9 GAME FARMS IN WISCONSIN TEST POSITIVE FOR CWD
9 GAME FARMS IN WISCONSIN TEST POSITIVE FOR CWD
> > > The CWD infection rate was nearly 80%, the highest ever in a North American captive herd.
Despite the five year premise plan and site decontamination, The WI DNR has concerns over the bioavailability of infectious prions at this site to wild white-tail deer should these fences be removed. Current research indicates that prions can persist in soil for a minimum of 3 years.
However, Georgsson et al. (2006) concluded that prions that produced scrapie disease in sheep remained bioavailable and infectious for at least 16 years in natural Icelandic environments, most likely in contaminated soil.
Additionally, the authors reported that from 1978-2004, scrapie recurred on 33 sheep farms, of which 9 recurrences occurred 14-21 years after initial culling and subsequent restocking efforts; these findings further emphasize the effect of environmental contamination on sustaining TSE infectivity and that long-term persistence of prions in soils may be substantially greater than previously thought. < < <
SEEMS Wisconsin may have to have a 5 year CWD plan of quarantine and disinfection for the whole state of Wisconsin, and that probably is not near long enough. it may take decades, if Wisconsin can ever be cleaned up at all. Wisconsin has 9 _documented_ CWD infected game farms to date. Wisconsin should close every one of those CWD infected game farms down, and do the same thing with them, as they did the Almond Buckhorn Farm. just my opinion. ...TSS
> > > similar if less acute concerns exist for all nine deer farms in Wisconsin that have tested positive for CWD. < < <
WISCONSIN DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES
NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
West Central Region
1300 W. Clalremont Ave., PO Box 4001, Eau Claire, WI 54702-2786 Phone: (715) 839-3715 TDD: 711 dnr.wi.gov www.wisconsin.gov
DATE: Monday, July 18,2011
CONTACTS: Davin Lopez, ONR CWO coordinator, Madison. 608-267-2948 Kris Belling, DNR regional wildlife supervisor, Eau Claire, 715-839-3736
SUBJECT: Public input sought on future of CWO-tainted deer farm
BAD CLAlRE - Neighbors and others interested ill the deer farm formerly known as Buckhorn Flats are invited to a public meeting on the future ofthe property, now owned by the state Department of Natural Resources.
The open house meeting will mil 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 28, in the auditorium at the Almond- Bancroft School at 1336 Elm Street in Almond, Background on the property, now called the Almond Deer Farm, will be provided, and the public is invited to ask questions and offer input 011 the management of the site,
The first case of CWD, 01' chronic wasting disease, among Wisconsin farm-raised deer was discovered on this property in September 2002. CWD, which affects deer and elk, is a contagious and always fatal brain disease for which there is no cure. The discovery o.f CWD on this property led .to the . depopulation of the entire deer herd on the farm.
In the end, 82 of the deer killed and removed tested positive for CWD. This is an 80 percent infection rate, the highest rate ofCWD infection recorded in North America, and possibly in the world.
The property is located along the east side of3rd Street, about one mile north and west of the Village of Almond in Portage County. The DNR purchased the 80~acre property this past spring for $465,000. There are 25 acres of cropland and 55 acres of woodland. About 65 acres are fenced, the area previously used as a deer farm. The property includes a single-family residence and a storage shed located outside of the fence.
Research indicates prions, proteins associated with the disease, can persist in soil for a minimum of three years and perhaps much longer. Prions that cause scrapie, a CWD-Iike disease in sheep and goats, have remained available and infectious for up to 16 years. DNR officials believe there is all unacceptable risk that CWD prions would infect wild white-tailed deer around this site if the fences would be removed. Since the previous owners were selling the property, and there is no continuing obligation to maintain the fence, wildlife officials concluded the best available option was to acquire the property.
similar if less acute concerns exist for all nine deer farms in Wisconsin that have tested positive for CWD. Because the question of how long a contaminated site is a risk to deer is of national and international 'interest there will be a number of opportunities for research at the Almond farm. Plans include building a second fence, if funding is available, to provide a secondary barrier and further reduce the risk of disease transmission to the wild deer herd. In addition, DNR officials must decide whether to maintain ownership of the house and lot.
The primary reason for DNR purchase ofthe property is to ensure that the deel-,fence remains intact, preventing wild deer from accessing the property and becoming infected. The pNR has an ethical and financial responsibility to maintain the fences until science offers a solution for assessing the risk 01' remediating the site. The fence will be inspected frequently.
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The following counties are In the Wast Central Region: Adams, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Marathon, Monroe, Pepin. Pierce, Portage, st. Croix, Trempealeau, Varnon and Wood. The Public Affairs Manager for DNR West Central Region Is Ed Culhane, 715-839-3715.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD WISCONSIN Almond Deer (Buckhorn Flats) Farm Update DECEMBER 2011
SNIP...SEE FULL TEXT ;
TSS
posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at
10:31 PM
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