Texas CWD TSE Prion Cases Climb To 1,420 Detected To Date and TPWC Meeting November 2026 Singeltary Submission
Texas CWD TSE Prion Cases Climb To 1,420 Detected To Date and TPWC Meeting November 2026 Singeltary Submission
November 4-5, 2026
Paul L. Foster, Commission Chair
David Yoskowitz, Ph.D., Executive Director
T&P Station Ballroom
221 W Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Work Session
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
9:00 a.m. CST
Paul L. Foster, Commission Chair
David Yoskowitz, Ph.D., Executive Director
T&P Station
T&P Station Ballroom
221 W Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Agenda
Work Session Agenda Item 8
Presenter: Kory Gann
Chronic Wasting Disease Detection and Response Rules – Risk Mitigation Provision Amendments – Request Permission to Publish Proposed Changes in the Texas Register
I. Executive Summary: Staff seeks permission to publish proposed amendments to rules governing chronic wasting disease (CWD) detection, response, and management in the Texas Register for public comment.
II. Discussion: CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting certain cervid species, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, and exotic species such as elk, red deer, sika, and their hybrids (collectively referred to as susceptible species). If not effectively contained and managed, CWD could pose significant risks to Texas’ multi‑billion‑dollar ranching, hunting, wildlife management, and real estate sectors. For more than two decades, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has worked to detect the disease, prevent its spread, and implement epidemiologically sensible strategies to mitigate and manage its impacts. The proposed amendments would function collectively to refine and improve the department’s processes and procedures intended to manage CWD in wildlife resources.
The proposed amendments would:
- create an additional exception to risk mitigation provision rules for permittees who successfully complete a custom testing plan recommended by TPWD in an epidemiological assessment, provided the permittee and facility comply with applicable testing and fencing requirements;
- replace certain definitions with statutory references;
- clarify that an ante-mortem test cannot be used in more than one reporting year and may only be used to satisfy the testing requirements for the facility in which it was taken, except as may be specifically provided otherwise by rule;
- allow the use of a valid ante-mortem test result, taken within the facility, to substitute for post-mortem test results even if the subject animal has been transferred to another facility;
- provide a mechanism for the release of breeder deer from a non-movement-qualified (NMQ) facility that is not positive or epidemiologically linked to a positive facility, to an adjacent release facility owned by the permittee, provided certain conditions are met;
- allow retropharyngeal lymph nodes by themselves to be sufficient for testing purposes with respect to trace-out release facilities;
- consolidate timeframes for test sample submissions and expand the window for requesting a custom testing plan;
- prohibit the movement of all reproductive tissues in or out of facilities where CWD has been suspected or confirmed, unless specifically authorized by TPWD in writing; and
- make minor changes resulting from the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office review of TPWD rules.
Attachment – 1
Work Session Agenda Item 8
Exhibit A
DISEASE DETECTION AND RESPONSE RULES
PROPOSAL PREAMBLE
1. Introduction.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department proposes the repeal of 31 TAC §65.98 and amendments to §§65.87, 65.90, 65.92, 65.94, 65.95, and 65.99, concerning Disease Detection and Response. The proposed amendments would function collectively to refine and improve the department’s processes and procedures intended to manage chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wildlife resources.
CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that affects some cervid species, including wildlife resources such as white-tailed deer and mule deer, but also exotic species such as elk, red deer, sika, and their hybrids (referred to collectively as “susceptible species”). It is classified as a TSE (transmissible spongiform encephalopathy), a family of diseases that includes scrapie (found in sheep), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, found in cattle and commonly known as “Mad Cow Disease”), and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in humans. CWD is spread by prions (a misfolded protein that is the infectious agent) that other animals can acquire directly or indirectly via bodily fluids or contaminated environments. CWD prions are known to persist in soil, vegetation, water, and carcasses for over a decade and there is no practical method for denaturing them in the field. Thus, if CWD is not contained and managed, the implications of the disease for Texas and its multi-billion-dollar ranching, hunting, wildlife management, and real estate economies could be significant. The department has been engaged for over two decades in a continuous effort to detect CWD where it exists, prevent it from spreading from where it is found, and develop and implement epidemiologically sensible strategies to mitigate and manage its impacts.
The proposed amendment to §65.87, concerning Exception, would establish an additional set of conditions under which the department could waive any provision of the subchapter, consisting of an epidemiological assessment conducted by the department, completion of a custom testing plan predicated on that epidemiological assessment, and compliance with testing and fencing requirements established in Subchapters B and T. The department understands that when a facility is implicated in an epidemiological investigation to the extent that it is designated NMQ (non-movement qualified, or prohibited from transferring breeder deer due to heightened or suspected probability of disease transmission), that designation has significant impacts. The department consequently has never stopped exploring possibilities to develop management and testing strategies that could create epidemiologically viable pathways for restoration of MQ status (a designation by the department that authorizes the transfer of breeder deer) to NMQ facilities. Current rule allows for the waiver of any provision of this subchapter for the holder of a scientific research permit engaged in research into CWD. The proposed amendment would create an additional exception for permittees who successfully complete a custom testing plan recommended by the department in an epidemiological assessment, provided the permittee and facility are also in compliance with the testing and fencing requirements of Subchapter B and Subchapter T of Chapter 65. The department is interested in creating a mechanism to provide for adaptive responses to CWD in real time in a landscape of unique situations and constantly evolving scientific understanding. Therefore, the proposed amendment would allow for the creation of highly specialized testing protocols, utilizing the best available science, in those specific instances that epidemiological assessment indicates promise in the possible establishment of sufficient confidence that CWD will not be spread as a consequence of restoring MQ status to facilities that otherwise would not be allowed to transfer deer.
The proposed amendment to §65.90, concerning Definitions, would replace the definitions for “breeder deer” and “deer breeder’ and with a reference to the statutory definitions contained in Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapter L. The change is intended to eliminate duplicate provisions.
The proposed amendment to §65.92, concerning CWD Testing, would alter subsections (f) and (h) to eliminate possible misinterpretation. Current subsection (f) stipulates that except as specifically provided otherwise, an ante-mortem test result may be used only once to satisfy the testing provisions of the subchapter. The department has encountered situations in which persons somehow interpret this to suggest that an ante-mortem test can, in fact, be used again (i.e., in another reporting year). Therefore, the proposed amendment would make it emphatically clear that an ante-mortem test can be used once and only once, except as may be specifically provided otherwise by rule. Current subsection (h) stipulates that an ante-mortem test result is valid only if the deer that was the subject of the test is still in the inventory of the facility; however, current §65.92(d)(1) provides for an eight-month period of validity for ante-mortem test results. The department has determined that the epidemiological value of an ante-mortem test result remains constant for the eight-month period of validity established in subsection (d), irrespective of the location of the deer; therefore, there is no reason not to allow the use of that result for substitution purposes even if the subject animal has been transferred to another facility.
The proposed amendment also would insert a reference to §65.95, concerning Movement of Breeder Deer, into subsection (b) to harmonize the section with the proposed amendment to §65.95.
The proposed amendment to §65.94, concerning Breeding Facility Minimum Movement Qualification, would eliminate subsection (a)(1)(A), and create new subsection (e) to provide a mechanism for the release of breeder deer from NMQ facilities to adjoining release facilities under common ownership, provided a whole-herd ante-mortem test has been performed with results of “not detected” for all deer (along with any additional testing the department deems necessary to furnish confidence that CWD isn’t present) and the permittee agrees in writing to surrender the deer breeding permit for the facility.
Current subsection (a)(1)(A) contains the MQ status qualifications of the original comprehensive rules intended to combat CWD in Texas in 2016, and was retained in successive rulemaking to accommodate legacy permittees. The provisions are now obsolete because all deer breeders in the state now fall under the purview of the remaining standards.
The department continues to encounter situations in which an NMQ facility that is not a positive facility or epidemiologically linked to a positive facility is unable for whatever reason to satisfy regulatory requirements necessary to regain MQ status. In some cases, the permittee wishes to cease operation but desires to engage in some sort of cost recovery (e.g. the sale of hunts for the deer remaining in possession, which cannot otherwise be released and lawfully hunted). The department considers that a whole-herd ante-mortem test with “not detected” results for all deer, combined with any additional testing deemed necessary, such as post-mortem testing of harvested deer, and the restriction of release only to adjacent high-fenced acreage under the same ownership, provides an acceptably minimal possibility of CWD being spread if it is present, provided the deer breeding permit is surrendered and all deer breeding at the facility ceases, which should provide high confidence that if CWD was present, it either wasn’t spread or was not spread beyond the immediate area. The proposed amendment also would stipulate that the release facility be inspected and certified by a fence inspector certified by the department, which is necessary to ensure that the release facility is compliant with current rules governing fencing at release facilities. Finally, the proposed amendment would stipulate that a permittee or surrogate of the permittee is prohibited from obtaining another deer breeder permit for the same facility.
The proposed amendment to §65.95, concerning Movement of Breeder Deer, would allow retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLN) by themselves to be sufficient for testing purposes with respect to trace-out release facilities. RLNs have greater sensitivity than the obex for detecting CWD in deer; further, because trace-out release facilities are unidirectional (the deer remain on the property and cannot be moved), the epidemiological information gained by submission of both tissues is of less importance; thus, a single type of tissue can be used for testing, as opposed to the lymph node/obex pair required for testing in deer breeding facilities, where epidemiological complexity can be significant.
The proposed amendment to §65.99, concerning Breeding Facilities Epidemiologically Connected to Deer Infected with CWD; Positive Deer Breeding Facilities, would consolidate timeframes for test sample submissions, expand the window for requesting a custom testing plan, and prohibit the movement in or out of a CWD-positive facility of any reproductive tissues.
Current subsection (e)(2)(F) specifies a 60-day window for sample submission for Category B trace-out facilities, while subsection (e)(4) specifies a 45-day window for sample submission, predicated on the last known exposure period or other date as determined by the department. The proposed amendment would eliminate subsection (e)(2)(F) and alter subsection (e)(4) to simply mandate a 45-day submission window or some other date imposed by the department, predicated on last known exposure data.
Current subsection (h) provides a seven-day window for requesting a custom testing plan following notification that breeding facility has been designated a Category A, Category B, or trace-in facility. The department considers that seven days could in some cases not be enough time for permittees to properly assess options, consult veterinary professionals, and prepare a request; therefore, the proposed amendment would lengthen the window to 14 days.
Many deer breeders have incorporated animal husbandry practices from the livestock industry in their breeding operations, such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer. The department has determined that because infectious prions can be present in reproductive organs and structures, amniotic fluids, fetal tissues, semen and other tissues, there is a pathway for direct and indirect pathogenic transmission as a result. Therefore, the department believes it is prudent to prohibit the movement of such tissues in or out of facilities where CWD has been confirmed.
The proposed rules either implement or are consistent with the recommendations of the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the Office of the Governor.
2. Fiscal Note.
Robert Macdonald, Regulations Coordinator, has determined that for each of the first five years that the rules as proposed are in effect, there will be no fiscal implications to state and local governments as a result of enforcing or administering the rules as proposed, as department personnel currently allocated to the administration and enforcement of disease management activities will administer and enforce the rules as part of their current job duties.
3. Public Benefit/Cost Note.
Mr. Macdonald also has determined that for each of the first five years that the rules as proposed are in effect:
(A) The public benefit anticipated as a result of enforcing or administering the proposed rules will be the minimally acceptable probability that CWD will not be spread from locations and facilities where it might exist, which is necessary to assure the public of continued enjoyment of the resource and the continued beneficial economic impacts of hunting in Texas. Additionally, the protection of free-ranging deer herds will have the simultaneous collateral benefit of protecting captive herds and maintaining the economic viability of deer breeding operations.
(B) There could be an adverse economic impact on persons required to comply with the rules as proposed, primarily in the form of testing costs associated with various provisions governing pathways to qualify for the restoration of MQ status. Those impacts are identical to the implications for small and microbusinesses discussed later in this preamble.
(C) Under the provisions of Government Code, Chapter 2006, a state agency must prepare an economic impact statement and a regulatory flexibility analysis for a rule that may have an adverse economic effect on small businesses, micro-businesses, and rural communities. Those guidelines state that an agency need only consider a proposed rule’s "direct adverse economic impacts" to small businesses and micro-businesses to determine if any further analysis is required. For that purpose, the department considers "direct economic impact" to mean a requirement that would directly impose recordkeeping or reporting requirements; impose taxes or fees; result in lost sales or profits; adversely affect market competition; or require the purchase or modification of equipment or services.
Since the rules as proposed would affect the ability of a deer breeder to engage in the conditional transfer of deer (which under normal circumstances occurs frequently and is often done to generate a profit), the proposed rules could have an adverse economic impact on deer breeders who seek restoration of conditional MQ status via the pathways provided; however, the department notes that no such pathway exists now and the proposed rules are intended to provide relief to deer breeders who are currently prohibited from engaging in such activities because of epidemiological association with CWD-positive facilities. The cost of compliance is therefore strictly voluntary; breeders who choose for whatever reason not to pursue a pathway to conditional MQ status would simply remain NMQ and prohibited from transferring deer. In any case, the department has prepared the economic impact statement and regulatory flexibility analysis described in Government Code, Chapter 2006.
Government Code, §2006.001(1), defines a small or micro-business as a legal entity “formed for the purpose of making a profit” and “independently owned and operated.” A micro-business is a business with 20 or fewer employees. A small business is defined as a business with fewer than 100 employees, or less than $6 million in annual gross receipts.
Department data indicate that there are approximately 516 permitted deer breeders in Texas as of the preparation of this analysis. Although the department does not require deer breeders to file or report financial information with the department, the department believes that most if not all deer breeders qualify as a small or micro-business.
The variety of business models utilized by deer breeders makes meaningful estimates of potential adverse economic impacts difficult. As noted, the department does not require deer breeders to report the buying or selling prices of deer; however, publicly available and anecdotal information indicates that sale prices, especially for buck deer, may be significant, ranging from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. In other scenarios, breeder deer are liberated to property owned by the deer breeder and then pursued by paying hunters or guests.
It should also be noted that some aspects of this analysis are based on marketplace behavior that cannot be accurately predicted. In addition, to the extent that any marketplace analysis can be conducted, it is difficult, if not impossible, to accurately separate and distinguish marketplace behavior that is the result of the rules from marketplace behavior that is the result of the discovery of CWD. For reasons unrelated to the proposed rules, it is possible, perhaps even likely, that breeders and release facility owners would be reluctant to purchase a breeder deer from a facility with a close relationship or even a perceived relationship to a facility near or at which CWD has been detected. As noted earlier in this analysis, the department, for a variety of reasons, views the proposed rules as the minimally acceptable standard necessary to have a meaningful chance at preventing CWD from being spread from locations where it is known to exist; beyond that standard, confidence regarding the health of deer in any given deer breeding facility is a matter of trust between buyer and seller.
The department cannot quantify the number of deer breeders who could be impacted if the proposed rules were in effect today. All potential adverse economic impacts to permitted deer breeders as a result of the proposed rules would be dependent on the decision to engage in the testing necessary to regain MQ status, and not all NMQ facilities would be in a position to take advantage of the pathways offered by the proposed rules.
The proposed rules would require affected permittees who desire to resume transfer of breeder deer to limited release facilities to conduct a whole-herd ante-mortem test or successfully complete a custom testing plan (which could consist of ante-mortem testing, post-mortem testing, or both) or. The adverse economic impact of the proposed rules would therefore consist of testing costs for a whole-herd ante-mortem test or a mixture of ante-mortem and post-mortem costs as dictated by a custom testing plan.
Under the Veterinary Practice Act, the samples necessary for ante-mortem testing can only be obtained by a licensed veterinarian. Because veterinary practice models vary significantly (flat rates, graduated rates, included travel costs, herd call rates, sedation costs, etc.) in addition to pricing structures determined by the presence or absence of economic competition in different parts of the state, the cost of ante-mortem testing is difficult to quantify; however, based on anecdotal information and an informal survey of knowledgeable veterinarians, the department estimates the cost of tonsillar or rectal biopsies at approximately $70-200 to as much as $350 per head. It is important to note that ante-mortem procedures for CWD testing are relatively new, but the number of veterinarians with the training and expertise to perform them reliably is increasing; nevertheless, the fee structure for such procedures can best be described as unpredictably fluid.
With respect to post-mortem testing, the cost of a CWD test administered by the Texas A&M Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Lab (TVMDL) on a sample collected and submitted by a deer breeder is a minimum of $30, to which is added a $8.75 accession fee (which may cover multiple samples submitted at the same time). If a whole head is submitted to TVDML there is an additional $26 sample collection fee, plus a $25 disposal fee. Thus, the fee for submitting an obex or obex/medial retropharyngeal lymph node pair for ELISA (enzyme linked immunoassay) testing would be $46, plus any veterinary cost (which the department cannot quantify), and the fee for submitting an entire head for testing would be $88.
Additionally, the proposed rules also would require the owners of prospective release sites to have a qualified person perform a fence inspection and attest to the site’s compliance with the rules. The department estimates that this cost would be a minimum of $1,000 and possibly greater, depending on the size of the release site, location, terrain, and other factors contributing to the amount of time necessary to conduct the inspection.
Several alternatives were considered to achieve the goals of the proposed new rules while reducing potential adverse impacts on small and micro-businesses and persons required to comply.
One alternative was to do nothing and maintain status quo. This alternative was rejected because the intent of the proposed rules is to allow some limited ability for NMQ deer breeders to recoup their investment/engage in profit-taking.
One alternative considered was to repeal the existing CWD rules and not replace them. This alternative was rejected because the presence of CWD in breeding facilities and free-ranging populations presents an actual, direct threat to free-ranging and captive cervid populations and the economies that depend upon them and the department has a statutory duty to protect and conserve the wildlife resources of the state.
Another alternative considered was to impose less stringent testing requirements. This alternative was selected and the rules as proposed are predicated on a near-minimum level at which the department could have any confidence that CWD is not being spread from locations where it is known to exist as a result of live animal movement.
The department has determined that there will be no effect on rural communities, since the economic contribution of an individual deer breeder is not a significant driver of economic activities at either the macro or micro level.
(C) The department has not drafted a local employment impact statement under the Administrative Procedures Act, §2001.022, as the agency has determined that the rules as proposed will not impact local economies.
(D) The department has determined that Government Code, §2001.0225 (Regulatory Analysis of Major Environmental Rules), does not apply to the proposed rules.
(E) The department has determined that there will not be a taking of private real property, as defined by Government Code, Chapter 2007, as a result of the proposed rules.
(F) In compliance with the requirements of Government Code, §2001.0221, the department has prepared the following Government Growth Impact Statement (GGIS). The rule as proposed, if adopted, will:
(1) neither create nor eliminate a government program;
(2) not result in an increase or decrease in the number of full-time equivalent employee needs;
(3) not result in a need for additional General Revenue funding;
(4) not affect the amount of any fee;
(5) not create a new regulation;
(6) not limit an existing regulation limit, but will expand existing regulations (by creating additional pathways for otherwise NMQ facilities to achieve conditional MQ status);
(7) repeal a regulation;
(8) neither increase nor decrease the number of individuals subject to regulation; and
(9) not positively or adversely affect the state’s economy.
4. Request for Public Comment.
Comments on the proposed rules may be submitted to Kory Gann, Big Game Program Director, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas, 78744;
5. Statutory Authority.
The amendments are proposed under the authority of Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapter C, which requires the commission to adopt rules to govern the collecting, holding, possession, propagation, release, display, or transport of protected wildlife for scientific research, educational display, zoological collection, or rehabilitation; Subchapter E, which requires the commission to adopt rules for the trapping, transporting, and transplanting of game animals and game birds, urban white-tailed deer removal, and trapping and transporting surplus white-tailed deer; Subchapter L, which authorizes the commission to make regulations governing the possession, transfer, purchase, sale, of breeder deer held under the authority of the subchapter; Subchapters R and R-1, which authorize the commission to establish the conditions of a deer management permit for white-tailed and mule deer, respectively; and §61.021, which provides that no person may possess a game animal at any time or in any place except as permitted under a proclamation of the commission.
The proposed amendments affect Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapters C, E, L, R, R-1, and Chapter 61.6.
6. Rule Text.
§65.87. Exceptions[Exception]. The department may waive any provision of this subchapter:
(1) as necessary for the holder of a scientific research permit when the proposed research is determined to be of use in advancing the understanding the etiology of CWD in susceptible species; or
(2) for a permittee or facility, provided:
(A) the department has conducted a epidemiological assessment of the facility;
(B) the epidemiological assessment has determined that a custom testing plan is feasible for purposes of establishing acceptable confidence that CWD will not be spread as a result of the waiver of the provisions in question;
(C) the epidemiological assessment sets forth the specific requirements and parameters of the custom testing plan for the facility;
(D) the permittee has completed the custom testing plan and the results satisfy the parameters established in the epidemiological assessment; and
(E) the permittee and facility are otherwise in compliance with all applicable provisions of this chapter, including the requirements for MQ status in this subchapter and the requirements of Subchapter T of this chapter (relating to Deer Breeder Permits).
§65.90. Definitions. The following words and terms shall have the following meanings, except in cases where the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) –(2) (No change.)
(3) Breeder deer—As defined in[A white-tailed deer or mule deer possessed under a permit issued by the department pursuant to] Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapter L[, and Subchapter T of this chapter.]
(4) – (7) (No change.)
(8) Deer breeder—As defined in[A person who holds a deer breeder’s permit issued pursuant to] Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapter L[, and Subchapter T of this chapter].
(9) – (52) (No change.)
This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency’s authority to adopt.
Issued in Austin, Texas, on
The amendments are proposed under the authority of Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapter C, which requires the commission to adopt rules to govern the collecting, holding, possession, propagation, release, display, or transport of protected wildlife for scientific research, educational display, zoological collection, or rehabilitation; Subchapter E, which requires the commission to adopt rules for the trapping, transporting, and transplanting of game animals and game birds, urban white-tailed deer removal, and trapping and transporting surplus white-tailed deer; Subchapter L, which authorizes the commission to make regulations governing the possession, transfer, purchase, sale, of breeder deer held under the authority of the subchapter; Subchapters R and R-1, which authorize the commission to establish the conditions of a deer management permit for white-tailed and mule deer, respectively; and §61.021, which provides that no person may possess a game animal at any time or in any place except as permitted under a proclamation of the commission.
The proposed amendments affect Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapters C, E, L, R, R-1, and Chapter 61.
§65.92. CWD Testing.
(a) (No change)
(b) Except as provided in §65.95(c)(7) or (d)(2)(C) of this title (relating to Movement of Breeder Deer) or subsection (d) of this section, an ante-mortem CWD test is not valid unless it is performed by an accredited laboratory on retropharyngeal lymph node, rectal mucosa, or tonsillar tissue with at least six lymphoid follicles collected within eight months of submission by a licensed veterinarian authorized pursuant to statutes and regulations governing the practice of veterinary medicine in Texas from a live deer that:
(1) – (2) (No change.)
(c) – (e) (No change.)
(f) Except as specifically provided in this division, an ante-mortem test result may not be used more than once, or in more than one reporting year, to satisfy any testing requirement of this division.
(g) (No change.)
(h) An ante-mortem test result is valid only for [if the deer from which it was taken is still in the inventory of] the facility in which the sample was taken and may not be used to satisfy the requirements of this division for any other facility.
(i) – (l) (No change.)
§65.94. Breeding Facility Minimum Movement Qualification.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division, a breeding facility is designated NMQ and is prohibited from transferring breeder deer anywhere for any purpose if the breeding facility:
(1) has not:
(A) [met the provisions of this subparagraph:]
[(i) had less than five eligible mortalities from May 23, 2006 through March 31, 2016; or]
[(ii) submitted CWD "not detected" test results for at least 20% of the total number of eligible mortalities that occurred in the facility since May 23, 2006; and]
[(B)] beginning with the reporting year that starts April 1, 2017, and ending March 31, 2022, submitted CWD "not detected" test results for:
(i) at least 80% of test-eligible mortalities occurring in the facility during each reporting year before the effective date of this section; and
(ii) 100 percent of test-eligible mortalities occurring in the facility after the effective date of this subsection; provided, however, if the facility has been permitted for six months or more, the number of "not detected" test results submitted during the previous reporting year must be equal to or greater than the following number: the sum of the test-eligible deer reported in the breeding facility inventory on March 31 of the previous reporting year, plus the sum of the eligible mortalities that occurred within the breeding facility for the previous reporting year, multiplied by 3.6 percent; and
(B)[(C)] beginning with the reporting year that starts April 1, 2022 and for each reporting year thereafter, submitted CWD "not detected" test results for 100 percent of eligible mortalities occurring in the facility during the previous reporting year; provided, however, if the facility has been permitted for six months or more, the number of "not detected" test results submitted during the previous reporting year must be equal to or greater than the following number: the sum of the test-eligible deer reported in the breeding facility inventory on March 31 of the previous reporting year, plus the sum of the eligible mortalities that occurred within the breeding facility for the previous reporting year, multiplied by five percent;
(2) – (4) (No change.)
(b) A breeding facility that has been designated as NMQ for failure to comply with the testing requirements specified in subsection (a) of this section will be restored to MQ:
(1) (No change.)
(2) the department has designated the breeding facility MQ under the provisions of subsections (d), [(e), or] (f) or (g) of this section.
(c) – (d) (No change.)
(e) The provisions of this subsection apply only to a facility that is designated NMQ, is not epidemiologically linked to a positive facility, and the permittee has agreed in writing to surrender the deer breeding permit for the facility.
(1) All test-eligible deer in the facility must be subjected to one round of whole-herd ante-mortem testing with “not detected” results for every deer.
(2) Within 30 days of being notified by the department, all tested deer must be released as provided in this subsection.
(3) Deer shall be released only to an adjacent MQ release facility owned by the permittee.
(4) A deer that is not test-eligible when the whole-herd test required by paragraph (1) of this subsection occurs shall be ante-mortem tested when it becomes test-eligible and shall be released as provided in this subsection.
(5) Deer in the breeding facility on the last day of permit validity shall be euthanized at the expense of the permittee.
(6) The department may prescribe additional testing requirements, including the post-harvest testing of released deer.
(7) No deer may be transferred to a release facility under the provisions of this subsection until the permittee submits to the department a letter of endorsement by a person authorized by the department to conduct fence inspections under the provisions of §65.603 of this title (relating to Application and Permit Issuance) stating that the person has personally conducted an on-site inspection at the release facility and affirming that the release facility is surrounded by a perimeter fence meeting the requirements of §65.603(c)(3) of this title.
(8) A person who surrenders a permit under of the provisions of this section is prohibited from obtaining another breeder permit for the facility. For the purposes of this section, the prohibition imposed by this paragraph applies to surrogates acting on behalf of or in place of the person who surrendered the permit.
(f)[(e)] The department may decline to designate a facility as MQ under subsection (d) of this section:
(1) – (2) (No change.)
(g)[(f)] Upon the successful completion of any additional testing requirements stipulated in the recommendation required by subsection (f)[(e)] of this section, the department may designate a facility MQ.
(h)[(g)] The department may deny permit renewal for any facility for which substitute ante-mortem test results are utilized for more than 30 percent of the required post-mortem test results, multiplied by five, pursuant to §65.92(d) of this title in more than two reporting years during the life of the permit. This paragraph does not apply to the use of ante-mortem test results to meet the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(C) of this section requiring that a minimum of five percent of the breeding facility inventory be tested annually.
(i)[(h)] Deer required to be reported to the department under §65.605 of this title (relating to Facility Standards and Care of Deer) are considered to be mortalities for the purposes of this division until lawfully recaptured. A deer that is not recaptured will be treated as a mortality that occurred within the facility from which the escape is required to be reported.
(j)[(i)] Deer that according to department records should be present in a breeding facility but cannot be accounted for to the satisfaction of the department are considered to be mortalities for the purposes of this section.
§65.95. Movement of Breeder Deer.
(a) – (c) (No change.)
(d) Trace-out Release Facility.
(1) (No change.)
(2) The landowner of a trace-out release facility must:
(A) – (B) (No change.)
(C) The post-mortem testing required by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall be performed by an accredited testing laboratory on the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes from each harvested deer, which must be collected by a qualified licensed veterinarian, TAHC-certified CWD sample collector, or other person approved by the department.
(3) – (4) (No change.)
(e) (No change.)
§65.99. Breeding Facilities Epidemiologically Connected to Deer Infected with CWD; Positive Deer Breeding Facilities.
(a) – (d) (No change.)
(e) Category B trace-out breeding facility.
(1) (No change.)
(2) Immediately upon notification by the department of Category B status; a facility is automatically NMQ and the permittee shall:
(A) – (E) (No change.)
[(F) The tissues samples required by subparagraph (E) of this paragraph shall be submitted within 60 days of notification by the department of Category B status.]
(3) (No change.)
(4) Samples required by paragraph (2)(E) of this subsection shall be submitted no later than 45 days after the applicable last known exposure period, or within 60 days unless a longer time period is established by the department, based on the time elapsed since the last known exposure period.
(5) – (6) (No change.)
(f) – (g) (No change.)
(h) Custom Testing Plan. Within 14[seven] days of being notified by the department that a breeding facility has been designated a Category A, Category B, or trace-in facility, a permittee may, in lieu of meeting the applicable testing requirements of subsections (d) — (g) of this section, request the development of a custom testing plan by the department based upon an epidemiological assessment conducted by the department.
(1) – (5) (No change.)
(i) Positive Facility.
(1) Upon notification by the department that CWD is suspected in a deer in a facility, the facility is automatically NMQ and the permittee shall:
(A) – (E) (No change.)
(F) inspect the facility daily for mortalities, and:[; and]
(i) (No change.)
(ii) immediately collect test samples from all test-eligible mortalities that occur within the facility; [and]
(iii) submit samples collected under this subsection for post-mortem testing within one business day of the discovery of the mortality; and
(G) except as provided in §65.88(b) of this title (relating to Deer Carcass Movement Restrictions), immediately cease the movement in or out of the facility of all animal tissues (other than the test specimens identified in this division), to include embryos, semen, eggs and other reproductive tissues, unless specifically authorized to do so by the department in writing.
(2) — (3) (No change.)
This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency’s authority to adopt.
Issued in Austin, Texas, on
The repeal is proposed under the authority of Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapter C, which requires the commission to adopt rules to govern the collecting, holding, possession, propagation, release, display, or transport of protected wildlife for scientific research, educational display, zoological collection, or rehabilitation; Subchapter E, which requires the commission to adopt rules for the trapping, transporting, and transplanting of game animals and game birds, urban white-tailed deer removal, and trapping and transporting surplus white-tailed deer; Subchapter L, which authorizes the commission to make regulations governing the possession, transfer, purchase, sale, of breeder deer held under the authority of the subchapter; Subchapters R and R-1, which authorize the commission to establish the conditions of a deer management permit for white-tailed and mule deer, respectively; and §61.021, which provides that no person may possess a game animal at any time or in any place except as permitted under a proclamation of the commission.
The proposed repeal affects Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 43, Subchapters C, E, L, R, R-1, and Chapter 61.
§65.98. Transition Provisions.
This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency’s authority to adopt.
Issued in Austin, Texas, on…
https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/meetings/2027/1105/agenda/work_session/#item_08
The proposed amendments would:
- create an additional exception to risk mitigation provision rules for permittees who successfully complete a custom testing plan recommended by TPWD in an epidemiological assessment, provided the permittee and facility comply with applicable testing and fencing requirements;
- replace certain definitions with statutory references;
- clarify that an ante-mortem test cannot be used in more than one reporting year and may only be used to satisfy the testing requirements for the facility in which it was taken, except as may be specifically provided otherwise by rule;
- allow the use of a valid ante-mortem test result, taken within the facility, to substitute for post-mortem test results even if the subject animal has been transferred to another facility;
- provide a mechanism for the release of breeder deer from a non-movement-qualified (NMQ) facility that is not positive or epidemiologically linked to a positive facility, to an adjacent release facility owned by the permittee, provided certain conditions are met;
- allow retropharyngeal lymph nodes by themselves to be sufficient for testing purposes with respect to trace-out release facilities;
- consolidate timeframes for test sample submissions and expand the window for requesting a custom testing plan;
- prohibit the movement of all reproductive tissues in or out of facilities where CWD has been suspected or confirmed, unless specifically authorized by TPWD in writing; and
- make minor changes resulting from the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office review of TPWD rules.
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Science Update 2026 Update
Greetings again Honorable Texas Wildlife and Government Officials,
i am writing you all today with great concern about CWD.
Besides of my concerns with the zoonotic and environmental risk factors of cwd tse prp, i am extremely concerned with the disconnect showing now between TPWD and TAHC with Concerns with CWD management, attempted containment or eradication of CWD. This is terrible. you all must get on the same page, and you all cannot let the captive cervid industry dictate their junk science to you, (which appears what TPWD is doing) and then legislate cwd regulations there from. that’s absolutely why Texas is in this mess with CWD (i have those receipts)…imho!
the last time i updated you all on cwd was;
From: Terry Singeltary <flounder9@verizon.net> Date: January 17, 2024 at 3:25:26 PM CST To: Cc: Subject: TPWD Action CWD Detection and Response Rules Containment and Surveillance Zone Boundaries Recommended Adoption of Proposed Changes January 25, 2024
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024
TPWD Action CWD Detection and Response Rules Containment and Surveillance Zone Boundaries Recommended Adoption of Proposed Changes January 25, 2024
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2024/01/tpwd-action-cwd-detection-and-response.html
2026 Singeltary submission cwd;
TPW Commission Meeting Transcript January 22, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
JANUARY 22, 2026
snip…
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.
snip…see;
TPW Commission Work Session Transcript January 21, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
JANUARY 21, 2026
COMMISSION HEARING ROOM
4200 SMITH SCHOOL ROAD
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78744
COMMISSION WORK SESSION AND EXECUTIVE SESSION
https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/meetings/2026/0326/agenda/prev_worksession_transcript.phtml
TPW Commission Meeting Transcript January 22, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
JANUARY 22, 2026
COMMISSION HEARING ROOM
4200 SMITH SCHOOL ROAD
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78744
COMMISSION MEETING
https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/meetings/2026/0326/agenda/prev_commission_transcript.phtml
TPW Commission Meeting Transcript January 22, 2026 TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
Singeltary letter of concern on CWD 2026 submission
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/213/texas-chronic-wasting-disease-science
Proposed Amendments to Disease Management and Response Regulations Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Singeltary Updated Submission October 20, 2023
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2023/10/proposed-amendments-to-disease_20.html
Texas Agriculture Alert A WTD has been confirmed positive for CWD in Gonzales County
Texas Agriculture Alert
Department Texas Parks and Wildlife
Created 10/19/2026
Action Confirmed Case
Category Reportable Wildlife Disease Disease / Pest Type
Chronic Wasting Disease
Impact Location County
Scope of Impact Partial County
Summary
A white-tailed deer has been confirmed positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Gonzales County. The property where this CWD positive deer was located has not previously had a CWD detection. Visit the link provided for additional information regarding CWD surveillance and management in Texas.
Additional Information
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/
https://agalert.tamu.edu/details/2/81
Texas cwd Callahan County 07/29/2026 Department Texas Parks and Wildlife Created 07/29/2026 Action Confirmed Case Category Reportable Wildlife Disease Disease / Pest Type Chronic Wasting Disease Impact Location County Scope of Impact Partial County Summary A white-tailed deer has been confirmed positive for Chronic Wasting
Disease (CWD) in Callahan County. The property where this CWD positive deer
was located has not previously had a CWD detection. Visit the link provided
for additional information regarding CWD surveillance and management in
Texas.
Additional Information
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/
https://agalert.tamu.edu/details/2/50
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Update July 2026
Texas CWD Update July 2026
Texas Agriculture Alert
Department Texas Parks and Wildlife
Created 06/09/2026
Disease / Pest Type Chronic Wasting Disease
Summary
A mule deer has been confirmed positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in El Paso County. Due to the number and distribution of CWD detections in free-ranging deer in this county, additional information regarding CWD detections will only be posted to the website linked above from this time forward.
Additional Information
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/
https://agalert.tamu.edu/details/2/6
Texas Agriculture Alert
Department
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Created 05/21/2026
Disease / Pest Type Chronic Wasting Disease
Summary
A white-tailed deer has been confirmed positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Cherokee County. The property where this CWD positive deer was located has not previously had a CWD detection. Visit the link provided for additional information regarding CWD surveillance and management in Texas.
Additional Information
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/
https://agalert.tamu.edu/details/2/3
Texas Agriculture Alert
Department
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Created 05/21/2026
Disease / Pest Type Chronic Wasting Disease
Summary
A white-tailed deer has been confirmed positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Zavala County. The property where this CWD positive deer was located has not previously had a CWD detection. Visit the link provided for additional information regarding CWD surveillance and management in Texas.
Additional Information
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/
https://agalert.tamu.edu/details/2/4
Listing of CWD Cases in Texas
Positive Number CWD Positive Confirmation Date Free Range Captive County Facility Species Sex Age
1397 8/10/26 Breeder Deer Cherokee 44 WTD M 1
1396 8/10/26 Breeder Deer Cherokee 44 WTD F 1
1395 8/10/26 Breeder Deer Cherokee 44 WTD F 2
1394 7/23/26 Breeder Deer Callahan 46 WTD F 13
1393 7/2/26 Breeder Deer Duval 37 WTD F 2.9
1392 7/2/26 Breeder Deer Duval 37 WTD M 2
1391 7/2/26 Breeder Deer Duval 37 WTD M 3.9
1390 7/2/206 Breeder Deer Zavala 45 WTD F 2
1389 7/2/26 Breeder Deer Zavala 45 WTD M 2.9
1388 7/15/26 Breeder Deer Gillespie 15 WTD F 2.9
1387 7/2/26 Breeder Deer Navarro 38 WTD F 2.9
1386 6/25/26 Breeder Deer Navarro 38 WTD F 2.8
1385 6/24/26 Breeder Deer Navarro 38 WTD F 5.8
1384 5/27/26 Breeder Deer Mason 42 WTD M 1.8
1383 5/27/26 Breeder Deer Mason 42 WTD M 3.8
1382 6/25/26 Free Range El Paso N/A Mule Deer M 3.5
1381 6/25/26 Free Range El Paso N/A Mule Deer F 3.5
1380 6/25/26 Free Range El Paso N/A Mule Deer M 2.5
1379 5/27/26 Breeder Deer Duval 37 WTD M 3.8
1378 5/12/26 Breeder Deer Gillespie 15 WTD M 3.7
1377 4/27/26 Breeder Release Site Zavala N/A WTD F 7.5
1376 4/27/26 Breeder Deer Gillespie 15 WTD M 2.7
1375 4/27/26 Free Range Hartley N/A WTD M 3.5
*CWD Positive Confirmation Dates marked with * are dates confirmed by Texas A&M Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory rather than the National Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/positive-cases/listing-cwd-cases-texas.phtml
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
SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2026
Texas Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion 1,393 Confirmed Cases To Date July 2026
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/07/texas-chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse.html
Texas CWD TSE Prion Cases Climb To 1,377 Cases Detected to date May 19, 2026
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/05/texas-cwd-tse-prion-cases-climb-to-1377.html
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026
Annual Reminder of Chronic Wasting Disease Requirements for Exotic Susceptible Species, what if?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/09/annual-reminder-of-chronic-wasting.html
SEE NEW DASHBOARD FOR CWD POSITIVES!
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8f6c27330c444a19b4b57beb7ffabb8b/page/Dashboard#data_s=id%3AdataSource_3-1966d773e34-layer-10%3A29
Texas CWD total by calendar years
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2024/12/texas-cwd-tse-prion-positive-samples-by.html
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/positive-cases/listing-cwd-cases-texas.phtml#texasCWD
Counties where CWD Exposed Deer were Released
https://tpwd.texas.gov/documents/257/CWD-Trace-OutReleaseSites.pdf
Number of CWD Exposed Deer Released by County
https://tpwd.texas.gov/documents/258/CWD-Trace-OutReleaseSites-NbrDeer.pdf
CWD Status Captive Herds
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/status-of-captive-herds.pdf
Trucking CWD TSE Prion
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion of Cervid
“CWD spreads among wild populations at a relatively slow rate, limited by the natural home range and dispersed nature of wild animals.”
NOW HOLD YOUR HORSES, Chronic Wasting Disease CWD of Cervid can spread rather swiftly, traveling around 50 MPH, from the back of truck and trailer, and Here in Texas, we call it ‘Trucking CWD’…
Preventive Veterinary Medicine Volume 234, January 2025, 106385
Use of biosecurity practices to prevent chronic wasting disease in Minnesota cervid herds
Vehicles or trailers that entered the farm were used to transport other live cervids, cervid carcasses, or cervid body parts in past 3 years in 64.3 % (95 % CI 46.3–82.3) of larger elk/reindeer herds compared to 13.6 % (95 % CI 4.7–22.4) of smaller deer herds.
Snip…
Identifying the exact pathway of initial CWD transmission to cervid herds is often not possible, in part due to many potential pathways of transmission for the infection, including both direct and indirect contact with infected farmed or wild cervids (Kincheloe et al., 2021). That study identified that transmissions from infected farmed cervids may occur from direct contact with the movement of cervids from one herd to another and from indirect contact with the sharing of equipment, vehicles, clothing, reproductive equipment, and potentially through semen or embryos.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016758772400271X
“That study identified that transmissions from infected farmed cervids may occur from direct contact with the movement of cervids from one herd to another and from indirect contact with the sharing of equipment, vehicles, clothing, reproductive equipment, and potentially through semen or embryos.”
remember that…terry
Texas Game Wardens Near Conclusion of ‘Ghost Deer’ Case with 24 Suspects, 1,400 Charges Filed Statewide
Aug. 14, 2025
AUSTIN – The Texas Game Warden investigation known as "Ghost Deer" has reached a possible conclusion after two additional suspects turned themselves in on felony charges. This brings the total number of individuals implicated in the case to 24, with approximately 1,400 charges filed across 11 Texas counties.
Ken Schlaudt, 64, of San Antonio, the owner of four deer breeding facilities and one release site, along with facility manager Bill Bowers, 55, of San Angelo, surrendered to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office on charges of felony tampering with a governmental record. Both men allegedly entered false information into the Texas Wildlife Information Management System (TWIMS) to facilitate illegal smuggling of white-tailed breeder deer. They also face more than 100 misdemeanor charges related to unlawful breeder deer activities in Tom Green County.
The "Ghost Deer" investigation has uncovered widespread, coordinated deer breeding violations including, but not limited to: smuggling captive breeder deer and free-range whitetail deer between breeder facilities and ranches, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing violations, license violations and misdemeanor and felony drug charges relating to the possession and mishandling of prescribed sedation drugs classified as controlled substances.
The suspects charged in the case include:
Evan Bircher, 59, San Antonio Vernon Carr, 55, Corpus Christi Jarrod Croaker, 47, Corpus Christi Terry Edwards, 54, Angleton Joshua Jurecek, 41, Alice Justin Leinneweber, 36, Orange Grove James Mann, 53, Odem Gage McKinzie, 28, Normanna Herbert “Tim” McKinzie, 47, Normanna Eric Olivares, 47, Corpus Christi Bruce Pipkin, 57, Beaumont Dustin Reynolds, 38, Robstown Kevin Soto, 55, Hockley Jared Utter, 52, Pipe Creek Reed Vollmering, 32, Orange Grove Clint West, 56, Beaumont James Whaley, 49, Sevierville, Tenn. Ryder Whitstine, 19, Rockport Ryker Whitstine, 21, Rockport Claude Wilhelm, 52, Orange Cases are pending adjudication in Bandera, Bee, Brazoria, Duval, Edwards, Jim Wells, Live Oak, Montgomery, Tom Green, Travis and Webb counties.
The investigation began in March 2024 when game wardens discovered the first violations during a traffic stop.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20250206a
That incident led wardens to the much larger network of violations,
https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20250227b
Texas is a fine example, see; “Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease and can devastate deer populations by silently spreading through direct animal contact and contaminated environments. Without close monitoring, illegal movement of captive deer increases the risk of introducing CWD to areas it is not known to exist, potentially leading to widespread outbreaks which will impact more than just the health of Texas deer.”
https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20250227b
resulting in one of the largest deer smuggling operations in Texas history.
About Texas Game Wardens
Texas Game Wardens, within the Law Enforcement Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, are responsible for enforcing laws related to the conservation and management of natural resources and public safety through community-based law enforcement. Their mission is to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Additionally, they play a crucial role in search and rescue operations during natural disasters, exemplifying their commitment to protecting both the environment and the people of Texas.
If you witness a fishing, wildlife or boating violation in progress, please call 1-800-792-GAME(4263) immediately and report it to Operation Game Thief (OGT), Texas’ Wildlife Crime-Stoppers Program. You can also text your tip by sending the keyword TXOGT plus your tip to 847411 or through the Texas OGT App, available for iOS and Android devices. Dispatchers are available 24/7.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20250814c
THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2025
Texas Game Wardens Near Conclusion of ‘Ghost Deer’ Case with 24 Suspects, 1,400 Charges Filed Statewide
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/08/texas-game-wardens-near-conclusion-of.html
MONDAY, MAY 05, 2026
TEXAS ANIMAL HEALTH COMMISSION AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN FISCAL YEARS 2025 - 2029 CWD TSE Prion
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/05/texas-animal-health-commission-agency.html
So, we just let CWD spread to other species?
don’t forget the pigs, 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
Detection of Prions in Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) from Areas with Reported Chronic Wasting Disease Cases, United State Volume 31, Number 1—January 2025
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/1/24-0401_article
***> cwd, tse, prion, cattle, pigs, sheep, primates, oh my!
***> 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
Prion Conference 2023
***> 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
Macaque tissues to rodent models demonstrates the zoonotic potential of chronic wasting disease.
Samia Hannaoui1,2, Ginny Cheng1,2, Wiebke Wemheuer3, Walter Schulz-Schaeffer3, Sabine Gilch1,2, Hermann Schatzl1,2 1University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. 2Calgary Prion Research Unit, Calgary, Canada. 3Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany
Snip…
***> Further passage to cervidized mice revealed transmission with a 100% attack rate.
***> Our findings demonstrate that macaques, considered the best model for the zoonotic potential of prions, were infected upon CWD challenge, including the oral one.
****> The disease manifested as atypical in macaques and initial transgenic mouse transmissions, but with infectivity present at all times, as unveiled in the bank vole model with an unusual tissue tropism.
***> Epidemiologic surveillance of prion disease among cervid hunters and people likely to have consumed venison contaminated with chronic wasting disease
=====
https://intcwdsympo.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/final-agenda-with-abstracts.pdf?force_download=true
Transmission of Cervid Prions to Humanized Mice Demonstrates the Zoonotic Potential of CWD
Conclusions: This is the first evidence that CWD can infect humans and cause disease with a distinctive clinical presentation, signature, and tropism, which might be transmissible between humans while current diagnostic assays might fail to detect it. These findings have major implications for public health and CWD-management.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336896.2022.2091286
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
Looming Crisis U. S. Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion, in Cattle, Cervid, Sheep, Pigs, and Humans
https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2026/09/looming-crisis-u-s-transmissible.html
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
MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2026
Identification and initial characterization of novel prion protein gene (PRNP) variants in wild Montana mule deer
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/10/identification-and-initial.html
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026
Evidence for multiple prion conformers in natural scrapie isolates
https://scrapie-usa.blogspot.com/2026/10/evidence-for-multiple-prion-conformers.html
CWD, So, this is what we leave our children and grandchildren?
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
That study identified that transmissions from infected farmed cervids may occur from direct contact with the movement of cervids from one herd to another and from indirect contact with the sharing of equipment, vehicles, clothing, reproductive equipment, and potentially through semen or embryos.
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
https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2026/02/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse-prion.html
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
This CWD Study Could Change Deer Hunting FOREVER | The Check Station October 8, 2025 NW Arkansas
NW Arkansas CWD 11:25 minutes;
50% of all deer positive for CWD.
35% of Does are Positive for CWD.
68% Bucks are Positive for CWD.
Most Bucks NW Arkansas that where Tested, are Positive for CWD.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kTicUE-xsQU&t=695s&pp=2AG3BZACAQ%3D%3D
Southwest Wisconsin CWD, Deer and Predator Study
key takeaways ;
CWD substantially reduces deer survival rates and suppresses population growth.
Where CWD prevalence is high, deer populations are likely declining.
If CWD continues to spread, it will eventually impact deer populations elsewhere.
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/research/projects/dpp/StudyResults
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
***> CWD TSE PrP Environmental Factors <***
So, this is what we leave our children and grandchildren , and what about land values?
Detection of prions in soils contaminated by multiple routes
snip…
Results: We are able to detect prion seeding activity at multiple types of environmental hotspots, including carcass sites, contaminated captive facilities, and scrapes (i.e. urine and saliva). Differences in relative prion concentration vary depending on the nature and source of the contamination. Additionally, we have determined that prion seeding activity is retained for at least fifteen years at a contaminated site following attempted remediation.
Conclusions: Detection of prions in the environment is of the utmost importance for controlling chronic wasting disease spread. Here, we have demonstrated a viable method for detection of prions in complex environmental matrices. However, it is quite likely that this method underestimates the total infectious prion load in a contaminated sample, due to incomplete recovery of infectious prions. Further refinements are necessary for accurate quantification of prions in such samples, and to account for the intrinsic heterogeneities found in the broader environment.
=====end
Prion 2023 Abstracts
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
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY Volume 87, Issue 12
Infectious agent of sheep scrapie may persist in the environment for at least 16 years
***> 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.
https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.82011-0
Rapid recontamination of a farm building occurs after attempted prion removal
First published: 19 January 2019 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105054
The data illustrates the difficulty in decontaminating farm buildings from scrapie, and demonstrates the likely contribution of farm dust to the recontamination of these environments to levels that are capable of causing disease. snip...
This study clearly demonstrates the difficulty in removing scrapie infectivity from the farm environment. Practical and effective prion decontamination methods are still urgently required for decontamination of scrapie infectivity from farms that have had cases of scrapie and this is particularly relevant for scrapie positive goatherds, which currently have limited genetic resistance to scrapie within commercial breeds.24 This is very likely to have parallels with control efforts for CWD in cervids.
https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1136/vr.105054
***>This is very likely to have parallels with control efforts for CWD in cervids.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30602491/
ARS Research Project: Elucidating the Pathobiology and Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies 2025
snip…
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
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Science Update 2026 Update
CWD, Cervid, Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Primates, Humans, oh my!
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
now, back to:
“That study identified that transmissions from infected farmed cervids may occur from direct contact with the movement of cervids from one herd to another and from indirect contact with the sharing of equipment, vehicles, clothing, reproductive equipment, and potentially through semen or embryos.”
Use of biosecurity practices to prevent chronic wasting disease in Minnesota cervid herds
***> and potentially through semen or embryos.”
***> i’m going to get long winded again, about cwd tse prion, and the practice of exchanging straw bred buck straws, some valued at thousands and thousands of dollars, going as far as using them for campaign contributions, and the risk factors from cwd tse prion i have been concerned with for years, but nobody else was, or what i called, jerking for dollars, and cwd tse PrP, what if?
Vehicles or trailers that entered the farm were used to transport other live cervids, cervid carcasses, or cervid body parts in past 3 years in 64.3 % (95 % CI 46.3–82.3) of larger elk/reindeer herds compared to 13.6 % (95 % CI 4.7–22.4) of smaller deer herds.
Snip…
Identifying the exact pathway of initial CWD transmission to cervid herds is often not possible, in part due to many potential pathways of transmission for the infection, including both direct and indirect contact with infected farmed or wild cervids (Kincheloe et al., 2021). That study identified that transmissions from infected farmed cervids may occur from direct contact with the movement of cervids from one herd to another and from indirect contact with the sharing of equipment, vehicles, clothing, reproductive equipment, and potentially through semen or embryos.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016758772400271X
Jerking for Dollars, and CWD, what if?
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2025
***> CWD TSE Prion, Politics, Friendly Fire, Unforeseen Consequences, What If?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/04/cwd-tse-prion-politics-friendly-fire.html
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020
***> Jerking for Dollars, Are Texas Politicians and Legislators Masturbating Deer For Money, and likely spreading CWD TSE Prion?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2020/02/jerking-for-dollars-are-texas.html
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2019
In Vitro detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) prions in semen and reproductive tissues of white tailed deer bucks (Odocoileus virginianus
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2019/12/in-vitro-detection-of-chronic-wasting.html
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019
CWD, TSE, PRION, MATERNAL mother to offspring, testes, epididymis, seminal fluid, and blood
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2019/03/cwd-tse-prion-maternal-mother-to.html
***> Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Poker and Politics, are you all in $$$
Powerful Abbott appointee's lobbying sparks blowback in Legislature
In an ironic twist for Gov. Greg Abbott, who has made ethics reform an urgent political priority, the Texas House is taking aim at what critics call a "pay to play" culture among his appointees.
Powerful Abbott appointee's lobbying sparks blowback in Legislature In an ironic twist for Gov. Greg Abbott, who has made ethics reform an urgent political priority, the Texas House is taking aim at what critics call a "pay to play" culture among his appointees.
BY JAY ROOT MAY 12, 2017 12 AM CENTRAL
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/05/12/powerful-abbott-appointees-lobbying-sparks-blowback-legislature/
Jerking for Dollars, and CWD TSE Prion, what if?
Talk about big bucks: Deer semen donations are fueling South Texas campaign Each deer semen straw — from bucks with names like Gladiator Sunset, Sweet Dreams and Bandit — was assigned a $1,000 value, according to her campaign finance report.
Talk about big bucks: Deer semen donations are fueling South Texas campaign Each deer semen straw — from bucks with names like Gladiator Sunset, Sweet Dreams and Bandit — was assigned a $1,000 value, according to her campaign finance report.
AUSTIN — Donations of deer semen, one of Texas deer breeders’ most precious commodities, account for more than half of the contributions to a South Texan’s state House campaign.
Snip…
Each deer semen straw — from bucks with names like Gladiator Sunset, Sweet Dreams and Bandit — was assigned a $1,000 value, according to her campaign finance report.
A straw refers to the container of ejaculate that is stored for later use. Breeders market their deers’ antler size and shape as reasons to buy straws from their bucks. Uvalde deer breeder Fred Gonzalez said the donors’ straws went into a semen tank to be sold as one lot at a Texas Deer Association event last month and donated to her campaign.
Gonzalez, the treasurer of the Texas Deer Association, donated one straw to the lot. He said the deer breeding community often donates straws instead of money, although not usually directly to a political campaign.
“Semen is a very common way for us to donate,” he said. “One collection on a buck could lead to 60 straws sometimes. If you have a desirable animal, it’s a way to bring value without breaking the bank.”
The Texas Deer Association’s political action committee has received $976,025 in deer semen donations between 2006 and 2016. It has given $885,695 to campaigns and interest groups in the same span. According to expenditure reports between 2006 and 2016, the PAC has never given in-kind donations in the form of deer semen. Though the straws donated to Garza were sold at a Texas Deer Association event, the organization’s political action committee did not contribute to her campaign
Texas Deer Association contributions
The association’s political action committee has contributed $885,695 to campaigns and interest groups between 2006 and 2016. These are the top 10 candidates who have received money.
Candidate Amount
Rep. Ernest Bailes (R) $45,000
Rep. Lyle Larson (R) $26,611
Rep. Lance Gooden (R) $21,250
House Speaker Joe Straus (R) $21,000
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) $20,000
Comptroller Glenn Hegar (R) $16,000
Sen. Juan Hinojosa (D) $13,500
Rep. Todd Hunter (R) $13,000
Rep. Ryan Guillen (D) $12,750
Sen. Craig Estes (R) $12,500
SOURCE: Texas Ethics Commission
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018/03/01/talk-about-big-bucks-deer-semen-donations-are-fueling-south-texas-campaign/
Deer semen donations among campaign contributions to South Texas candidate
Donations were made as part of an auction event
By Andrea Zelinski Published 1:26 pm CST, Wednesday, February 28, 2018
A South Texas candidate for the state House reported $51,000 worth of campaign contributions in deer semen, according to campaign finance reports.
AUSTIN — Many political candidates accept political gifts like food for events or legal advice for their campaigns, but one candidate from South Texas reported receiving thousands of dollars worth of deer semen.
Ana Lisa Garza, a district court judge in Starr County, reported accepting at least 40 semen straws, doses valued at $51,000. According to a report filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, several of the in-kind donations were made as part of a Feb. 10 auction event.
Although deer have been bred for over a century, interest has spiked in recent decades, in part due to interest in a buck named Patrick that was kept as a pet in the Midwest and grew large and unique antlers in the 1980s.
The practice has since grown into a budding industry in Texas. The deer, with their attractive racks, are now largely used for hunting, venison or further breeding.
In the filings, the straws are largely named after their sperm donors, including "Mabo Thicket" "Tack Hammer," "Strike Force." Other names of the straws include, "Bambi Chewy."
The economic impact of the deer breeding industry is $349.4 million annually in the state, according to a 2017 study by Texas A&M University. Combined with hunting, the study valued the industry's economic impact at $1.6 billion annually, according to the report.
The Texas Deer Association did not respond to requests for comment.
https://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Deer-semen-among-campaign-contributions-to-South-12717880.php
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017
TEXAS, Politicians, TAHC, TPWD, and the spread of CWD TSE Prion in Texas
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2017/01/texas-politicians-tahc-tpwd-and-spread.html
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2017
Texas 85th Legislative Session 2017 Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion Cervid Captive Breeder Industry
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2017/01/texas-85th-legislative-session-2017.html
SUNDAY, MAY 14, 2017
85th Legislative Session 2017 AND THE TEXAS TWO STEP Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion, and paying to play $$$
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2017/05/85th-legislative-session-2017-and-texas.html
TUESDAY, AUGUST 02, 2016
TEXAS TPWD Sets Public Hearings on Deer Movement Rule Proposals in Areas with CWD Rule Terry S. Singeltary Sr. comment submission
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2016/08/texas-tpwd-sets-public-hearings-on-deer.html
SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2016
TEXAS CWD DEER BREEDERS PLEA TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT TO CIRCUMVENT TPWD SOUND SCIENCE TO LET DISEASE SPREAD
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2016/05/texas-cwd-deer-breeders-plea-to.html
Wednesday, May 04, 2016
TPWD proposes the repeal of §§65.90 -65.94 and new §§65.90 -65.99 Concerning Chronic Wasting Disease - Movement of Deer Singeltary Comment Submission
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2016/05/tpwd-proposes-repeal-of-6590-6594-and_4.html
SUNDAY, AUGUST 02, 2015
TEXAS CWD, Have you been ThunderStruck, deer semen, straw bred bucks, super ovulation, and the potential TSE Prion connection, what if?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2015/08/texas-cwd-have-you-been-thunderstruck.html
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014
Texas 84th Legislature 2015 H.R. No. 2597 Kuempel Deer Breeding Industry TAHC TPWD CWD TSE PRION
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2014/12/texas-84th-legislature-2015-hr-no-2597.html
Texas 84th Legislative Session Sunday, December 14, 2014
*** TEXAS 84th Legislature commencing this January, deer breeders are expected to advocate for bills that will seek to further deregulate their industry
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2014/12/texas-84th-legislature-commencing-this.html
***> TEXAS HISTORY OF CWD <***
Singeltary telling TAHC, that CWD was waltzing into Texas from WSMR around Trans Pecos region, starting around 2001, 2002, and every year, there after, until New Mexico finally shamed TAHC et al to test where i had been telling them to test for a decade. 2012 cwd was detected first right there where i had been trying to tell TAHC for 10 years.
***> Singeltary on Texas Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion History <***
http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2017/08/texas-chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse.html
PITUITARY EXTRACT This was used to help cows super ovulate. This tissue was considered to be of greatest risk of containing BSE and consequently transmitting the disease...
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious or superovulationcwdtsepriondocious ?
Superovulation and embryo recovery in Red deer (Cervus elaphus ) hinds.
Fennessy PF1, Fisher MW, Shackell GH, Mackintosh CG. Author information 1Invermay Agricultural Centre Private Bag Mosgiel New Zealand.
Abstract
In two experiments, Red deer hinds were synchronized with intravaginal progesterone and were given 4 d of treatment (3 d before progesterone withdrawal and 1 d after) with an ovine follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) preparation which had a claimed low level of luteinizing hormone (LH) contamination. In Experiment 1, 12 hinds received one of four FSH levels by osmotic minipump. Hinds were run with fertile stags, and laparotomy and embryo recovery were performed 9 d after progesterone withdrawal. The ovulation rates (mean of three hinds per dosage) were 1.0, 2.0, 4.3 and 15.3 (number of corpora lutea counted) for estimated daily dosages rates of 0.036, 0.071, 0.11 and 0.14 units FSH preparation/day; the response to the increasing dosage was exponential (P<0.01). The recovery rate of ova on flushing was 38% (24 63 ), with all recovered ova being fertilized and of transferable quality. In Experiment 2, performed later in the breeding season, eight hinds received 0.14 units FSH/day either by minipump or by intramuscular injection. The mean ovulation rates were 3.0 and 11.0 (a significant difference, P<0.01), respectively, with a recovery rate of 72% (34 47 ), and with only 18 34 ova considered to be of transferable quality. The recovery rate in Experiment 2 was significantly higher than that in Experiment 1 (P<0.001). Overall, the results were better than those previously recorded for red deer, perhaps a function of both the FSH preparation used and an improved progesterone profile in estrus synchronization.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0093691X89904767
ovine follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) F8174 Sigma Follicle Stimulating Hormone from sheep pituitary Synonym: FSH
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sigma/f8174?lang=en®ion=US
i ask the late, great, Dr. CJ Gibbs of NIH, way back in early 2000, if he could get me a copy of the Louping-ill vaccine scrapie blunder, i had gotten wind of it through old archives, but only reference. He finally got me full text from somewhere. i find it of interest/concern in reference to today, cwd, and; prohibit the movement of all reproductive tissues in or out of facilities where CWD has been suspected or confirmed, unless specifically authorized by TPWD in writing; and jerking fir dollars, and cwd tse prion, in Texas$$?
Louping-ill vaccine sheep scrapie blunder Vaccine for issue had to be free from detectable, living virus and capable of protecting sheep against a test dose of virus applied subcutaneously.
The 1935 vaccine conformed to these standards and was issued for inoculation in March as three separate batches labelled 1, 2, and 3. The tissues of 140 sheep were employed to make batch 1 of which 22,270 doses were used; 114 to make batch 2 of which 18,000 doses were used and 44 to make batch 3 of which 4,360 doses were used. All the sheep tissues incorporated in the vaccine were obtained from yearling sheep.
During 1935 and 1936 the vaccine proved highly efficient in the prevention of loup-ill and no user observed an ill-effect in the inoculated animals.
In September, 1937, two and a half years after vaccinating the sheep, two owners complained that scrapie, a disease which had not before been observed in the Blackface breed, was appearing in their stock of Blackface sheep and further that it was confined to animals vaccinated with louping-ill vaccine in 1935.
At that stage it was difficult to conceive that the occurrence could be associated with the injection of the vaccine but in view of the implications, I visited most of the farms on which sheep had been vaccinated in 1935. It was at this point that the investigation reached its dramatic phase; I shall not forget the profound effect on my emotions when I visited these farms and was warmly welcomed because of the great benefits resulting from the application of louping-ill vaccine, wheras the chief purpose of my visit was to determine if scrapie was appearing in the inoculated sheep.
The enquiry made the position clear. Scrapie was developing in the sheep vaccinated in 1935 and it was only in a few instances that the owner was associating the occurrence with louping-ill vaccination.
The disease was affecting all breeds and it was confined to the animals vaccinated with batch 2. This was clearly demonstrated on a number of farms on which batch 1 had been used to inoculate the hoggs in 1935 and batch 2 to inoculate the ewes. None of the hoggs, which at this time were three- year-old ewes.
At this time it was difficult to forecast whether all of the 18,000 sheep which had received batch 2 vaccine would develop scrapie. It was fortunate, however, that the majority of the sheep vaccinated with batch 2 were ewes and therfore all that were four years old and upwards at the time of vaccination had already been disposed of and there only remained the ewes which had been two to three years old at the time of vaccination, consequently no accurate assessment of the incidence of scrapie could be made.
On a few farms, however, where vaccination was confined to hoggs, the incidence ranged from 1 percent, to 35 percent, with an average of about 5 percent.
Since batch 2 vaccine had been incriminated as a probable source of scrapie infection, an attempt was made to trace the origin of the 112 sheep whose tissues had been included in the vaccine.
It was found that they had been supplied by three owners and that all were of the Blackface or Greyface breed with the exception of eight which were Cheviot lambs born in 1935 from ewes which had been in contact with scrapie infection.
Some of these contact ewes developed scrapie in 1936-37 and three surviving fellow lambs to the eight included in the batch 2 vaccine of 1935 developed scrapie, one in September, 1936, one in February, 1937, and one in November, 1937. There was, therefore, strong presumptive evidence that the eight Cheviot lambs included in the vaccine althought apparently healthy were, in fact, in the incubative stage of a scrapie infection and that in their tissues there was an infective agent which had contaminated the batch 2 vaccine, rendering it liable to set up scrapie. If that assumption was correct then the evidence indicated that:-
(1) the infective agent of scrapie was present in the brain, spinal cord and or spleen of infected sheep:
(2) it could withstand a concentration of formalin of 0-35 percent, which inactivated the virus of louping-ill:
(3) it could be transmitted by subcutaneous inoculation;
(4) it had an incubative period of two years and longer.
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/01/slides/3681s2_09.pdf
See archived link;
http://web.archive.org/web/20030830045651/http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/01/slides/3681s2_09.pdf
see part of old report I received;
http://www.whale.to/v/singeltary.html
see vaccines;
http://bseinquiry.blogspot.com/2008/05/mad-cow-disease-bse-cjd-children.html
(It was noted with concern that hormone extracts could be manufactured by a veterinary surgeon for administration to animals under his care without any Medicines Act Control.)
*** This tissue was considered to be of greatest risk of containing BSE and consequently transmitting the disease.
*** BEEF BRAIN AND BRAIN INFUSION BROTHS Considered to be of great risk.
http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20080102164725/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/06/08011001.pdf
http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20080102164806/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/06/10001001.pdf
Subject: Case-control study on the use of pituitary-derived hormones from sheep as a potential risk factor for the occurrence of atypical scrapie in Great Britain
Paper
Case-control study on the use of pituitary-derived hormones from sheep as a potential risk factor for the occurrence of atypical scrapie in Great Britain
E. Marier, BSc, MBA1, M. Dawson, DVM, MSc2, M. Simmons, DVM, PhD3, J. Hope, BSc, PhD2 and A. Ortiz-Peláez, DVM, PhD1 Author affiliations
Abstract A case-control study was conducted in 2013 to investigate the use of pituitary-derived hormones from sheep as a potential risk factor for the presence of atypical scrapie in Great Britain sheep holdings. One hundred and sixty-five holdings were identified as cases. Two equal sets of controls were selected: no case of scrapie and cases of classical scrapie. A total of 495 holdings were selected for the questionnaire survey, 201 responses were received and 190 (38.3 per cent) were suitable for analysis. The variables ‘use-of-heat-synchronisation/superovulation’ and ‘flock size’ were significantly associated with the occurrence of atypical scrapie. Farms with atypical cases were less likely (OR 0.25, 95 per cent CI 0.07 to 0.89) to implement heat synchronisation/superovulation in the flock than the control group. Atypical cases were 3.3 times (95 per cent CI 1.38 to 8.13) more likely to occur in large holdings (>879 sheep) than in small flocks (<164 sheep). If the ‘use-of-heat-synchronisation/superovulation’ is a proxy for the use of pituitary-derived hormones, the significant negative association between having a case of atypical scrapie and the use of these practices rules out the initial hypothesis that using these drugs is a risk factor for the occurrence of atypical scrapie. Flock size was a significant risk factor for atypical scrapie, consistent with a previous generic case-control study.
http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/early/2017/02/17/vr.103762
(It was noted with concern that hormone extracts could be manufactured by a veterinary surgeon for administration to animals under his care without any Medicines Act Control.)
PITUITARY EXTRACT
This was used to help cows super ovulate. This tissue was considered to be of greatest risk of containing BSE and consequently transmitting the disease.
BEEF BRAIN AND BRAIN INFUSION BROTHS
Considered to be of great risk.
https://web.archive.org/web/20090718143059/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/06/08011001.pdf
MEDICINES ACT - VETERINARY PRODUCTS COMMITTEE
5 BLANK PAGES. ...TSS
7. Any Other Business
https://web.archive.org/web/20090718143053/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/06/07010001.pdf
8 June 1988 Internal CVL meeting to discuss the implications of BSE to Biologicals Products containing bovine extracted material (Annex 6). (YB 88/06.08/11.1-11.2) Following a detailed review of situation the following recommendations were made:
1. Specific concern over use of pituitary gland products by veterinary surgeons and companies. Paper to be produced for Tolworth (Veterinary Medicines Division).
2. Urgent review of all products both immunological and pharmaceutical for possible inclusion of ingredients of bovine origin.
3. Draft guidelines to be presented in full to the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), the trade body representing the Veterinary Medicines part of the pharmaceutical industry, at next meeting on 11 July 1988
TWA LITTLE minute
2. We have identified one problem over where we are unable to act and this is the use of gonadotrophins in embryo transfer work. Some veterinary surgeons are quite legally using this exemption from the Medicines Act contained in Section 9(2) to prepare gonadotrophins from pituitary glands from various species, including cattle. These hormones are used to stimulate superovulation in donor cows.
https://web.archive.org/web/20090718143101/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/06/10001001.pdf
3.2 Minute 5.3 - 5.4 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
It was reported that some replies had been received from Companies using pituitary glands in their products. Copies of the BSE document had also been sent to DHSS and NIBSC.
and then another 3 + pages of blank space. ...TSS
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
BSE - CURRENT POSITION WITH VETERINARY LICENCED PRODUCTS (MA.1968)
There are three areas of particular concern, vaccines (including emergency vaccines), pharmaceuticals which are covered by MA licences and unlicenses hormonal products produced under exemptions claimed under (Section 9(2) Medicines Act).
1) Vaccines
another 6 pages of blank space. ...TSS
https://web.archive.org/web/20090718143123/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/07/00007001.pdf
Medicines Act - Veterinary Products Committee
CERTIFIED BSE-FREE HERDS FOR SOURCE OF MATERIAL FOR BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS
http://bseusa.blogspot.com/2010/02/docket-no-fsis-2006-0011-fsis-harvard.html
http://bseusa.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
3. The extraction is from a pool of pituitary glands collected from abbatoirs and the process used is unlikely to have any effect on the BSE agent. Hormones extracted from human pituitary glands have been responsible for a small number of Creutzfeldt Jacob disease in man.
https://web.archive.org/web/20090718143101/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1988/06/10001001.pdf
SEE LOOPHOLE ;
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious or superovulationcwdtsepriondocious ?
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2014/07/supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-or.html
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE PrP, Cervid, Genetic Manipulation, Unforeseen Circumstances
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/04/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse-prp.html
https://tseac.blogspot.com/2011/02/usa-50-state-bse-mad-cow-conference.html
Terry S. Singeltary Sr
posted by Terry S. Singeltary Sr. at
11:19 AM
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