possible.
Materials and Methods: We inoculated several sCJD brain samples into cervidized transgenic mice (Tg12), which were intended as negative controls for bioassays of brain tissues from sCJD cases who had potentially been exposed to CWD. Some of the Tg12 mice became infected and their brain tissues were further examined by Western blot as well as serial passages in humanized or cervidized mice.
Results: Passage of sCJDMM1 in transgenic mice expressing elk PrP (Tg12) resulted in a “cervidized” CJD strain that we termed CJDElkPrP. We observed 100% transmission of the original CJDElkPrP in transgenic mice expressing human PrP. We passaged CJDElkPrP two more times in the Tg12 mice. We found that such second and third passage CJDElkPrP prions retained 100% transmission rate in the humanized mice, despite that the natural elk CWD isolates and CJDElkPrP share the same elk PrP sequence. In contrast, we and others found zero or poor transmission of natural elk CWD isolates in humanized mice.
Conclusions: Our data indicate that highly zoonotic cervid prion strains are not only possible but also can retain zoonotic potential after serial passages in cervids, suggesting a very significant and serious long-term risk of CWD zoonosis given that the broad and continuing spread of CWD prions will provide fertile grounds for the emergence of zoonotic CWD strains over time.
The finding that infectious PrPSc was shed in fecal material of CWD-infected humanized mice and induced clinical disease, different tropism, and typical three banding pattern-PrPres in bank voles that is transmissible upon second passage is highly concerning for public health. The fact that this biochemical signature in bank voles resembles that of the Wisc-1 original deer isolate and is different from that of bvWisc-1, in the migration profile and the glyco-form-ratio, is valid evidence that these results are not a product of contamination in our study. If CWD in humans is found to be contagious and transmissible among humans, as it is in cervids [57], the spread of the disease within humans might become endemic.
Transmission of cervid prions to humanized mice demonstrates the zoonotic potential of CWD
Acta Neuropathol 144, 767–784 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-022-02482-9
Published
22 August 2022
Oklahoma CWD past history;
THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2024
Oklahoma HB3462 Chronic Wasting Disease Genetic Improvement Act and Legislating CWD Science
WEDNESDAY, JULY 05, 2023
OKLAHOMA CONFIRMS SECOND CWD POSITIVE WTD OKLAHOMA CONFIRMS SECOND CWD POSITIVE WTD
SECOND CWD-POSITIVE WILD DEER CONFIRMED IN OKLAHOMA
Jul 3, 2023 A second wild white-tailed deer has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Oklahoma.
The deer was located about 15 miles east of Woodward in Woodward County after a landowner reported the deer behaving abnormally.
Oklahoma's first case of a wild deer infected with CWD was confirmed the first week of June in Texas County, prompting the activation of the next stage in the state's CWD Response Strategy jointly produced by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
“We will be working through our response plan implementing surveillance efforts and steps to monitor and slow the potential spread of this disease. Our ultimate goal is to ensure healthy and well-managed deer with as little impact to either the resource or our constituents as possible,” said Jerry Shaw, Wildlife Programs Supervisor with ODWC.
CWD is an always-fatal neurological disease that affects the brains of deer, elk, moose, and other members of the cervid family, creating holes resembling those in sponges. CWD transmission from wild animals to people or to livestock has never been documented.
The Wildlife Department has conducted CWD monitoring on hunter-harvested deer and elk, and road-killed deer, since 1999.
Department staff will continue monitoring for evidence of CWD within Oklahoma’s borders and will release additional information, including ways deer and elk hunters can help with detection and mitigation, as hunting seasons approach.
Additional guidelines or management plans will be distributed and well-advertised if determined necessary to further protect Oklahoma’s deer and elk populations.
Additional human health information relating to CWD is available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/chronic-wasting-disease#publications
For more information on the disease, hunting regulations, and proper disposal of infected animals, go to https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/hunting/resources/deer/cwd
Oklahoma Detects First Wild Deer Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion
ODWC ACTIVATES CWD RESPONSE STRATEGY AFTER DISEASED WILD DEER FOUND IN PANHANDLE
Jun 6, 2023
A white-tailed deer in the Oklahoma Panhandle has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
A Texas County landowner reported the deer to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation after witnessing it behaving abnormally. The deer was recovered near Optima and testing was conducted.
This marks the first case of CWD in a wild deer in Oklahoma.
ODWC has activated the next stage of the CWD Response Strategy jointly produced with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
“While this is unfortunate news, it is not unexpected since CWD has already been detected in every state that borders Oklahoma. We will be working through our response plan to ensure we can monitor potential spread and keep our state’s deer herd healthy,” said Jerry Shaw, Wildlife Programs Supervisor with ODWC.
CWD is an always-fatal neurological disease that affects the brains of deer, elk, moose, and other members of the cervid family, creating holes that resemble those in sponges. It’s important to note that CWD transmission from wild animals to people or to livestock has never been documented
The Wildlife Department has conducted CWD monitoring on hunter-harvested deer and elk, and road-killed deer, since 1999. This case marks the first time the disease has been detected in laboratory testing of tissue samples from more than 10,000 wild deer and elk from throughout Oklahoma.
The Wildlife Department will continue monitoring for evidence of this disease within Oklahoma’s borders and will release additional information, including ways deer and elk hunters can help with detection and mitigation, as hunting seasons approach.
Additional guidelines or management plans will be distributed and well-advertised if determined necessary to further protect Oklahoma’s deer and elk populations.
Additional human health information relating to CWD is available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/chronic-wasting-disease#publications
For more information on the disease, hunting regulations, and proper disposal of infected animals, go to
Oklahoma detects first wild CWD
Oklahoma Wild Deer Test Positive for CWD
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
OKLAHOMA ODWC ACTIVATES CWD RESPONSE PLAN AFTER DISEASED DEER FOUND WITHIN MILES OF PANHANDLE OKLAHOMA ODWC ACTIVATES CWD RESPONSE PLAN AFTER DISEASED DEER FOUND WITHIN MILES OF PANHANDLE
ODWC ACTIVATES CWD RESPONSE PLAN AFTER DISEASED DEER FOUND WITHIN MILES OF PANHANDLE Sep 9, 2022
A white-tailed deer carcass recently recovered along a Texas road about 2.5 miles south of the Oklahoma border in the western Panhandle south of Felt, Okla., has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The CWD positive deer was found in an area of Texas with a history of CWD detection dating back 3 years. Although not inside of our borders, due to the proximity of this finding to Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) has activated the next stage of the CWD Response Plan that was jointly produced with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
“With the ability of deer to easily travel many miles in a day, the CWD Response Plan dictates that we respond to this finding as if CWD has now been detected among free-roaming wild deer in Oklahoma,” said Jerry Shaw, Wildlife Programs Supervisor with ODWC.
CWD is an always-fatal neurological disease that affects the brains of deer, elk, moose, and other members of the cervid family, creating holes that resemble those in sponges. It’s important to note in this area of the state that CWD does not affect pronghorn antelope, and CWD transmission from wild animals to humans or livestock has never been documented either.
No CWD-positive wild deer have been found within Oklahoma’s borders. But CWD has been found in two captive elk herds in the state. CWD has been confirmed in wild cervids in every state surrounding Oklahoma. In total, 30 states now have detected CWD within their borders.
The Wildlife Department has conducted CWD monitoring on hunter-harvested deer and elk and road-killed deer since 1999. The disease has not been detected in laboratory testing of tissue samples from more than 10,000 wild deer and elk from throughout Oklahoma.
​The Wildlife Department will continue monitoring for evidence of this disease within Oklahoma’s borders and will release additional information, including ways deer and elk hunters can help with detection and mitigation as hunting seasons approach. Additional guidelines or restrictions will be distributed and well-advertised if determined necessary to further protect Oklahoma’s deer and elk populations.
Additional human health information relating to CWD is available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/chronic-wasting-disease#publications
For more information on the disease, how it could affect hunting, and proper disposal of infected animals, go to https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/hunting/resources/deer/cwd
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
OKLAHOMA ODWC ACTIVATES CWD RESPONSE PLAN AFTER DISEASED DEER FOUND WITHIN MILES OF PANHANDLE OKLAHOMA ODWC ACTIVATES CWD RESPONSE PLAN AFTER DISEASED DEER FOUND WITHIN MILES OF PANHANDLE
Oklahoma CWD Past History
TUESDAY, JANUARY 07, 2020
Oklahoma Farmed Elk Lincoln County CWD Depopulation 3 Positive Elk with 1 Additional Dead Trace Out Confirmed Positive
i was wondering what the results (if any), from all the other cervid that this Elk came into contact with, from any additional testing, was there any, from the existing herd, trace in and outs and such, and herds there from???
was that breeding farm completely depopulated yet, and if so, what are the numbers on any additional positives, if any?
PERSONAL COMMUNICATION @ag.ok.gov Tue, Jan 7, 2020 4:11 pm
We completed the depopulation of the elk herd.
Out of 250 head there were 3 positive elk.
We know of one trace out that died and was tested positive.
Many other trace outs (over 100) have been tested and are negative.
END...TSS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019
Oklahoma Farmed Elk Lincoln County has tested positive for chronic wasting disease CWD TSE Prion
JOINT RELEASE FROM THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD & FORESTRY AND THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
Chronic Wasting Disease Confirmed in One Farmed Oklahoma Elk
re-Commission Hears Update on CWD Status in Oklahoma
Fri, May 10, 2019 4:19 pm
Terry Singeltary flounder9@verizon.net
To comdist1 comdist1@odwc.ok.gov Cc comdist2 comdist2@odwc.ok.gov, comdist3 comdist3@odwc.ok.gov, comdist4 comdist4@odwc.ok.gov, comdist5 comdist5@odwc.ok.gov, comdist6 comdist6@odwc.ok.gov, comdist7 comdist7@odwc.ok.gov, comdist8 comdist8@odwc.ok.gov, micah.holmes micah.holmes@odwc.ok.gov
Commission Hears Update on CWD Status in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission on Monday authorized the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to take reasonable steps to respond to future developments related to chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Oklahoma.
The authorization by a vote of 5-1 also instructed Director J.D. Strong to bring any such actions to the attention of the Commission as soon as possible after any actions are taken.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects the brains of elk, deer and other cervid species.
No vaccine or treatment for the disease exists. Importantly, no health risk to humans or non-cervid livestock has been documented.
In late April, an elk from a farmed herd in Lincoln County tested positive for CWD.
Strong emphasized that any CWD response related to farmed cervids, cervid breeding facilities or the import and export of farmed cervids is under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
The Wildlife Department is responsible for managing the wild cervid populations and overseeing cervid hunting facilities.
Strong said the Wildlife Department’s goal is not to make any hasty, large-scale decisions right away in dealing with the threat of CWD, but to take a measured, scientific approach and collect all the information possible before deciding how to best respond to any possible confirmed cases in wild cervids.
He stressed the need for a team approach and expressed his continued willingness to work with the various stakeholder groups in finalizing a CWD action plan.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about hunting,” Strong said, whether CWD strikes farmed cervids or wild cervids. “One of the best ways is to enlist the help of hunters” in a strategy to minimize the spread of CWD.
snip...
''In late April, an elk from a farmed herd in Lincoln County tested positive for CWD.
Strong emphasized that any CWD response related to farmed cervids, cervid breeding facilities or the import and export of farmed cervids is under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. The Wildlife Department is responsible for managing the wild cervid populations and overseeing cervid hunting facilities.
Strong said the Wildlife Department’s goal is not to make any hasty, large-scale decisions right away in dealing with the threat of CWD, but to take a measured, scientific approach and collect all the information possible before deciding how to best respond to any possible confirmed cases in wild cervids.''
if you wait for cwd to find you, then you have lost the fight already imo.
Greetings ODWC et al,
i kindly wish to submit the following updated science on the chronic wasting disease cwd tse prion. you do know that the new strain of cwd in Texas is of a more virulent strain? see below......GOOD LUCK!
kindest regards, terry
snip...end...TSS
Chronic Wasting Disease Confirmed in One Oklahoma Elk
04.24.2019
Oklahoma, to date, CWD has been detected in 6 cases of CWD TSE Prion documented to date in Captive Cervid...tss
1st cwd positive captive 1998,
2nd cwd positive captive 2019,
3 cwd positives from that herd depopulation,
with 1 additional Trace Out CWD Trace Out Positive,
equal to date 6 captive CWD positives in Oklahoma to date,
and since my confirming these figures the last time via phone, i am told now i will have to fill out a FOIA request for any further reports of CWD TSE Prion in captive herds in Oklahoma.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 05, 2023
OKLAHOMA CONFIRMS SECOND CWD POSITIVE WTD
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 07, 2023
Oklahoma Detects First Wild Deer Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020
Oklahoma Proper Carcass Disposal Cervid Importation with 6 cases of CWD TSE Prion documented to date in Captive Cervid
TUESDAY, JANUARY 07, 2020
Oklahoma Farmed Elk Lincoln County CWD Depopulation 3 Positive Elk with 1 Additional Dead Trace Out Confirmed Positive
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Cervid Update By State December 2023 (Long Verzion)
(Short Version)
SUNDAY, MAY 05, 2024
Chronic Wasting Disease, Cervid Captive Herd CWD Infection rates, Zoonosis, and Environmental Risk Factors
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2025
Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in North America February 2025
WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2025
Texas CWD TSE Prion Cases Rises to 1099 Confirmed Cases To Date
TRUCKING CWD
“CWD spreads among wild populations at a relatively slow rate, limited by the natural home range and dispersed nature of wild animals.”
NOW HOLD YOUR HORSES, Chronic Wasting Disease CWD of Cervid can spread rather swiftly, traveling around 50 MPH, from the back of truck and trailer, and Here in Texas, we call it ‘Trucking CWD’…
Preventive Veterinary Medicine Volume 234, January 2025, 106385
Use of biosecurity practices to prevent chronic wasting disease in Minnesota cervid herds
Vehicles or trailers that entered the farm were used to transport other live cervids, cervid carcasses, or cervid body parts in past 3 years in 64.3 % (95 % CI 46.3–82.3) of larger elk/reindeer herds compared to 13.6 % (95 % CI 4.7–22.4) of smaller deer herds.
Snip…
Identifying the exact pathway of initial CWD transmission to cervid herds is often not possible, in part due to many potential pathways of transmission for the infection, including both direct and indirect contact with infected farmed or wild cervids (Kincheloe et al., 2021). That study identified that transmissions from infected farmed cervids may occur from direct contact with the movement of cervids from one herd to another and from indirect contact with the sharing of equipment, vehicles, clothing, reproductive equipment, and potentially through semen or embryos.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016758772400271X
***> Department records indicate that within the last five years (since January 1, 2020), 30 deer breeding facilities where CWD has been confirmed transferred a total of 8,799 deer to 249 additional deer breeding facilities and 487 release sites located in a total of 144 counties in Texas. <***
https://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/pdf/backview/0411/0411adop.pdf
Texas Kimble County Farm Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Approximate Herd Prevalence 12%
SUMMARY MINUTES OF THE 407th COMMISSION MEETING Texas Animal Health Commission
September 22, 2020
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD):
A new CWD positive breeding herd was disclosed in February 2020 in Kimble County. This herd depopulation was completed in July 2020. Including the two index positive deer, an additional eight more positive deer were disclosed (approximate herd prevalence 12%). Since July 2015 and prior to this discovery, five positive captive breeder herds have been disclosed and four of those are in Medina County. One herd in Lavaca and three herds in Medina County were depopulated leaving one large herd in Medina County that is managed on a herd plan. A new zone was established in Val Verde County in December 2019 as a result of a positive free-ranging White-tailed Deer (WTD). A second positive WTD was also disclosed in February 2020 in the same area.
SUMMARY MINUTES OF THE 407th COMMISSION MEETING – 9/22/2020
Scrapie: The flock identified in April 2016 remains under quarantine in Hartley County.
https://www.tahc.texas.gov/agency/meetings/minutes/SummaryMinutes_CommMtg_2020-09-22
http://web.archive.org/web/20201017124040/https://www.tahc.texas.gov/agency/meetings/minutes/SummaryMinutes_CommMtg_2020-09-22.pdf
Chronic Wasting Disease in Texas A Real Disease with Proven Impacts 
Produced by a coalition of concerned hunters, landowners, & conservationists (last update 1/2025)
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b93f528938ac48e9b56dcc79953cbec0
Aug 18, 2021
Oh, Deer
Heading Off a Wildlife Epidemic
CWD poses a significant threat to the future of hunting in Texas. Deer population declines of 45 and 50 percent have been documented in Colorado and Wyoming. A broad infection of Texas deer populations resulting in similar population impacts would inflict severe economic damage to rural communities and could negatively impact land markets. Specifically, those landowners seeking to establish a thriving herd of deer could avoid buying in areas with confirmed CWD infections. As they do with anthrax-susceptible properties, land brokers may find it advisable to inquire about the status of CWD infections on properties that they present for sale. Prospective buyers should also investigate the status of the wildlife on prospective properties. In addition, existing landowners should monitor developments as TPWD crafts management strategies to identify and contain this deadly disease.
Dr. Gilliland (c-gilliland@tamu.edu) is a research economist with the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.
https://www.recenter.tamu.edu/articles/tierra-grande/oh-d
Texas Game Wardens Bust Illegal Deer Operations Across the State Feb. 27, 2025
Media Contact: TPWD News, Business Hours, 512-389-8030
AUSTIN – A recent investigation by Texas Game Wardens resulted in approximately 1,200 pending charges and 22 suspects from across the state involved in the deer breeding industry and black-market wildlife trade.
The suspects and charges are associated with three deer breeding facilities, ten release sites, one deer management pen and three illegal facilities not registered in the Texas Wildlife Information Management Services (TWIMS) database, meaning they were operating or receiving deer in violation of registration requirements and disease monitoring protocols.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20250227b
Texas Game Wardens Bust Illegal Deer Operations Across the State Feb. 27, 2025
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/02/texas-game-wardens-bust-illegal-deer.html
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2025 
TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTH COMMISSION 423rd Commission Meeting CWD Update February 25, 2025
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/02/texas-animal-health-commission-423rd.html
SUNDAY, MAY 04, 2025
Texas Senate Bill 2649 creation of a statewide Chronic Wasting Disease plan
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/05/texas-senate-bill-2649-creation-of.html
SUNDAY, MAY 04, 2025
Texas Senate Bill 2651 establishment of a pilot program to breed deer resistant to CWD TSE Prion, what could go wrong?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/05/texas-senate-bill-2651-establishment-of_4.html
Texas S.B. 2843 Directs TPWD to conduct a comprehensive study of current measures to control chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer
Trying to legislate CWD is what got Texas in this CWD mess to begin with, how did that work out$$$ Legislators and Politicians need to stay away and let TPWD and TAHC et try and contain this mess that Legislators and Politicians got us in, called CWD TSE Prion…terry
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/04/texas-sb-2843-directs-tpwd-to-conduct.html
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.

posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at 3:00 PM

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