New York State (DEC) identified a positive case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a wild deer harvested in the Town of Sparta, Livingston County

 New York State (DEC) identified a positive case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a wild deer harvested in the Town of Sparta, Livingston County

November 06, 2026

DEC Announces Chronic Wasting Disease Found in Livingston County Wild Deer

Positive Result Found During DEC Monitoring Efforts

All Deer Harvested in the Towns of Conesus, Groveland, North Dansville, Sparta, Springwater, and West Sparta Must Submit Samples for Testing

Video with DEC Big Game Unit Section Head and Wildlife Biologist Brendan Quirion

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced it identified a positive case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a wild deer harvested in the Town of Sparta, Livingston County. This is the first occurrence of CWD in a wild deer in New York State since 2005.

The positive sample was from an adult female white-tailed deer tested as part of DEC’s statewide annual wild deer surveillance program. The sample tissue was tested and retested at the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University, with additional testing now underway by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.

This discovery will trigger implementation of New York’s CWD Response Plan (PDF) developed jointly by DEC and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM). The plan outlines the steps both agencies will take to determine prevalence of the disease on the landscape and additional sampling and containment actions DEC intends to implement.

In light of ongoing and upcoming deer hunting seasons, New York State will first rely on hunter-obtained samples to determine the extent of the outbreak and prevalence of CWD within wild deer in the area. Results from initial sampling will inform DEC’s disease management and containment efforts.

Containment Area Established

New York State is establishing a containment area to include the towns of Conesus, Groveland, North Dansville, Sparta, Springwater, and West Sparta. DEC may expand or add containment areas based on the locations of any new positive detections.

In accordance with the response plan, DEC will require hunters to submit a tissue sample from all deer harvested in the containment area. Furthermore, hunters may not transport whole deer out of the containment area. A transport permit provided by DEC is required for all deer harvested within the containment area and taken to a processor or taxidermist outside the containment area.

DEC encourages all hunters and processors to tag deer harvested from the containment area with paper carcass tags or change of possession tags (PDF) to confirm the location of harvest.

Collection Stations

DEC is establishing collection stations within the containment area for successful hunters to submit samples from their harvested deer. DEC will begin collecting on-site samples on November 12.Location and hours of operation for these collection stations and additional collection information will be made available on DEC’s website. Hunters that harvest a deer in the containment area prior to collection stations opening should save the head and email DEC at cwd.response@dec.ny.gov. Hunters that report a harvest in the containment area may be contacted by DEC.

DEC is also working with local meat processors and taxidermists to collect samples. Hunters will be notified if their deer tests positive for CWD and DEC will request collection of the venison for proper disposal.

DEC and AGM will also contact and request records from all captive deer herds in the area. The public is encouraged to report any sick or dying deer to DEC for possible collection and testing. Once the extent of the CWD outbreak and prevalence within the wild deer herd is determined, DEC and AGM will determine how best to proceed with a disease management strategy.

DEC will file a notice in the Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB), implementing aspects of CWD-related regulations (6 NYCRR Part 189) to ensure the proper handling of live captive deer, deer carcasses, and deer rehabilitation to prevent further spread of CWD across the landscape. DEC’s CWD regulations will:

Prohibit the movement of high-risk animal parts out of the containment area, such as brain, spinal cord, spleen, and eyes; Establish mandatory hunter sample submission for any deer harvested in the containment area; Prohibit possession of any deer killed by a motor vehicle in the containment area; Prohibit the collection, sale, possession, or transport of deer or elk urine taken from the containment area; and Prohibit rehabilitation of wild white-tailed deer from and brought into the containment area. DEC will host a virtual informational session to inform stakeholders and deer enthusiasts on the disease and to discuss future management and containment plans. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, November 17, at 7:00 pm. Register for the webinar online. Additional in-person public outreach opportunities will be hosted in Livingston County and details will be available on DEC’s website once they are scheduled.

About Chronic Wasting Disease

CWD is an always fatal transmissible disease that affects the brain and central nervous system of deer, moose, and elk.

DEC began CWD monitoring efforts in 2002. In 2005, CWD was confirmed in both captive and wild deer in Oneida County – the first incidents of the disease in New York State. In 2024, CWD was confirmed in a captive red deer herd in southern Herkimer County. Since 2002, DEC has tested over 70,000 wild deer statewide with no additional cases being discovered.

There is no evidence that CWD is linked to disease in humans, domestic dogs or cats, or domestic livestock other than deer, moose and elk. However, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends not consuming the venison from any deer known to have CWD. Visit the CDC website for additional details on CWD. To protect domestic animals from any disease, keep them from scavenging or coming into contact with sick or dead wildlife and report suspected exposures to your veterinarian.

Hunters that harvest a deer in New York outside of the containment area can pay to have their deer tested. To learn more, visit the Cornell University Wildlife health lab website.

More information on CWD in New York State can be found on DEC’s website.

Contact for this Page Jeff Wernick Press Office 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233

Phone: 518-402-8000PressOffice@dec.ny.govThis Page Covers New York State

https://dec.ny.gov/news/press-releases/2026/11/dec-announces-chronic-wasting-disease-found-in-livingston-county-wild-deer

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced it identified a positive case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a wild deer harvested in the Town of Sparta, Livingston County. This is the first occurrence of CWD in a wild deer in New York State since 2005.

https://dec.ny.gov/news/press-releases/2026/11/dec-announces-chronic-wasting-disease-found-in-livingston-county-wild-deer

NOVEMBER 8, 2024 | ALBANY, NY

New York State Update on Confirmed Case of Chronic Wasting Disease in Herkimer County

Update on Confirmed Case of Chronic Wasting Disease in Herkimer County

Following last week’s confirmation of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) found in a captive deer, New York State today continues to investigate the detection to protect New York’s wild deer population. CWD was detected in one captive red deer in a private deer farm located in Herkimer County during routine agriculture-based surveillance efforts conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM). The presence of CWD was confirmed through testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Working with state and federal partners, AGM quarantined the captive deer herd in accordance with the State’s Interagency CWD Response Plan, found here.

CWD is an infectious, degenerative disease of cervids, such as deer, moose, and elk, that causes brain cells to die, ultimately leading to the death of the affected animal. The incubation period can be lengthy and infected animals may look healthy until the end stages of the disease, making them difficult to distinguish from healthy animals. Animals infected with CWD can transmit the disease to other animals during the silent incubation period, so controlling the disease and preventing its spread to the wild deer population is imperative, for both animal welfare and ecological health. USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services will depopulate and AGM will test all deer on the premises to reduce the potential of disease transmission to other deer.

At this time, there is no evidence that CWD is present in wild deer. Although the threat to public health from the captive deer herd detection is low and there is no strong evidence that CWD can infect humans, people should not consume meat from a CWD-positive deer. As with any game, people should not consume meat from animals that appear sick.

The State is also continuing to investigate how CWD was introduced into this herd, which is a closed herd with an extensive testing history in a CWD non-detect state. The deer herd owner sourced the deer from a USDA-CWD-free certified herd and routinely submitted animals for CWD testing beyond the state’s minimum requirements. The owner is fully cooperating with the investigation and has provided all necessary information to assist the state with their search for the source of this infection.

As part of the ongoing investigation, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is enhancing surveillance of wild deer in the area, which includes working with USDA Wildlife Services and cooperating landowners to collect wild deer on private properties immediately adjacent to the captive facility.

Hunters can help disease surveillance efforts by voluntarily submitting harvested deer heads to drop boxes deployed at several locations in Herkimer and Otsego Counties, including in the Towns of Columbia, German Flatts, Litchfield, Warren, Winfield, and Richfield.

Outside of these townships, hunters who wish to have their deer tested may submit a sample to the Cornell University Wildlife Health lab (https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/hunter-cwd-testing). Hunters will be notified if there is a positive result. Hunters with a positive result should contact DEC’s Region 6 Wildlife Office at 315-785-2263 or email at cwd.response@dec.ny.gov to dispose of the venison safely and properly.

Hunters are encouraged to continue participating in big game seasons. In states where CWD is present, hunting remains an important wildlife management tool. Please sign up for the State’s hunting newsletters at https://dec.ny.gov/news/dec-delivers to receive the latest updates as the State’s CWD investigation continues.

Anyone that observes sick or dying deer, including roadkill deer, in the towns of Columbia, German Flatts, or Warren in Herkimer County, and the town of Richfield in Otsego County, should report the deer at cwd.response@dec.ny.gov or call DEC’s Region 6 Wildlife Office (315-785-2263).

CWD Sampling Drop-Off Locations:

Town of Warren

131 Hyde-Bell Lane, Jordanville NY 13361 (highway department) Town of Columbia

936 Jordanville Road, Ilion NY 13367 (sand building) 147 County Route 259, Ilion NY 13357(town hall) Town of Litchfield

804 Cedarville Road, Ilion NY 13357 (highway department) Town of Winfield

306 Stone Road, West Winfield NY 13491(highway department) Town of Herkimer

225 North Main Street, Herkimer NY 13350(Herkimer DEC Office) Town of Richfield

Boss Farm, 1545 County Route 25, Richfield Springs 13439 AGM monitors the health and movement of all captive deer and elk for the presence of common livestock diseases, including CWD. In 2004, AGM 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.

CWD was first reported in New York in 2005 in Oneida County in captive deer and two wild deer. It was eradicated through a thorough response operation. In 2014, the State announced its Interagency CWD Response Plan to outline actions to guide eradication efforts following a potential CWD detect.

Contact the Press Office Contact us by phone: Albany Office: (518) 457-0752 State Fair Office: (315) 487-7711 Contact us by email: Jola.Szubielski@agriculture.ny.govHanna.Birkhead@agriculture.ny.govJulia.Mason@agriculture.ny.govSean.Farnsworth@agriculture.ny.gov Mailing Address: The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets 10B Airline Drive Albany, New York 12235 The Great New York State Fair 581 State Fair Boulevard Syracuse, New York 13209

https://agriculture.ny.gov/news/update-confirmed-case-chronic-wasting-disease-herkimer-county

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/status-of-captive-herds.pdf

Delaware Confirms State’s First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease in Wild White-tailed Deer

Delaware Health and Social Services | Department of Agriculture | Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Division of Fish and Wildlife | Featured Posts | Newsroom | Date Posted:

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Listen

An alert graphic showing two white-tailed deer in a field beneath a warning icon and the words “Chronic Wasting Disease,” with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control logo at the bottom. [versión en españolOpen this document with ReadSpeaker docReader] [vèsyon kreyòl ayisyenOpen this document with ReadSpeaker docReader]

Delaware has confirmed its first case of Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, in a wild white-tailed deer. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) announced the positive result today after it was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory (USDA NVSL) in a hunter-harvested deer sampled as part of routine surveillance. A second deer sampled this season tested presumptive positive at the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System and is awaiting confirmation by the USDA NVSL. CWD had not previously been found in Delaware.

Both positive samples came from white-tailed deer harvested in Sussex County. DNREC has already contacted the hunters who harvested those deer. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife has conducted annual CWD surveillance since 2003, with 12,938 samples tested since then, and the two positive samples were out of more than 600 sampled statewide from the 2025-26 hunting season.

CWD is a fatal disease of the brain and nervous system affecting cervid species, including deer, elk and moose, caused by infectious, misfolded proteins called prions. CWD has been reported to occur in cervids six months of age and older. Scientists believe that CWD prions are spread between animals through bodily fluids, including saliva, blood, urine and feces, which can occur through direct contact or indirectly through contamination of soil, food or water. CWD can also be transmitted from doe to fawn in utero or during birth, and has been found in buck semen. Currently, no treatments or vaccines are available.

Although there is no known transmission to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends hunters who harvest deer, including white-tailed, red, sika, or mule, elk or moose from an area where CWD has been confirmed have their animals tested for CWD before consuming the meat. Meat from an animal that tests positive should not be eaten.

Immediately following the positive confirmation, DNREC put its CWD Response PlanOpen this document with ReadSpeaker docReader into effect. DNREC established a CWD Management Zone based on Wildlife Management Zones within a 5-mile radius around where the deer was harvested and will begin cluster sampling in that area to look for any additional cases nearby. The CWD Management Area encompasses wildlife management zones 14 and 16Open this document with ReadSpeaker docReader. Hunters who harvested deer in this area may be contacted directly with relevant information.

Delaware officials will work with wildlife disease experts to determine an appropriate sample size based on the situation on the ground. If more deer test positive, the response area will be expanded and additional sampling will follow. DNREC has posted CWD information as well as the response plan, and plans to hold a community meeting near the detection area so residents can ask questions and get updates. During the next deer hunting season, Delaware plans to require mandatory deer check-in at wildlife health check stations, when open, for CWD testing within the designated infection area, and may enact regulation changes designed to reduce the spread among wild deer.

CWD has been reported in 37 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. It is the first time it has been detected on Delmarva.

CWD can spread quickly amongst these species as they move from area to area searching for food sources.

The public can help slow the spread of CWD by taking these steps:

Do not move live deer. Do not feed, bait or provide water for wild deer. Dispose of carcasses from Delaware at the landfill and do not bring whole carcasses into Delaware from out of state, nor move whole carcasses outside the CWD Management Area. Report sick or abnormal deer using DNREC’s Sick and Injured Wildlife Reporting Form. Signs may include weight loss, poor coordination, drooping ears, drooling, difficulty swallowing and frequent urination. Do not shoot, handle or eat animals that look sick or act strangely. Avoid touching or eating meat from animals discovered dead in the environment. Use synthetic deer urine products instead of natural ones and avoid pouring natural deer urine on the ground. Although recreational deer harvest is closed for the season in Delaware, farmers removing deer from their farms through Deer Damage Assistance Programs should follow precautions.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) is urging all cervid farms to maintain strict biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of their captive cervids coming into contact with wildlife, including checking the integrity of the farm’s boundary fences. Any animals that die on a captive cervid farm must be reported to the DDA Office of the State Veterinarian and to DNREC within one business day and will be submitted to a USDA-approved laboratory for testing. More information about captive cervid emergency preparedness and biosecurity is available on the USDA website.

DNREC will continue its long-standing surveillance to better understand the extent of the disease and monitor its spread. More information, including the state response plan, a map of the management area and public guidance, about CWD is available at the de.gov/cwd webpage.

About DNREC The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 75,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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Delaware Confirms State’s First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease in Wild White-tailed Deer Date Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2026

https://news.delaware.gov/2026/04/21/delaware-confirms-states-first-case-of-chronic-wasting-disease-in-wild-white-tailed-deer/

***New York CWD TSE Prion

New York, to date, CWD TSE Prion has been detected in 5 captive cervid and 2 wild cervid...tss

In spring 2005, CWD was first detected in New York in a captive deer herd in Oneida County. A second infected deer was discovered in a nearby captive herd within days of the index case. Deer had been exchanged between the two herds. Both herds were depopulated and indemnification was paid by DEC. Five captive deer tested positive for CWD. The index herd also had a taxidermy studio and engaged in the rehabilitation of white-tailed deer; deer may have been exposed to CWD via improperly handled taxidermy waste (salt). Immediate intensive sampling efforts began in a 10-mile radius “containment area” around those herds. Two wild deer tested positive for CWD during that sampling effort. Emergency regulations were subsequently enacted, which included: ...snip...see full report;

New York State Interagency CWD Risk Minimization Plan

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Fish and Wildlife

Prepared February 2018

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/cwdpreventionplan2018.pdf

https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/86796.html

https://downloads.regulations.gov/APHIS-2018-0011-0003/attachment_1.pdf

SECOND CASE OF CWD FOUND IN ONEIDA COUNTY DEER

State's Trace Back Finds Second Positive CWD in Herd Directly Linked to Index Herd

*** NOTE TO REPORTERS: There will be an 11:00 am press conference call with State officials from the Departments of Agriculture & Markets and Environmental Conservation to answer any questions regarding todays announcement. To participate in the call, reporters should call 1-866-814-1918. Please be prepared to provide the operator with the conference ID#  682688 and conference name  CWD.

A second positive case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in New York State has been confirmed in a white-tailed deer from a captive herd in Oneida County that is directly linked to the herd where a white-tailed doe was found positive for CWD earlier this week.

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.

During the investigation of the States first case of CWD this week, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets found that one of the herds associated with the index animal had recently sent a sample to the States Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to be tested for CWD. The sample was collected and sent for testing as part of the States mandatory CWD surveillance and testing protocols.

The positive sample was from a two and a half year old white-tailed deer that died from aspiration pneumonia, which is often but not exclusively associated with CWD. Due to the direct association with the index herd, the Department expedited the testing procedure by re-routing the sample to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, which late yesterday found the sample to be positive for CWD.

Two days ago, the New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets, and Environmental Conservation announced the States first case of CWD, found in a six-year old white-tailed doe from a captive herd in Oneida County. The deer was sampled as part of the States Enhanced CWD Surveillance and Monitoring Program.

Currently, the index herd and the six other associated herds including the second positive herd are under quarantine. All animals remaining in the index herd and the herd with the second confirmed positive herd will be depopulated and tested for CWD. The investigation to determine the source of the infection is ongoing.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will continue to seek any susceptible deer that came into contact with either herd and to assess the health and environmental risks associated with such establishments.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will continue to conduct intensive monitoring of the wild deer population surrounding the two positive herds to determine if CWD has 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.

More information and the transcript of Thursdays press conference regarding the first positive case of CWD in New York State can be found at the Department of Agriculture and Markets website at www.agmkt.state.ny.us or at the Department of Environmental Conservations website at www.dec.state.ny.us .

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http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AD/release.asp?ReleaseID=1423

DEC began CWD monitoring efforts in 2002, but intensified the effort in 2005 after CWD was confirmed in both captive and wild deer in Oneida County – the first incidents of the disease in New York State. Since that time, DEC has tested over 40,000 deer statewide with no additional cases being discovered, until now.

New York State Interagency

Chronic Wasting Disease

Response Plan 2015-2025

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/cwdresplan2015.pdf

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/cwdpreventionplan2018.pdf

New York State Interagency CWD Risk Minimization Plan

snip...

The Oneida County CWD outbreak in 2005 was at a captive deer facility where the owner mixed taxidermy and deer rehabilitation activities together so NY has taken steps to limit co-occurrence of these activities. This captive facility was designated as Special Purpose (Monitored) and conducted required testing. The subsequent epidemiological investigation revealed CWD-positive animals in the facility and in the wild.

snip...

*From publication of the new rule (Oct. 15, 2013) forward, all new CWD-certified herds will be required to have a restraint system.

Why are deer carcasses and parts a risk for CWD entry?

Prions are found throughout the body, but are in higher concentrations in specific tissues, such as the brain, spinal cord, tonsils, lymph nodes, spleen, and intestinal tract (Williams 2005). Disposal of deer carcasses by hunters is not easily regulated in New York. A deer carcass that is disposed of on the landscape where it is available to scavengers and wild deer presents a risk because prions are not easily degraded and can remain viable for an undetermined amount of time [>16 years for scrapie prions (Georgsson et al. 2006)]. Prions bind to soil particles and remain infectious and prions can be taken up by plants (Pritzkow et al. 2015). Scavengers may transport prions in feces (VerCauteren et al. 2012, Nichols et al. 2015). A minimum of 54,000 deer are taken to taxidermists and processors each year in New York and of those, an estimated 3-5% (>2000) are deer harvested from outside the state. When conducting a 2012 survey of deer hunting businesses in the state, DEC biologists found that many deer processors and taxidermists were unaware that DEC’s solid waste regulations applied to their businesses for waste disposal (Appendix V). For disposal, 50% of businesses used a landfill, 25% used rendering services exclusively, and 15% indicated they composted, used a pit, or otherwise left carcasses on the landscape where they could be encountered by wild deer and present a risk of disease transmission to wild deer. The remaining 10% used a variety of methods, with <1% choosing incineration. Our concern is that 25% of businesses (those not using landfills or rendering) were disposing of waste with a method that made prions directly available to wild deer.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/cwdpreventionplan2018.pdf

Is CWD in New York State? CWD was discovered in two captive deer facilities in New York in 2005 and subsequently in two wild whitetailed deer nearby. Intensive annual surveillance has not identified any additional cases in that area or in the rest of the state. Keeping CWD out of New York is a priority for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets (DAM).

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/cwdbooklet2018.pdf

https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7191.html#Surveillance

SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2018

New York Status Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion History To Date

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2018/03/new-york-status-chronic-wasting-disease.html

SATURDAY, AUGUST 05, 2017

CWD PLAN Singeltary Submission Comment New York State DEC

Greetings New York State DEC, and Honorable Team Members et al,

i wish to kindly submit comments on your CWD Plan. my comments will follow a snip of your request for comments page CWD Risk Minimization Plan. please take my submission very seriously, and please read over the most updated science on the CWD TSE Prion, and i have included the most recent data on Prion 2017 Conference with video url link. i only wish, ...

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2017/08/cwd-plan-singeltary-submission-comment.html

Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards

Posted by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Oct 26, 2026

Comment from Singeltary Sr., Terry

Attachments 1

https://www.regulations.gov/comment/APHIS-2026-0563-0006

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/status-of-captive-herds.pdf

***> you can’t cook the CWD TSE Prion out of meat, and in fact, cooking actually enhances the CWD TSE Prion in meat…terry

Volume 31, Number 2—February 2025

Dispatch

Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Raw, Processed, and Cooked Elk Meat, Texas, USA

Snip…

Of note, our data show that exposure to high temperatures used to cook the meat increased the availability of prions for in vitro amplification. Considering the potential implications in food safety and public health, we believe that the findings described in this study warrant further research. Our results suggest that although the elk meat used in this study resisted different manipulations involved in subsequent consumption by humans, their zoonotic potential was limited. Nevertheless, even though no cases of CWD transmission to human have been reported, the potential for human infection is still unclear and continued monitoring for zoonotic potential is warranted.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/2/24-0906_article

Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in processed meats

Results: Our results show positive prion detection in all the samples analyzed using deer and elk substrates. Surprisingly, cooked meats displayed increased seeding activities. This data suggests that CWD-prions are available to people even after meats are processed and cooked.

Conclusions: These results suggest CWD prions are accessible to humans through meats, even after processing and cooking. Considering the fact that these samples were collected from already processed specimens, the availability of CWD prions to humans is probably underestimated.

"Our results show positive prion detection in all the samples analyzed using deer and elk substrates. Surprisingly, cooked meats displayed increased seeding activities."

Meeting-book-final-version prion 2023 Prion 2023 Congress Organizing Committee and the NeuroPrion Association, we invite you to join us for the International Conference Prion2023 from 16-20 October 2023 in Faro, Portugal.

https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20250828201533/https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed-Zahid-Shah/publication/378314391_Meeting-book-final-version_prion_2023/links/65d44dad28b7720cecdca95f/Meeting-book-final-version-prion-2023.pdf

DETECTION OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE PRIONS IN PROCESSED MEATS.

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.

https://intcwdsympo.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/final-agenda-with-abstracts.pdf?force_download=true

Transmission of prion infectivity from CWD-infected macaque tissues to rodent models demonstrates the zoonotic potential of chronic wasting disease.

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

=====

https://intcwdsympo.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/final-agenda-with-abstracts.pdf?force_download=true

Prions in Muscles of Cervids with Chronic Wasting Disease, Norway

Volume 31, Number 2—February 2025

Research

Prions in Muscles of Cervids with Chronic Wasting Disease, Norway

Snip…

In summary, the results of our study indicate that prions are widely distributed in peripheral and edible tissues of cervids in Norway, including muscles. This finding highlights the risk of human exposure to small amounts of prions through handling and consuming infected cervids.

Appendix

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/2/24-0903-app1.pdf

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/2/24-0903_article

CDC CWD TSE Prion Update 2025

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://web.archive.org/web/20241120220110/https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-wasting/about/index.html

MONDAY, JULY 06, 2026

Cervid CWD TSE PrP Transmission to Humans, has it already happened and being masked as sporadic CJD, What if? July 2026 Review

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/07/cervid-cwd-tse-prp-transmission-to.html

***> CWD to Cattle by oral route  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.”

Strain characterization of chronic wasting disease in bovine-PrP transgenic mice

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.

Prion 2023 Congress Organizing Committee and the NeuroPrion Association, we invite you to join us for the International Conference Prion2023 from 16-20 October 2023 in Faro, Portugal.

https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20250828201533/https://prion2023.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Meeting-book-final-version2.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed-Zahid-Shah/publication/378314391_Meeting-book-final-version_prion_2023/links/65d44dad28b7720cecdca95f/Meeting-book-final-version-prion-2023.pdf

“Conclusions: Cattle with the E211K polymorphism are susceptible to the CWD agent after oronasal exposure of 0.2 g of infectious material.”

***> CWD Transmits to Pigs By Oral Routes

Outbreak of cwd in pigs in Texas and Arkansas;

Chronic wasting disease prions in cervids and wild pigs in North America Preliminary Outbreak Assessment DEFRA 26 January 2026 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Preliminary Outbreak Assessment

Chronic wasting disease prions in cervids and wild pigs in North America

26 January 2026

Disease report

“They analysed over 300 brain and lymph node samples from 178 wild pigs living across Arkansas and Texas, USA…the researchers identified CWD prions in up to 37% of the lymph node samples and 15% of brain samples. The lowest detection rates were in the Texas samples (below 16%), matching the lower CWD prevalence in the state’s cervid population.”

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697a3b013c71d838df6bd413/CWD_Prions_in_Cervids_and_Wild_Pigs_in_North_America.pdf

***> white-tailed deer (WTD) infected with scrapie from sheep can transmit the disease to other deer under conditions mimicking natural exposure

Research Project: Elucidating the Pathobiology and Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: Differentiation of scrapie from chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer

Accomplishments

1. 01 Determined that white-tailed deer (WTD) infected with scrapie from sheep can transmit the disease to other deer under conditions mimicking natural exposure. It has long been suggested that prion disease in deer (chronic wasting disease (CWD)) was caused by the prion agent from sheep. The prion disease that affects sheep, scrapie, has been recognized for hundreds of years. However, chronic wasting disease, a similar disease found in WTD, has only been recognized since the 1960s. ARS researchers in Ames, Iowa, showed that white-tailed deer sick with scrapie from sheep can infect other deer under conditions mimicking natural exposure. Furthermore, this work shows that CWD is difficult to differentiate from WTD infected with scrapie. WTD scrapie prions accumulate in the lymphoreticular system in a manner similar to CWD, meaning that environmental contamination may occur through feces, saliva, and other body fluids of scrapie affected WTD as has been shown for CWD. The presence of WTD infected with scrapie could confound mitigation efforts for chronic wasting disease. This information informs regulatory officials, the farmed cervid industry, and officials tasked with protecting animal health such as state Departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, or Parks and Wildlife with regard to a disease similar to CWD but arising from sheep scrapie that could be present in WTD that have contact with scrapie affected sheep and/or goats.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=440677&fy=202

***> “Determined that white-tailed deer (WTD) infected with scrapie from sheep can transmit the disease to other deer under conditions mimicking natural exposure. It has long been suggested that prion disease in deer (chronic wasting disease (CWD)) was caused by the prion agent from sheep.”

Volume 27, Number 12—December 2021 Dispatch Experimental Oronasal Transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease Agent from White-Tailed Deer to Suffolk Sheep

2017 Annual Report

Scrapie to Pigs

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…

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/12/20-4978_article

***> CWD Transmits To Pigs

Detection of infectivity in orally inoculated pigs using mouse bioassay raises the possibility that naturally exposed pigs could act as a reservoir of CWD infectivity. Currently, swine rations in the U.S. could contain animal derived components including materials from deer or elk. In addition, feral swine could be exposed to infected carcasses in areas where CWD is present in wildlife populations. The current feed ban in the U.S. is based exclusively on keeping tissues from TSE infected cattle from entering animal feeds. These results indicating the susceptibility of pigs to CWD, 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.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=353091

CWD to Pigs By Oral Route

Detection of infectivity in orally inoculated pigs using mouse bioassay raises the possibility that naturally exposed pigs could act as a reservoir of CWD infectivity. Currently, swine rations in the U.S. could contain animal derived components including materials from deer or elk. In addition, feral swine could be exposed to infected carcasses in areas where CWD is present in wildlife populations. The current feed ban in the U.S. is based exclusively on keeping tissues from TSE infected cattle from entering animal feeds. These results indicating the susceptibility of pigs to CWD, 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.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=432011&fy=2017

https://web.archive.org/web/20181013061739/https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=432011&fy=2017

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.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=337105

In the US, feeding of ruminant by-products to ruminants is prohibited, but feeding of ruminant materials to swine, mink, and poultry still occurs. In addition, scavenging of CWD-affected cervid carcasses by feral pigs presents a potential risk for CWD exposure.

snip…

This study demonstrates that pigs can serve as potential hosts for CWD, although with low attack rates and scant PrPcwd accumulation. Detection of infectivity in orally challenged pigs using mouse bioassay raises the possibility that naturally exposed pigs act as a reservoir of CWD infectivity, even though affected pigs do not develop overt clinical signs or readily detectable PrPcwd.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=326166

***> CWD to deer by oral route, minimum infectious dose approximates 100 to 300 ng CWD-positive brain (or saliva equivalent)

Very low oral exposure to prions of brain or saliva origin can transmit chronic wasting disease

Nathaniel D. Denkers , Clare E. Hoover , Kristen A. Davenport, Davin M. Henderson, Erin E. McNulty, Amy V. Nalls, Candace K. Mathiason, Edward A. Hoover

Published: August 20, 2020

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237410

Abstract

The minimum infectious dose required to induce CWD infection in cervids remains unknown, as does whether peripherally shed prions and/or multiple low dose exposures are important factors in CWD transmission. With the goal of better understand CWD infection in nature, we studied oral exposures of deer to very low doses of CWD prions and also examined whether the frequency of exposure or prion source may influence infection and pathogenesis. We orally inoculated white-tailed deer with either single or multiple divided doses of prions of brain or saliva origin and monitored infection by serial longitudinal tissue biopsies spanning over two years. We report that oral exposure to as little as 300 nanograms (ng) of CWD-positive brain or to saliva containing seeding activity equivalent to 300 ng of CWD-positive brain, were sufficient to transmit CWD disease. This was true whether the inoculum was administered as a single bolus or divided as three weekly 100 ng exposures. However, when the 300 ng total dose was apportioned as 10, 30 ng doses delivered over 12 weeks, no infection occurred. While low-dose exposures to prions of brain or saliva origin prolonged the time from inoculation to first detection of infection, once infection was established, we observed no differences in disease pathogenesis. These studies suggest that the CWD minimum infectious dose approximates 100 to 300 ng CWD-positive brain (or saliva equivalent), and that CWD infection appears to conform more with a threshold than a cumulative dose dynamic.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0237410

“We report that oral exposure to as little as 300 nanograms (ng) of CWD-positive brain or to saliva containing seeding activity equivalent to 300 ng of CWD-positive brain, were sufficient to transmit CWD disease.”

***> Don’t forget the Camel TSE Prion Disease, new Livestock Species with TSE Prion disease.

Camel Prion Disease, Tataouine, Tunisia, 2019–2021 CDC Dispatch August 2026

Volume 32, Number 8—August 2026

Camel Prion Disease, Tataouine, Tunisia, 2019–2021

We report 6 cases of camel prion disease in dromedaries in Tunisia, confirming widespread occurrence in North Africa.

The recent detection of sheep scrapie in the same area of Tunisia as CPrD (15) raises the question of possible links, although no similarities have yet been shown.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/32/8/25-1474_article

snip…

The detection of PrPSc in all available lymph nodes, together with the relatively young age of some camels, supports the hypothesis that CPrD is a transmissible prion disease. As in scrapie and chronic wasting disease, lymphoid involvement may enable extraneural propagation and serve as a source of environmental contamination (2–5), raising concerns about prion shedding and persistence.

snip…

Taken together, the data from Algeria and Tunisia suggest that CPrD may be endemic in certain areas. Despite the limited number of reported cases so far, the absence of active surveillance programs in those countries, unlike in Europe for scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), raises the possibility of a higher number of undetected cases. Given frequent cross-border movements and the extensive pastoral systems in which camels roam widely, contact between herds in Tunisia and herds in Algeria is frequent and has possible implications for disease circulation.

CPrD may substantially affect camel health and production, given that dromedaries are long-lived animals with extended reproductive and productive roles and are vital to pastoralist communities in arid regions. Its detection in areas where camels are central to food production underscores the need to understand its epidemiology, transmission, and long-term impact.

The emergence of a new animal prion disease also raises public health concerns. Although only BSE has shown zoonotic potential, its history highlights the necessity of monitoring all animal prion diseases. Long incubation and absence of early clinical markers complicate risk assessment, as exemplified by the decade-long delay between cattle BSE and the variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease epidemic in humans (2).

Given the potential implications for animal and human health and the possible socioeconomic impact in regions where dromedaries play a key role, ongoing surveillance and in-depth characterization of CPrD are essential to enhance our comprehension of its epidemiology, host range, and zoonotic potential.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/32/8/25-1474_article

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comment?id=10.1371/annotation/fea97a95-2600-42a6-b289-0f490896a3aa

***> hay, straw, plants, vegetables, TSE Prion uptake

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Hazard identification for the risks to terrestrial animal health from the import of hay and straw, BSE, CWD, Scrapie, TSE, Prion

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hazard-identification-for-the-risks-to-terrestrial-animal-health-from-the-import-of-hay-and-straw/hazard-identification-for-the-risks-to-terrestrial-animal-health-from-the-import-of-hay-and-straw

https://defrauktseprp.blogspot.com/2026/06/hazard-identification-for-risks-to.html 

USA Report, Scrapie, CWD, BSE, TSE, Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Cervid, Humans, Zoonotic, 2026

April 2026

https://fdabse589.blogspot.com/2026/04/usa-report-scrapie-cwd-bse-tse-cattle.html

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403956772_USA_Report_Scrapie_CWD_BSE_TSE_Cattle_Sheep_Pigs_Cervid_Humans_Zoonotic_2026

SUNDAY, AUGUST 09, 2026

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD and Population Declines of Cervid

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/08/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-and.html

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/229/cwd-prion-population-declines-cervid

***> 1. 01 Determined that white-tailed deer (WTD) infected with scrapie from sheep can transmit the disease to other deer under conditions mimicking natural exposure.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=440677&fy=202

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=336834

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/30/8/24-0007_article

Scrapie TSE Prion, Singeltary review, October 2026

https://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2026/10/scrapie-tse-prion-singeltary-review.html

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/250/scrapie-prion-singeltary-review-2026

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2026

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Strains and Potential Zoonotic Ramifications

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/10/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse-prion.html

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/255/prion-strains-potential-zoonotic-ramifications

 ***> Additionally, we have determined that prion seeding activity is retained for at least fifteen years at a contaminated site following attempted remediation.

***> Infectious agent of sheep scrapie may persist in the environment for at least 16 years

***> Nine of these recurrences occurred 14–21 years after culling, apparently as the result of environmental contamination, but outside entry could not always be absolutely excluded.

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion, Economical, Environmental, Zoonotic, Risk Factors 2026

https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2026/02/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse-prion.html

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2025

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Environmental Factors Update

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/180/chronic-wasting-disease-environmental-factors

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/09/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse-prion.html

CWD TSE PRION CERVID ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS 2023

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375182191_CWD_TSE_PRION_CERVID_ENVIRONMENTAL_RISK_FACTORS_2023

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2026

TPW Commission Meeting Transcript CWD TSE PrP January 22, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/03/tpw-commission-meeting-transcript-cwd.html

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/213/texas-chronic-wasting-disease-science

COMMISSIONER GALO: Chairman, if I may.

I agree with you. There’s a lot of people that really do disagree with this plan. And I think that it does change a lot of what we have been doing in the past when we were with Texas Animal Health Commission.

And, as you know, at the last meeting I had some very big concerns. And I left that meeting and I’ve been thinking about a lot that was said there and a lot about this particular rule package.

And if you may favor me, Chairman, I actually put a statement together because I don’t want to… I felt like I left a lot of things unsaid at the last meeting.

So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to read, and maybe that will clarify some of the reasons that people disagree with this rule package.

Texas A&M studies put the total economic output of white-tailed deer hunting in Texas at around $9.6 billion– $4.6 billion for hunters and $5 billion from landowners, encompassing expenditures on licenses, lodging, feed, management, and more.

Additionally, it generates tens of thousands of jobs across the state. Chronic wasting disease is a threat to this vital cornerstone of Texas’ outdoor recreation and its economy. Unfortunately, CWD remains an incredibly difficult disease to manage due to the ease of transmission, the elusive detection in infected animals, its extended incubation period, and its tenacious persistence in the environment once it’s introduced.

Because we now know that there are two primary sources of exposure, one, CWD-infected deer, and two, a CWD-contaminated environment, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department must continue a rigorous statewide surveillance program, follow effective protocol for action in the instance of detection, and especially prevent its spread pursuant to TWD [Sic]/CWD management plan.

While the TPWD plan to deal with CWD was meant to be dynamic and evolving, TPWD cannot accept the proposed rule which grants, quote– and I quote– “grants TPWD staff explicit authority to develop disease management plans for trace and positive facilities,” end quote; and especially that which relates to the movement of animals out of an infected location.

The department has determined that allowing breeder deer to be moved from an exposed location represents an unacceptable risk of spreading CWD to native, free-ranging, and captive deer populations unless a determination based on the particulars of a given circumstance indicates the risk is neither nonexistent or acceptable.

The above proposed discretionary approach to management resulted in TWD [Sic] staff electing to release 13 bucks from a CWD-positive facility onto an immediately adjacent uninfected site, something which under the previous rule, and adhering to previous protocol, they would not have had the authority to do.

The release was done in mid-September of 2025. One month later, one of the bucks released under the disease management plan tested positive for CWD on the release site; and a second buck from the same group a month and a few days after that. There were 11 properties that were directly exposed to the department’s action… exposed by the department’s actions– 11 properties.

The recent documented disease spread due to deviation from the previous rule adopted during the period where the Texas Animal Health Commission was managing CWD with TPWD is incontrovertible evidence that we cannot deviate from those previously established safeguards. To date, CWD has persisted, spread, and increased in prevalence in nearly every area where it has been introduced.

Unfortunately, because currently there are no known management strategies to successfully mitigate the risk of indirect transmission once an environment has been contaminated with infectious prions, disease prevention is the only prudent recourse.

The best way to manage CWD is to prevent its introduction into new areas and limit its spread. Established safeguards cannot be abandoned. Discontinuation or deviation from prior proven protocol exposes the department to potential liability as CWD will certainly spread to neighboring properties unless established CWD containment procedures are followed.

The department cannot revert to methods from the past which we know caused the spread of this ultimately fatal disease. We must recognize the need for full cooperation and partnership between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioners and the department and its staff, and continue to implement the plans and procedures which were developed and incorporated as the epidemiology and management of this disease became better understood, and until science provides a new and a better plan.

Those are my comments.

CHAIRMAN FOSTER: That’s impressive, first of all, and I appreciate you doing that.

It does… it’s kind of a wake-up call to us to make sure that we keep our eye on the ball. It causes me to ask the question, gentlemen, that I know we’re being forced to implement new rules because of the Texas Animal Health Commission’s withdrawal from this area.

And I want to make sure that what we’re doing doesn’t dilute our efforts to manage this disease, and that we, by trying to step in and replace Animal Health Commission’s role, that we don’t change our mission.

And I think that’s a lot of what Commissioner Galo was talking about. And so, I just would ask you to comment, first of all, on her statement because that was quite a statement.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/meetings/2026/0326/agenda/prev_worksession_transcript.phtml

Texas CWD TSE Prion Cases Climb To 1,420 Detected To Date and TPWC Meeting November 2026 Singeltary Submission

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/262/texas-prion-cases-climb-detected

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/416770173_Texas_CWD_TSE_Prion_Cases_Climb_To_1420_Detected_To_Date_and_TPWC_Meeting_November_2026_Singeltary_Submission

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/10/texas-cwd-tse-prion-cases-climb-to-1420.html

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

Texas 5th Captive Herd Depopulated This Year Due To Positive CWD TSE Prion

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/09/texas-5th-captive-herd-depopulated-this.html

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/242/texas-captive-deer-herd-depopulated

TUESDAY, APRIL 07, 2026

APHIS USDA Captive CWD Herds Update by State March 2026 Update

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/243/aphis-captive-herd-status-september

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/09/aphis-captive-herd-cwd-status-september.html

***> Cervid CWD TSE PrP Transmission to Humans, has it already happened and being masked as sporadic CJD, What if? July 2026 Review

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/07/cervid-cwd-tse-prp-transmission-to.html

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/224/cervid-transmission-humans-july-review

TSS