Annual Reminder of Chronic Wasting Disease Requirements for Exotic Susceptible Species
For Immediate Release
September 15, 2026 TAHC Issues
Annual Reminder of Chronic Wasting Disease Requirements for Exotic Susceptible Species
AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) maintains requirements to help protect exotic chronic wasting disease (CWD) susceptible species from the disease and reminds Texans of these requirements prior to the Fall.
Statewide exotic CWD susceptible species requirements for hunter harvested captive exotic susceptible species include North American elk or wapiti, black tailed deer, red deer, reindeer, caribou, sika deer, moose, muntjac deer, and any associated subspecies and hybrids.
TAHC requirements for captive exotic CWD susceptible species are in place to help prevent the movement of CWD. It is important to stay current on TAHC regulations for surveillance, movement, reporting, identification, and recordkeeping for harvested, captured, or bred exotic susceptible species.
Properties where Captive Exotic CWD Susceptible Species are Hunter Harvested
Each calendar year, the owner of a premises with captive exotic CWD susceptible species must test all eligible mortalities until three valid test results are obtained and reported to the TAHC. An eligible mortality is a death from any cause, including hunter harvest, herd culling, natural mortalities on the premises, and animals moved directly to slaughter, of an exotic CWD susceptible species that is 12 months of age or older. The owner of the premises shall ensure that the CWD samples are properly collected and submitted for testing within seven days. The owner must report to the TAHC within 14 days of receiving the valid test results.
Additionally, landowners are required to keep mortality records of all captive exotic CWD susceptible species, 12 months of age or older, and submit the records to the TAHC on or before April 1of each year.
All testing and record reporting shall be submitted by writing to the Texas Animal Health Commission, CWD Susceptible Species Reporting, P.O. Box 12966, Austin, Texas 78711-2966; by fax to (512) 719-0729; or by email to CWD_reports@tahc.texas.gov.
Owners Moving or Transporting Live Exotic CWD Susceptible Species
All live exotic CWD susceptible species moved or transported within the state must have official identification (ID). The movement of live exotic CWD susceptible species between premises, requires both owners to obtain a Premises Identification Number (PIN) or Location Identification Number (LID) from the TAHC or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). For more information on PINs, LIDs, and official ID, contact the TAHC Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) Department at 512-719-0733 or animal_id@tahc.texas.gov.
An owner of a premises where captive exotic CWD susceptible species are located shall keep an annual inventory and mortality record for all exotic CWD susceptible species. The inventory and mortality record shall be reconciled and submitted to TAHC on or before April 1 of each year. Owners must retain annual inventory records for five years and mortality records for one year following submission.Media Contact: TAHC Communications public_info@tahc.texas.gov 512.719.0750
A complete movement record for all live exotic CWD susceptible species moved on or off a premises shall be submitted to the TAHC. The person moving the animals must have documentation with the exotic CWD susceptible species being moved. This record shall be submitted within 48 hours of the movement and be directed to the TAHC by writing the Texas Animal Health Commission, CWD Susceptible Species Reporting, P.O. Box 12966, Austin, Texas 78711-2966; by fax to (512)-719-0729; or by email to CWD_reports@tahc.texas.gov. Owners must retain movement records for five years following submission.
Dealer Record Keeping Requirements for Exotic CWD Susceptible Species
A dealer shall maintain records for all exotic CWD susceptible species transported within the state or where there is a transfer of ownership and provide these to a TAHC representative upon request. Records required to be kept under §40.5(h)(1-7) shall be maintained for no less than five years from the date of movement.
For more information on CWD and CWD requirements:
• TAHC Exotic CWD Susceptible Species Page:
Axis Deer (Axis axis) Susceptibility to CWD, Texas Parks, and Wildlife Department (Lockwood, M.) Award amount $232,799
Recent prion protein research and anecdotal evidence suggests that axis deer are susceptible to CWD. However, state agencies in Texas are prohibited from placing regulatory requirements on a species until it is demonstrated that the species is naturally susceptible. Consequently, the first objective of this project is to determine if axis deer are naturally susceptible to CWD. This will be accomplished by housing eight axis deer with a CWD infected white-tailed deer (and an additional, initially uninfected, white-tailed deer which will serve as a sentinel demonstrating the infectiousness of the first). Animals will be housed in a biocontainment facility which will ensure that CWD from this project does not get out in the environment. Because we do not know the incubation period for CWD in axis deer, it may be necessary that this project extend beyond two years {under separate funding).
If axis deer are susceptible, it will be necessary to understand the disease course in the species. This is the second objective of the study. We will closely monitor axis deer for any abnormal signs, particularly those that are neurologic or might otherwise be suggestive of CWD. Documenting the signs and time-course of CWD in axis (if they are susceptible) will provide a clinical picture of the disease in this species. This will aid agency staff, cervid breeders, and the public in understanding what signs/lesions an axis at high risk of having CWD will exhibit.
More importantly, if axis deer are susceptible, we need to understand which diagnostic tests are useful for determining an individual’s CWD status. This is the third objective. Every 3 months a cadre of potential antemortem tests will be conducted on the deer. This includes IHC on tonsil and RAMALT and RT-QuIC and PMCA on tonsil, RAMALT, body fluids and feces, and molecular biomarker analyses using blood samples. When an axis deer dies or is euthanized, full necropsies, gross and histologic analysis will be conducted on a variety of tissues with particular emphasis placed on lymphoid and nervous tissue. Additionally, IHC will be conducted on brain, spinal cord, tonsil, retropharyngeal lymph nodes and others, alimentary tract-associated lymphoid tissue, and select additional organs. RT-QuIC and PMCA will be conducted on lymphoid and nervous tissue as well as body fluid {to include CSF) and feces. Prion strain typing will also be conducted to explore the identity of the CWD agent in this new animal species.
Results of this study will be distributed to the scientific community and wildlife managers via peer- reviewed journal {Journal of Wildlife Diseases, Prion, etc.). Exotic animal producers will be notified via their trade magazines and public meetings. Results will help all the above develop management and regulatory programs to minimize the spread and reduce the prevalence of CWD in captive and free- range cervid populations.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/downloads/cwd-funding-farmed-cervids-22.pdf
Prion. 2021; 15(1): 44–52. Published online 2021 Apr 9. doi: 10.1080/19336896.2021.1910177
PMCID: PMC8043172PMID: 33834939
Characterization of the prion protein gene in axis deer (Axis axis) and implications for susceptibility to chronic wasting disease
Matthew J. Buchholz,a Emily A. Wright,b Blake A. Grisham,a Robert D. Bradley,b,c Thomas L. Arsuffi,dand Warren C. Conwaya Author information Copyright and License information PMC Disclaimer
ABSTRACT
Axis deer (Axis axis) occur both in captivity and free-ranging populations in portions of North America, but to-date, no data exist pertaining to the species’ susceptibility to CWD. We sequenced the prion protein gene (PRNP) from axis deer. We then compared axis deer PrPCsequences and amino acid polymorphisms to those of CWD susceptible species. A single PRNP allele with no evidence of intraspecies variation was identified in axis deer that indicates axis deer PRNP is most similar to North American elk (Cervus canadensis) PRNP. Therefore, axis deer may be susceptible to CWD. We recommend proactively increasing CWD surveillance for axis deer, particularly where CWD has been detected and axis deer are sympatric with native North American CWD susceptible species
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8043172/
Fallow Deer
Sika Deer
September 15, 2026 TAHC Issues
Annual Reminder of Chronic Wasting Disease Requirements for Exotic Susceptible Species
AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) maintains requirements to help protect exotic chronic wasting disease (CWD) susceptible species from the disease and reminds Texans of these requirements prior to the Fall.
Statewide exotic CWD susceptible species requirements for hunter harvested captive exotic susceptible species include North American elk or wapiti, black tailed deer, red deer, reindeer, caribou, sika deer, moose, muntjac deer, and any associated subspecies and hybrids.
TAHC requirements for captive exotic CWD susceptible species are in place to help prevent the movement of CWD. It is important to stay current on TAHC regulations for surveillance, movement, reporting, identification, and recordkeeping for harvested, captured, or bred exotic susceptible species.
Properties where Captive Exotic CWD Susceptible Species are Hunter Harvested
Each calendar year, the owner of a premises with captive exotic CWD susceptible species must test all eligible mortalities until three valid test results are obtained and reported to the TAHC. An eligible mortality is a death from any cause, including hunter harvest, herd culling, natural mortalities on the premises, and animals moved directly to slaughter, of an exotic CWD susceptible species that is 12 months of age or older. The owner of the premises shall ensure that the CWD samples are properly collected and submitted for testing within seven days. The owner must report to the TAHC within 14 days of receiving the valid test results.
Additionally, landowners are required to keep mortality records of all captive exotic CWD susceptible species, 12 months of age or older, and submit the records to the TAHC on or before April 1of each year.
All testing and record reporting shall be submitted by writing to the Texas Animal Health Commission, CWD Susceptible Species Reporting, P.O. Box 12966, Austin, Texas 78711-2966; by fax to (512) 719-0729; or by email to CWD_reports@tahc.texas.gov.
Owners Moving or Transporting Live Exotic CWD Susceptible Species
All live exotic CWD susceptible species moved or transported within the state must have official identification (ID). The movement of live exotic CWD susceptible species between premises, requires both owners to obtain a Premises Identification Number (PIN) or Location Identification Number (LID) from the TAHC or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). For more information on PINs, LIDs, and official ID, contact the TAHC Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) Department at 512-719-0733 or animal_id@tahc.texas.gov.
An owner of a premises where captive exotic CWD susceptible species are located shall keep an annual inventory and mortality record for all exotic CWD susceptible species. The inventory and mortality record shall be reconciled and submitted to TAHC on or before April 1 of each year. Owners must retain annual inventory records for five years and mortality records for one year following submission.Media Contact: TAHC Communications public_info@tahc.texas.gov 512.719.0750
A complete movement record for all live exotic CWD susceptible species moved on or off a premises shall be submitted to the TAHC. The person moving the animals must have documentation with the exotic CWD susceptible species being moved. This record shall be submitted within 48 hours of the movement and be directed to the TAHC by writing the Texas Animal Health Commission, CWD Susceptible Species Reporting, P.O. Box 12966, Austin, Texas 78711-2966; by fax to (512)-719-0729; or by email to CWD_reports@tahc.texas.gov. Owners must retain movement records for five years following submission.
Dealer Record Keeping Requirements for Exotic CWD Susceptible Species
A dealer shall maintain records for all exotic CWD susceptible species transported within the state or where there is a transfer of ownership and provide these to a TAHC representative upon request. Records required to be kept under §40.5(h)(1-7) shall be maintained for no less than five years from the date of movement.
For more information on CWD and CWD requirements:
• TAHC Exotic CWD Susceptible Species Page:
https://www.tahc.texas.gov/animal_health/elk-deer/#cwdexotic
• TAHC FAQ Exotic CWD Susceptible Species:
https://www.tahc.texas.gov/news/brochures/TAHCBrochure_ExoticCWDSusceptibleSpeciesFAQ.pdf
• TPWD CWD Page: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/
• Official movement requirements are always available in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 4, Part 2. Official TAHC exotic CWD susceptible species movement requirements:
https://bit.ly/TAHCExoticCWDSusceptibleSpecies
Unofficial summary of TAHC exotic CWD susceptible species requirements:
https://www.tahc.texas.gov/regs/pdf/MovementRequirements_Exotics-Ratites.pdf
###
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) was established in 1893 as the Livestock Sanitary Commission and charged with protecting the state’s domestic animals “from all contagious or infectious diseases of a malignant character.” TAHC remains true to this charge while evolving with the times to protect the health and marketability of all Texas livestock and poultry. Learn more about the TAHC by visiting www.tahc.texas.gov.
https://web.tahc.texas.gov/news/2026/2026-09-15_Hunting-Exotic-CWDRequirements.pdf
Singeltary Submission to TAHC
8/31/23
CWD and Axis deer susceptibility
Greetings TAHC et al,
Many thanks for your continued efforts to try and contain and manage CWD in cervid. I know how important, and extremely difficult this task is. But I am extremely concerned with the potential for Axis deer to contract CWD, considering recent science, but the regulatory requirements does not allow this, unless Axis deer are first proven to be able to contract CWD. So the whole time we wait for these studies, knowing what science has shown us already, “Recent prion protein research and anecdotal evidence suggests that axis deer are susceptible to CWD”, these Axis cervid are not regulated for Cwd. This could be extremely dangerous, and is like closing the barn door after the mad cows got out. Imo, these same Cwd regulations for Cwd should also include Axis deer, and when/IF Axis deer are -PROVEN- to be resistant to CWD, only then should Axis deer be allowed as CWD resistant cervid. Until then Axis cervid should be regulated as WTD…
“However, state agencies in Texas are prohibited from placing regulatory requirements on a species until it is demonstrated that the species is naturally susceptible.”
• TAHC FAQ Exotic CWD Susceptible Species:
https://www.tahc.texas.gov/news/brochures/TAHCBrochure_ExoticCWDSusceptibleSpeciesFAQ.pdf
• TPWD CWD Page: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/
• Official movement requirements are always available in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 4, Part 2. Official TAHC exotic CWD susceptible species movement requirements:
https://bit.ly/TAHCExoticCWDSusceptibleSpecies
Unofficial summary of TAHC exotic CWD susceptible species requirements:
https://www.tahc.texas.gov/regs/pdf/MovementRequirements_Exotics-Ratites.pdf
###
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) was established in 1893 as the Livestock Sanitary Commission and charged with protecting the state’s domestic animals “from all contagious or infectious diseases of a malignant character.” TAHC remains true to this charge while evolving with the times to protect the health and marketability of all Texas livestock and poultry. Learn more about the TAHC by visiting www.tahc.texas.gov.
https://web.tahc.texas.gov/news/2026/2026-09-15_Hunting-Exotic-CWDRequirements.pdf
Singeltary Submission to TAHC
8/31/23
CWD and Axis deer susceptibility
Greetings TAHC et al,
Many thanks for your continued efforts to try and contain and manage CWD in cervid. I know how important, and extremely difficult this task is. But I am extremely concerned with the potential for Axis deer to contract CWD, considering recent science, but the regulatory requirements does not allow this, unless Axis deer are first proven to be able to contract CWD. So the whole time we wait for these studies, knowing what science has shown us already, “Recent prion protein research and anecdotal evidence suggests that axis deer are susceptible to CWD”, these Axis cervid are not regulated for Cwd. This could be extremely dangerous, and is like closing the barn door after the mad cows got out. Imo, these same Cwd regulations for Cwd should also include Axis deer, and when/IF Axis deer are -PROVEN- to be resistant to CWD, only then should Axis deer be allowed as CWD resistant cervid. Until then Axis cervid should be regulated as WTD…
“However, state agencies in Texas are prohibited from placing regulatory requirements on a species until it is demonstrated that the species is naturally susceptible.”
Axis Deer (Axis axis) Susceptibility to CWD, Texas Parks, and Wildlife Department (Lockwood, M.) Award amount $232,799
Recent prion protein research and anecdotal evidence suggests that axis deer are susceptible to CWD. However, state agencies in Texas are prohibited from placing regulatory requirements on a species until it is demonstrated that the species is naturally susceptible. Consequently, the first objective of this project is to determine if axis deer are naturally susceptible to CWD. This will be accomplished by housing eight axis deer with a CWD infected white-tailed deer (and an additional, initially uninfected, white-tailed deer which will serve as a sentinel demonstrating the infectiousness of the first). Animals will be housed in a biocontainment facility which will ensure that CWD from this project does not get out in the environment. Because we do not know the incubation period for CWD in axis deer, it may be necessary that this project extend beyond two years {under separate funding).
If axis deer are susceptible, it will be necessary to understand the disease course in the species. This is the second objective of the study. We will closely monitor axis deer for any abnormal signs, particularly those that are neurologic or might otherwise be suggestive of CWD. Documenting the signs and time-course of CWD in axis (if they are susceptible) will provide a clinical picture of the disease in this species. This will aid agency staff, cervid breeders, and the public in understanding what signs/lesions an axis at high risk of having CWD will exhibit.
More importantly, if axis deer are susceptible, we need to understand which diagnostic tests are useful for determining an individual’s CWD status. This is the third objective. Every 3 months a cadre of potential antemortem tests will be conducted on the deer. This includes IHC on tonsil and RAMALT and RT-QuIC and PMCA on tonsil, RAMALT, body fluids and feces, and molecular biomarker analyses using blood samples. When an axis deer dies or is euthanized, full necropsies, gross and histologic analysis will be conducted on a variety of tissues with particular emphasis placed on lymphoid and nervous tissue. Additionally, IHC will be conducted on brain, spinal cord, tonsil, retropharyngeal lymph nodes and others, alimentary tract-associated lymphoid tissue, and select additional organs. RT-QuIC and PMCA will be conducted on lymphoid and nervous tissue as well as body fluid {to include CSF) and feces. Prion strain typing will also be conducted to explore the identity of the CWD agent in this new animal species.
Results of this study will be distributed to the scientific community and wildlife managers via peer- reviewed journal {Journal of Wildlife Diseases, Prion, etc.). Exotic animal producers will be notified via their trade magazines and public meetings. Results will help all the above develop management and regulatory programs to minimize the spread and reduce the prevalence of CWD in captive and free- range cervid populations.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/downloads/cwd-funding-farmed-cervids-22.pdf
Prion. 2021; 15(1): 44–52. Published online 2021 Apr 9. doi: 10.1080/19336896.2021.1910177
PMCID: PMC8043172PMID: 33834939
Characterization of the prion protein gene in axis deer (Axis axis) and implications for susceptibility to chronic wasting disease
Matthew J. Buchholz,a Emily A. Wright,b Blake A. Grisham,a Robert D. Bradley,b,c Thomas L. Arsuffi,dand Warren C. Conwaya Author information Copyright and License information PMC Disclaimer
ABSTRACT
Axis deer (Axis axis) occur both in captivity and free-ranging populations in portions of North America, but to-date, no data exist pertaining to the species’ susceptibility to CWD. We sequenced the prion protein gene (PRNP) from axis deer. We then compared axis deer PrPCsequences and amino acid polymorphisms to those of CWD susceptible species. A single PRNP allele with no evidence of intraspecies variation was identified in axis deer that indicates axis deer PRNP is most similar to North American elk (Cervus canadensis) PRNP. Therefore, axis deer may be susceptible to CWD. We recommend proactively increasing CWD surveillance for axis deer, particularly where CWD has been detected and axis deer are sympatric with native North American CWD susceptible species
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8043172/
Fallow Deer
Experimental transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) from elk and white-tailed deer to fallow deer by intracerebral route: Final report
Amir N Hamir 1,✉, Justin J Greenlee 1, Eric M Nicholson 1, Robert A Kunkle 1, Juergen A Richt 1, Janice M Miller 1, Mark Hall 1 Author information Article notes Copyright and License information PMCID: PMC3062927 PMID: 21731188
Amir N Hamir 1,✉, Justin J Greenlee 1, Eric M Nicholson 1, Robert A Kunkle 1, Juergen A Richt 1, Janice M Miller 1, Mark Hall 1 Author information Article notes Copyright and License information PMCID: PMC3062927 PMID: 21731188
Abstract
Final observations on experimental transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) from elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to fallow deer (Dama dama)are reported herein. During the 5-year study, 13 fawns were inoculated intracerebrally with CWD-infected brain material from white-tailed deer (n = 7; Group A) or elk (n = 6; Group B), and 3 other fawns were kept as uninoculated controls (Group C). As described previously, 3 CWD-inoculated deer were euthanized at 7.6 mo post-inoculation (MPI). None revealed presence of abnormal prion protein (PrPd) in their tissues. At 24 (Group A) and 26 (Group B) MPI, 2 deer were necropsied. Both animals had a small focal accumulation of PrPd in their midbrains. Between 29 and 37 MPI, 3 other deer (all from Group A) were euthanized. The 5 remaining deer became sick and were euthanized between 51 and 60 MPI (1 from Group A and 4 from Group B). Microscopic lesions of spongiform encephalopathy (SE) were observed in only these 5 animals; however, PrPd was detected in tissues of the central nervous system by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and by commercial rapid test in all animals that survived beyond 24 MPI. This study demonstrates that intracerebrally inoculated fallow deer not only amplify CWD prions, but also develop lesions of spongiform encephalopathy.
Sika Deer
Prion . 2020 Dec 10;14(1):271–277. doi: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1857038
Experimental oral transmission of chronic wasting disease to sika deer (Cervus nippon)
Hyun-Joo Sohn a,✉, Gordon Mitchell b, Yoon Hee Lee a, Hyo Jin Kim a, Kyung-Je Park a, Antanas Staskevicus b, Ines Walther b, Andrei Soutyrine b, Aru Balachandran b Author information Article notes Copyright and License information PMCID: PMC7734081 PMID: 33300452
ABSTRACT
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) affects a broad array of cervid species and continues to be detected in an expanding geographic range. Initially introduced into the Republic of Korea through the importation of CWD-infected elk (Cervus canadensis), additional cases of CWD were subsequently detected in farmed Korean elk and sika deer (Cervus nippon). Wild and farmed sika deer are found in many regions of Asia, North America, and Europe, although natural transmission to this species has not been detected outside of the Republic of Korea. In this study, the oral transmission of CWD to sika deer was investigated using material from CWD-affected elk. Pathological prion (PrPCWD) immunoreactivity was detected in oropharyngeal lymphoid tissues of one sika deer at 3.9 months post-inoculation (mpi) and was more widely distributed in a second sika deer examined at 10.9 mpi. The remaining four sika deer progressed to clinical disease between 21 and 24 mpi. Analysis of PrPCWD tissue distribution in clinical sika deer revealed widespread deposition in central and peripheral nervous systems, lymphoreticular tissues, and the gastrointestinal tract. Prion protein gene (PRNP) sequences of these sika deer were identical and consistent with those reported in natural sika deer populations. These findings demonstrate the efficient oral transmission of CWD from elk to sika deer.
Red Deer
Experimental oral transmission of chronic wasting disease to red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus): Early detection and late stage distribution of protease-resistant prion protein
Experimental oral transmission of chronic wasting disease to red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus): Early detection and late stage distribution of protease-resistant prion protein
Aru Balachandran 1,✉, Noel P Harrington 1, James Algire 1, Andrei Soutyrine 1, Terry R Spraker 1, Martin Jeffrey 1, Lorenzo González 1, Katherine I O’Rourke 1 Author information Copyright and License information PMCID: PMC2808282 PMID: 20436863
Abstract Chronic wasting disease (CWD), an important emerging prion disease of cervids, is readily transmitted by intracerebral or oral inoculation from deer-to-deer and elk-to-elk, suggesting the latter is a natural route of exposure. Studies of host range susceptibility to oral infection, particularly of those species found in habitats where CWD currently exists are imperative. This report describes the experimental transmission of CWD to red deer following oral inoculation with infectious CWD material of elk origin. At 18 to 20months post-inoculation, mild to moderate neurological signs and weight loss were observed and animals were euthanized and tested using 3 conventional immunological assays. The data indicate that red deer are susceptible to oral challenge and that tissues currently used for CWD diagnosis show strong abnormal prion (PrPCWD) accumulation. Widespread peripheral PrPCWD deposition involves lymphoreticular tissues, endocrine tissues, and cardiac muscle and suggests a potential source of prion infectivity, a means of horizontal transmission and carrier state.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2808282/
Experimental oral transmission of chronic wasting disease to red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus): Early detection and late stage distribution of protease-resistant prion protein
Aru Balachandran, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Noel P. Harrington, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
James Algire, Canadian Food Inspection Agency Andrei Soutyrine, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Terry R. Spraker, Colorado State University - Fort Collins
Martin Jeffrey, Veterinary Laboratory Agency
Lorenzo Gonzalez, Veterinary Laboratory Agency
Katherine I. O'Rourke, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Document Type Article
Date of this Version 2010
Published in CVJ / VOL 51 / FEBRUARY 2010
Abstract Chronic wasting disease (CWD), an important emerging prion disease of cervids, is readily transmitted by intracerebral or oral inoculation from deer-to-deer and elk-to-elk, suggesting the latter is a natural route of exposure. Studies of host range susceptibility to oral infection, particularly of those species found in habitats where CWD currently exists are imperative. This report describes the experimental transmission of CWD to red deer following oral inoculation with infectious CWD material of elk origin. At 18 to 20 months post-inoculation, mild to moderate neurological signs and weight loss were observed and animals were euthanized and tested using 3 conventional immunological assays. The data indicate that red deer are susceptible to oral challenge and that tissues currently used for CWD diagnosis show strong abnormal prion (PrPCWD) accumulation. Widespread peripheral PrPCWD deposition involves lymphoreticular tissues, endocrine tissues, and cardiac muscle and suggests a potential source of prion infectivity, a means of horizontal transmission and carrier state.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zoonoticspub/108/
Black-tailed Deer
By the late 1970s, CWD was recognized in captive facilities in Colorado and Wyoming in mule deer, black-tailed deer, and elk.
https://wildlife.tamu.edu/cwdhistory/
Père David’s deer resistance to CWD, not an exact science…terry
https://aces.illinois.edu/news/endangered-deers-prion-gene-could-protect-it-chronic-wasting-disease
“However, state agencies in Texas are prohibited from placing regulatory requirements on a species until it is demonstrated that the species is naturally susceptible.”
Unforeseen Circumstances and CWD
Experimental oral transmission of chronic wasting disease to red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus): Early detection and late stage distribution of protease-resistant prion protein
Aru Balachandran, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Noel P. Harrington, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
James Algire, Canadian Food Inspection Agency Andrei Soutyrine, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Terry R. Spraker, Colorado State University - Fort Collins
Martin Jeffrey, Veterinary Laboratory Agency
Lorenzo Gonzalez, Veterinary Laboratory Agency
Katherine I. O'Rourke, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Document Type Article
Date of this Version 2010
Published in CVJ / VOL 51 / FEBRUARY 2010
Abstract Chronic wasting disease (CWD), an important emerging prion disease of cervids, is readily transmitted by intracerebral or oral inoculation from deer-to-deer and elk-to-elk, suggesting the latter is a natural route of exposure. Studies of host range susceptibility to oral infection, particularly of those species found in habitats where CWD currently exists are imperative. This report describes the experimental transmission of CWD to red deer following oral inoculation with infectious CWD material of elk origin. At 18 to 20 months post-inoculation, mild to moderate neurological signs and weight loss were observed and animals were euthanized and tested using 3 conventional immunological assays. The data indicate that red deer are susceptible to oral challenge and that tissues currently used for CWD diagnosis show strong abnormal prion (PrPCWD) accumulation. Widespread peripheral PrPCWD deposition involves lymphoreticular tissues, endocrine tissues, and cardiac muscle and suggests a potential source of prion infectivity, a means of horizontal transmission and carrier state.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zoonoticspub/108/
Black-tailed Deer
By the late 1970s, CWD was recognized in captive facilities in Colorado and Wyoming in mule deer, black-tailed deer, and elk.
https://wildlife.tamu.edu/cwdhistory/
Veterinary - FCP Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a progressive, neurological disease of captive and/or free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), mule deer hybrids, black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis), and Shira’s moose (Alces alces) in North America.
Père David’s deer resistance to CWD, not an exact science…terry
Although the results are promising, the researchers say the deer would have to be exposed to CWD to see if they’re really resistant. Natural exposure hasn’t happened so far, fortunately, and experimental exposure would be unrealistic in an endangered species. So for now, the genetic variants remain a good sign, not a guarantee.
https://aces.illinois.edu/news/endangered-deers-prion-gene-could-protect-it-chronic-wasting-disease
“However, state agencies in Texas are prohibited from placing regulatory requirements on a species until it is demonstrated that the species is naturally susceptible.”
Unforeseen Circumstances and CWD
***> Question; are state wildlife and livestock agencies responsible for helping spread CWD, by catering to the very industry responsible for helping spread cwd to hell and back, by not regulating exotic cervid species as susceptible species to CWD, and by trucking cwd across the state and other states, and to Mexico?
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2026
Predicting disease spread from host movement data: Chronic wasting disease in North America as a case study
“This paper suggests that additional mechanisms may be playing a role in CWD spread beyond what we included here, or that the modelling approaches we used need to be further modified.”
https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70278253
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/09/predicting-disease-spread-from-host.html
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2026
Texas Detects More Breeder WTD CWD TSE Prion, 1398 Positive Cases
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/09/texas-detects-more-breeder-wtd-cwd-tse.html
Kind regards, terry
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2026
Predicting disease spread from host movement data: Chronic wasting disease in North America as a case study
“This paper suggests that additional mechanisms may be playing a role in CWD spread beyond what we included here, or that the modelling approaches we used need to be further modified.”
https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70278253
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/09/predicting-disease-spread-from-host.html
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 08, 2026
Texas Detects More Breeder WTD CWD TSE Prion, 1398 Positive Cases
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/09/texas-detects-more-breeder-wtd-cwd-tse.html
Kind regards, terry
posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at
1:14 PM
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