Delaware Confirms Third Case of Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer

Delaware Confirms Third Case of Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Division of Fish and Wildlife | Newsroom | Date Posted: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

An alert graphic showing two white-tailed deer in a field beneath a warning icon and the words “Chronic Wasting Disease,” with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control logo at the bottom.

DNREC Community Meeting Wednesday, Sept. 16 to Provide Update on State’s CWD Response and Explain Temporary Emergency Deer Hunting Regulations

Delaware has confirmed a third case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a white-tailed deer in central Sussex County. The new detection expands the state’s Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone (CMZ) to include Wildlife Management Zone 11, along with zones 14 and 16. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is applying temporary regulationsOpen this document with ReadSpeaker docReader in the additional affected area to help limit the spread of the disease.

CWD is a fatal disease that affects deer and other members of the deer family. The deer that tested positive for CWD this week was initially investigated by DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife staff as a suspected case of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD). As part of the investigation, the staff also sampled the deer for CWD and received a positive result. The deer was located just east of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority’s Jones Crossroads Landfill near Georgetown.

Delaware became the 37th state to confirm CWD in wild deer this year. DNREC has tested deer for the disease since 2003 in preparation for the possibility that it would eventually reach the state.

DNREC will hold a community meeting on the evolving in-state presence of CWD in the auditorium at Delaware Technical Community College Owens Campus in Georgetown on Wednesday, Sept.16 at 6:30 p.m. For anyone unable to attend the in-person meeting, DNREC has made participation by a virtual option available via Microsoft Teams. More information and registration is available on the de.gov/dnrecmeetings webpage.

DNREC staff will be present starting at 6:10 p.m. at the Del Tech to sign up anyone wanting to speak at the meeting, with comments limited to two minutes.

The meeting will cover DNREC’s recent adoption of temporary deer hunting and rehabilitation regulations, with Division of Fish and Wildlife staff explaining provisions of the temporary regulations, including today’s expansion of the CMZ. Attendees should note that this meeting is informational and not part of a formal public comment related to the regulations. Possible permanent changes to regulations in response to CWD will be open for formal public comment during the standard regulatory process later this year.

More information – including the latest temporary regulation, the state response plan to CWD in Delaware, a map of the CWD Management Zone, and public guidance for dealing with CWD – can be found on the de.gov/cwd webpage.

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

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

###

https://news.delaware.gov/2026/09/16/delaware-confirms-third-case-of-chronic-wasting-disease-in-deer/

“The two deer that tested positive were harvested during the 2025-2026 hunting season in Sussex County. While they were the first known cases in Delaware, local wildlife biologists have been preparing for this possibility for decades and are working to better understand the disease and limit its spread.”

How Chronic Wasting Disease in Delaware Impacts Hunters and Residents

Listen

Outdoor Delaware Categories Outdoor Delaware is the award-winning online magazine of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Articles and multimedia content are produced by the DNREC Office of Communications. When Delaware announced its first confirmed case of chronic wasting disease this spring, many hunters had the same questions: What exactly does it mean? Can I still hunt deer? Is venison safe to eat? What happens next?

A deer stands on sand, grass and pinecones. The signs of chronic wasting disease, such as weight loss, poor coordination, drooling, confusion, lethargy, excessive thirst, frequent urination, droopy ears and lack of fear of people, may not always be visible in deer. (Delaware DNREC) The short answer is that chronic wasting disease does not affect humans and hunters should not be discouraged from getting outdoors this fall.

“Please don’t be hesitant to donate the deer to Hunters Against Hunger, don’t be hesitant to go hunting,” said Sam Millman, a deer biologist with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. “That’s not what we’re trying to do here.”

The two deer that tested positive were harvested during the 2025-2026 hunting season in Sussex County. While they were the first known cases in Delaware, local wildlife biologists have been preparing for this possibility for decades and are working to better understand the disease and limit its spread.

First identified in the 1960s in captive deer, chronic wasting disease was not detected in wild ungulates for about 15 more years. It has since been found in 37 states, mostly concentrated in the Midwest and some of the Rocky Mountain states, and has steadily spread across North America for decades. Cases have also been observed in Canada, Norway, Finland, Sweden and South Korea.

In many ways, finding the disease is evidence that Delaware’s monitoring program is working. The First State has conducted routine surveillance for the disease every year since 2003, taking about 600 samples annually. Those samples are sent to a certified outside lab to test.

Over the course of more than 20 years, nearly 13,000 deer were tested before a case arose here.

“Our surveillance worked,” Millman emphasized. “We found it.”

What Delawareans Need to Know The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend as a precautionary measure people should test deer harvested in the same area as the infected deer for chronic wasting disease and not eat any meat that tests positive for the disease. In Delaware, that’s Wildlife Management Zones 14 and 16 in south-central Sussex County for now.

As part of its comprehensive plan to stop the spread, DNREC is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to collect more deer samples from the same area so as to determine the full extent of the issue. DNREC has already held a community meeting to inform the public and plans to host more.

A buck stands in a field. While chronic wasting disease is not known to affect humans, it is always fatal to deer over time. When deer season begins in September, DNREC will have a program available to enable hunters to have their deer tested. Specific details on how the program will work are still being considered, but hunters will be made aware of the procedures prior to the season opening. Further changes, such as mandatory testing within the affected Wildlife Management Zones during the November general firearm season, may also be implemented.

These collections will help DNREC better determine the extent of chronic wasting disease.

Measures will also be put in place for individuals who legally own deer in Delaware. Currently, there are three deer farms here, each of which are permitted and overseen by the Delaware Department of Agriculture: one near Hartly, one near Farmington and one near Millsboro.

There’s also no reason for hunters to shy away from DNREC’s popular Hunters Against Hunger program. Donations will be tested for chronic wasting disease before distribution, Millman noted, and venison from any deer testing positive will be discarded as a precaution.

Due to the geography of the Delmarva Peninsula, DNREC had expected to find the initial instance of chronic wasting disease in New Castle County, probably close to the Pennsylvania or Maryland state lines because the disease has previously been found in those states.

Exactly why it popped up in Sussex first isn’t clear, but there are several possibilities, including coming from a live deer that was infected and illegally released into the wild, from urine collected from deer as a hunting attractant that contained chronic wasting disease prions or from an infected carcass from a deer harvested in an area where chronic wasting disease occurred and the remains were disposed of in such a manner that wild deer came in contact with them.

What is Chronic Wasting Disease?

Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is a degenerative condition that essentially eats away at deer unlucky enough to have contracted it. It’s a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, more commonly referred to as a prion disease, which occurs when proteins in the brain become misfolded.

Proteins are molecules fundamental to life as we know it. As part of the organic process, they fold, or change, from molecules arranged randomly to orderly three-dimensional structures able to fulfill vital functions. Sometimes, however, for reasons that are not very well understood, they fail to do so.

How Can I Limit Chronic Wasting Disease?

• Do not move live deer.

• Do not feed or provide water for wild deer.

• Dispose of unwanted deer carcasses by donating them to Delaware Hunters Against Hunger or taking them to a landfill. Do not bury them, as the disease can spread through the soil into plants and then to other deer that eat those flora.

• Do not bring deer carcasses into Delaware from another state.

• Use synthetic deer urine instead of natural urine.

• Do not eat deer brains, eyeballs, spinal cords, spleen or lymph nodes.

• When field-dressing or butchering deer, wear gloves, avoid cutting through bone, do not use household knives and make sure to clean utensils thoroughly with a mix of chlorine bleach and water.

• Avoid animals that appear sick or are acting strangely.

• Do not touch dead animals.

• Report sick or abnormal deer to DNREC at de.gov/reportsickwildlife. Signs may include weight loss, poor coordination, droopy ears, drooling, difficulty swallowing and frequent urination. Though symptoms may take years to emerge, prion diseases disrupt cell functions, eventually leading to death. They can develop as a result of mutations or eating infected meat and can also be passed from mother to child.

Other prion diseases include mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Thankfully, prion diseases are rare, and some variants, including chronic wasting disease, are not known to affect humans.

While cases are reported around the globe from time to time, the best-known variant, mad cow disease, has mostly been eliminated since it was first identified in 1986. About 300 to 600 cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the most common human prion disease, are reported in the United States annually.

There are no cures for any prion diseases.

Chronic wasting disease is a cousin that affects members of the deer family, including moose, elk and reindeer. A few studies have shown it can be transmitted to monkeys and mice in the right circumstances, but others have reported different results.

Deer that develop this condition suffer severe brain damage that worsens with time. Symptoms include significant weight loss (hence the “wasting” in the name), poor coordination, drooling, confusion, lethargy, excessive thirst, frequent urination, droopy ears and lack of caution around people.

Deer transmit chronic wasting disease to other members of the species through bodily fluids like saliva and urine. It can spread quickly in large populations kept in close proximity, although it can take years for an infected animal to show signs.

Chronic wasting disease invariably leads to death. Often, however, it’s not the disease itself but a side effect that kills the deer, such as catching pneumonia because of the frequent drooling or becoming so confused it walks into traffic.

Other Diseases Chronic wasting disease isn’t the only deer disease of note: Other conditions include hemorrhagic diseases such as epizootic hemorrhagic disease and bluetongue disease.

Among the signs of epizootic hemorrhagic disease are drooling, loss of appetite, weakness, internal bleeding and fever, which might cause the animal to lie in water to cool off. Bluetongue is similar and, as the name suggests, causes the animal’s tongue to appear blue due to loss of oxygen.

With both of these diseases, symptoms emerge about a week after exposure. The deer typically expires within two days from first showing signs, although some deer that contract the virus can develop a sufficient immune response to fight off the infection and recover. These surviving deer then carry antibodies that make them less susceptible to significant infections during future exposures. In the case of does, these antibodies are often passed down to their offspring, making them more resilient over time to outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease.

These diseases are transmitted by midges — small gnats, often called “no-see-ums” — typically when deer are drinking from bodies of water. They are quite contagious, meaning they tend to spread more easily during droughts when deer are clustered around the same watering holes as opposed to wetter periods when deer are more spread out because there are more drinking sources available. Cases mostly pop up during the summer, sometimes leading to large die-offs in a short period of time.

Similar to chronic wasting disease, epizootic hemorrhagic disease is not transmissible to humans or pets such as dogs and cats.

DNREC scientists keep an eye out for these conditions and test deer thought to possibly have contracted one of the diseases. That’s in contrast to chronic wasting disease, where the testing is more proactive.

Regardless, DNREC is on the case.

For more information on chronic wasting disease, contact Millman at Sam.Millman@delaware.gov or 302-735-8676 or visit de.gov/cwd.

https://dnrec.delaware.gov/outdoor-delaware/how-chronic-wasting-disease-in-delaware-impacts-hunters-and-residents/

“The two deer that tested positive were harvested during the 2025-2026 hunting season in Sussex County. While they were the first known cases in Delaware, local wildlife biologists have been preparing for this possibility for decades and are working to better understand the disease and limit its spread.”

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 03, 2026

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

Delaware has confirmed its first case of Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, in a wild white-tailed deer. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) announced the positive result today after it was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory (USDA NVSL) in a hunter-harvested deer sampled as part of routine surveillance.

***> A second deer sampled this season tested presumptive positive at the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System and is awaiting confirmation by the USDA NVSL. CWD had not previously been found in Delaware. Both positive samples came from white-tailed deer harvested in Sussex County.

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/06/delaware-confirms-states-first-case-of.html

***> please note:

All donated deer will be tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The deer will be processed into ground venison, free of charge. The meat is distributed to participating charitable groups. The program only accepts deer harvested and registered in Delaware.

https://dnrec.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/hunting/against-hunger/

cwd tse prion, cattle, pigs, sheep, primates, oh my!  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

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

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of cervids, such as deer, elk, moose and reindeer. It is caused by prions – infectious proteins that cause normal cellular prion proteins to misfold (CIDRAP, 2025). The disease is widespread in captive and free-ranging cervids in North America (Figure 1). For the first time, CWD prions have also been detected in the tissues of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) caught in CWD-affected areas of the USA (Soto et al. 2025). This discovery emerged from a study designed to investigate potential interactions between wild pigs and CWD prions, as wild pigs often coexist with cervids, which can shed prions into the environment. The following assessment discusses the epidemiology of CWD in North America and the detection of CWD prions in wild pigs. It also considers the potential implications for Great Britain.

Conclusion

CWD has continued to spread among captive and free-ranging cervids in North America since it was first detected in the 1960s. The finding of CWD prions in wild pigs in the USA suggests they could contribute towards transmission of the disease, influencing its epidemiology, geographic distribution and interspecies spread. However, further research is needed to confirm this. CWD has never been reported in Great Britain and the current risk of CWD prions being introduced into Great Britain’s wild pig or cervid population ranges from very low to negligible.

Readers are reminded to be vigilant for signs of CWD. Information on how to spot the disease can be found here. Suspected cases must be reported immediately to the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, call 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact your local Field Services Office. Failure to do so is an offence. We will continue to monitor the situation.

Authors • Lawrence Finn • Dr. Lauren Perrin • John Spiropoulos • Dr. Helen RobertsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

References

snip…see;

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

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

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

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

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

see;

https://nor-98.blogspot.com/2016/09/goat-k222-prpc-polymorphic-variant-does.html

https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2026/04/us-report-scrapie-cwd-cattle-sheep-pigs.html

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

18. Zoonotic potential of moose-derived chronic wasting disease prions after adaptation in intermediate species

Tomás Barrioa, Jean-Yves Doueta, Alvina Huora, Séverine Lugana, Naïma Arona, Hervé Cassarda, Sylvie L. Benestadb, Juan Carlos Espinosac, Juan María Torresc, Olivier Andréolettia

aUnité Mixte de Recherche de l’Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement 1225 Interactions Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 31076 Toulouse, France; bNorwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 64, NO-1431 Ås, Norway; cCentro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain

Aims: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging prion disease in Europe. To date, cases have been reported in three Nordic countries and in several species, including reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), moose (Alces alces) and red deer (Cervus elaphus). Cumulating data suggest that the prion strains responsible for the European cases are distinct from those circulating in North America. The biological properties of CWD prions are still poorly documented, in particular their spillover and zoonotic capacities. In this study, we aimed at characterizing the interspecies transmission potential of Norwegian moose CWD isolates.

Materials and Methods: For that purpose, we performed experimental transmissions in a panel of transgenic models expressing the PrPC sequence of various species.

Results: On first passage, one moose isolate propagated in the ovine PrPC-expressing model (Tg338). After adaptation in this host, moose CWD prions were able to transmit in mice expressing either bovine or human PrPC with high efficacy.

Conclusions: These results suggest that CWD prions can acquire enhanced zoonotic properties following adaptation in an intermediate species.

Funding

Grant number: AAPG2020 EU-CWD, ICRAD2020 TCWDE, NRC2022 NorCWD

Acknowledgement

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336896.2024.2424058

“ After adaptation in this host, moose CWD prions were able to transmit in mice expressing either bovine or human PrPC with high efficacy.”

“Also, we do not claim that "no-one has ever been infected with prion disease from eating venison." Our conclusion stating that we found no strong evidence of CWD transmission to humans in the article you quoted or in any other forum is limited to the patients we investigated.”

*** now, let’s see what the authors said about this casual link, personal communications years ago, and then the latest on the zoonotic potential from CWD to humans from the TOKYO PRION 2016 CONFERENCE.

see where it is stated NO STRONG evidence. so, does this mean there IS casual evidence ????

“Our conclusion stating that we found no strong evidence of CWD transmission to humans”

Subject: CWD aka MAD DEER/ELK TO HUMANS ???

Date: September 30, 2002 at 7:06 am PST

From: "Belay, Ermias"

To: Cc: "Race, Richard (NIH)" ; ; "Belay, Ermias"

Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 9:22 AM

Subject: RE: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS

Dear Sir/Madam, In the Archives of Neurology you quoted (the abstract of which was attached to your email), we did not say CWD in humans will present like variant CJD.. That assumption would be wrong. I encourage you to read the whole article and call me if you have questions or need more clarification (phone: 404-639-3091).

Also, we do not claim that "no-one has ever been infected with prion disease from eating venison." Our conclusion stating that we found no strong evidence of CWD transmission to humans in the article you quoted or in any other forum is limited to the patients we investigated.

Ermias Belay, M.D. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Subject: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS

Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:26 PM .......snip........end..............TSS

-----Original Message-----

From:

Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 10:15 AM

To: rr26k@nih.gov; rrace@niaid.nih.gov; ebb8@CDC.GOV

Subject: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS

Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:26 PM .......snip........end..............TSS

Thursday, April 03, 2008

A prion disease of cervids: Chronic wasting disease 2008 1: Vet Res. 2008 Apr 3;39(4):41 A prion disease of cervids: Chronic wasting disease Sigurdson CJ.

snip...

*** twenty-seven CJD patients who regularly consumed venison were reported to the Surveillance Center, however there have been no unusual or novel prion subtypes that might indicate the appearance of a new prion strain [7, 41].

snip... full text ;

https://www.vetres.org/articles/vetres/abs/2008/04/v08092/v08092.html

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2008/04/prion-disease-of-cervids-chronic.html

“regular venison eating associated with a 9 FOLD INCREASE IN RISK OF CJD”

Subject: Re: DEER SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY SURVEY & HOUND STUDY

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 23:12:22 +0100

From: Steve Dealler Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Organization: Netscape Online member

To: BSE-L@ …

######## Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy <BSE-L@UNI-KARLSRUHE.DE> #########

Dear Terry,

An excellent piece of review as this literature is desparately difficult to get back from Government sites. What happened with the deer was that an association between deer meat eating and sporadic CJD was found in about 1993. The evidence was not great but did not disappear after several years of asking CJD cases what they had eaten. I think that the work into deer disease largely stopped because it was not helpful to the UK industry...and no specific cases were reported.

Well, if you dont look adequately like they are in USA currenly then you wont find any!

Steve Dealler

########### http://mailhost.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/warc/bse-l.html ############

Subject: DEER SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY SURVEY & HOUND STUDY

From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <flounder@WT.NET>

Reply To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy <BSE-L@UNI-KARLSRUHE.DE>

Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 17:04:51 -0700

snip...

''The association between venison eating and risk of CJD shows similar pattern, with regular venison eating associated with a 9 FOLD INCREASE IN RISK OF CJD (p = 0.04).''

CREUTZFELDT JAKOB DISEASE SURVEILLANCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THIRD ANNUAL REPORT AUGUST 1994

snip...see full report ;

http://web.archive.org/web/20090506050043/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/08/00004001.pdf

http://web.archive.org/web/20090506050007/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/10/00003001.pdf

http://web.archive.org/web/20090506050244/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/yb/1994/07/00001001.pdf

Stephen Dealler is a consultant medical microbiologist deal@airtime.co.uk BSE Inquiry Steve Dealler Management In Confidence BSE: Private Submission of Bovine Brain Dealler

snip...end

########### http://mailhost.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/warc/bse-l.html ############

*** These results would seem to suggest that CWD does indeed have zoonotic potential, at least as judged by the compatibility of CWD prions and their human PrPC target. Furthermore, extrapolation from this simple in vitro assay suggests that if zoonotic CWD occurred, it would most likely effect those of the PRNP codon 129-MM genotype and that the PrPres type would be similar to that found in the most common subtype of sCJD (MM1).***

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.4161/pri.28124?src=recsys

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.4161/pri.28124?needAccess=true

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/20/1/13-0858_article

CDC CWD TSE Prion Update 2025

KEY POINTS

Chronic wasting disease affects deer, elk and similar animals in the United States and a few other countries.

The disease hasn't been shown to infect people.

However, it might be a risk to people if they have contact with or eat meat from animals infected with CWD.

2025 cdc archived link

https://web.archive.org/web/20240531213416/https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-wasting/about/index.html

2026 cdc link

https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-wasting/about/index.html

Prions in Muscles of Cervids with Chronic Wasting Disease, Norway

Volume 31, Number 2—February 2025

Research

Prions in Muscles of Cervids with Chronic Wasting Disease, Norway

Snip…

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

Appendix

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

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

Volume 31, Number 2—February 2025

Dispatch

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

Snip…

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

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

Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in processed meats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DETECTION OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE PRIONS IN PROCESSED MEATS.

In this study, we analyzed different processed meats derived from a pre-clinical, CWD-positive free-ranging elk. Products tested included filets, sausages, boneless steaks, burgers, ham steaks, seasoned chili meats, and spiced meats. CWD-prion presence in these products were assessed by PMCA using deer and elk substrates. Our results show positive prion detection in all products. To confirm the resilience of CWD-prions to traditional cooking methods, we grilled and boiled the meat products and evaluated them for any remnant PMCA seeding activity. Results confirmed the presence of CWD-prions in these meat products suggesting that infectious particles may still be available to people even after cooking. Our results strongly suggest ongoing human exposure to CWD-prions and raise significant concerns of zoonotic transmission through ingestion of CWD contaminated meat products.

Products tested included filets, sausages, boneless steaks, burgers, ham steaks, seasoned chili meats, and spiced meats.

CWD-prion presence in these products were assessed by PMCA using deer and elk substrates.

Our results show positive prion detection in all products.

Results confirmed the presence of CWD-prions in these meat products suggesting that infectious particles may still be available to people even after cooking.

Our results strongly suggest ongoing human exposure to CWD-prions and raise significant concerns of zoonotic transmission through ingestion of CWD contaminated meat products.

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

***> Environmental Risk Factors for CWD TSE Prion

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion of Cervid Alert

i’m thinking environmental contamination from cwd, the fact the tse prion can survive in the environment, soil, from 15, 16, to 21 years, what about Real Estate Property Values over time?

we know now from laboratory scientific, transmission studies, CWD, TSE, Prion, will transmit, by oral routes to, Cattle, Pigs; Sheep, Cervid, and Primates. i can still remember, from early BSE days, very frightening stuff.

I remember what “deep throat” told me about Scrapie back around 2001, during early days of my BSE investigation, after my Mom died from hvCJD, I never forgot, and it seems it’s come to pass;

***> Confidential!!!!

***> As early as 1992-3 there had been long studies conducted on small pastures containing scrapie infected sheep at the sheep research station associated with the Neuropathogenesis Unit in Edinburgh, Scotland. Whether these are documented...I don't know. But personal recounts both heard and recorded in a daily journal indicate that leaving the pastures free and replacing the topsoil completely at least 2 feet of thickness each year for SEVEN years....and then when very clean (proven scrapie free) sheep were placed on these small pastures.... the new sheep also broke out with scrapie and passed it to offspring. I am not sure that TSE contaminated ground could ever be free of the agent!! A very frightening revelation!!!

---end personal email---end...tss

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion

THE CWD TSE Prion aka mad cow type disease is not your normal pathogen.

The TSE prion disease survives ashing to 600 degrees celsius, that’s around 1112 degrees farenheit.

You cannot cook the TSE prion disease out of meat. In fact new data now shows that exposure to high temperatures used to cook the meat increased the availability of prions for in vitro amplification.

you can take the ash and mix it with saline and inject that ash into a mouse, and the mouse will go down with TSE.

Prion Infected Meat-and-Bone Meal Is Still Infectious after Biodiesel Production as well.

the TSE prion agent also survives Simulated Wastewater Treatment Processes.

IN fact, you should also know that the TSE Prion agent will survive in the environment for years, if not decades.

you can bury it and it will not go away.

The TSE agent is capable of infected your water table i.e. Detection of protease-resistant cervid prion protein in water from a CWD-endemic area.

it’s not your ordinary pathogen you can just cook it out and be done

and so it seems…2026

CWD, So, this is what we leave our children and grandchildren?

cwd, environmental factors, soil saturation of cwd PrP over time, and growing vegetables, hay, straw, or anything, if plants can uptake the cwd PrP, and then, what about, surrounding environmental cwd factors, water, what about real estate and property values, over time, why is Timmy afraid of cwd science and transmission studies i wonder, and seems to sides with the fake news conspiracy groups about cwd? i don’t make this stuff up…

Detection of chronic wasting disease prions in the farm soil of the Republic of Korea

Here, we show that prion seeding activity was detected in extracts from farm soil following 4 years of incubation with CWD-infected brain homogenate.

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00866-24

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

=====***>

Detection of prions in soils contaminated by multiple routes

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.

Funded by: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Prion 2023 Conference Abstracts

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

Artificial mineral sites that pre-date endemic chronic wasting disease become prion hotspots

The detection of PrPCWD in soils at attractant sites within an endemic CWD zone significantly advances our understanding of environmental PrPCWD accumulation dynamics, providing valuable information for advancing adaptive CWD management approaches.

https://int-cwd-sympo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/final-agenda-with-abstracts.pdf

***> 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.

JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY Volume 87, Issue 12

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

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/

and so it seems…

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) prion detection in environmental and biological samples from a taxidermy site and nursing facility, and instruments used in surveillance activities

Available online 9 April 2025

Highlights

• CWD prions were identified in a taxidermy and deer nursing facility.

• Contaminated samples included waters, soils, dermestid beetles, domestic flies and a dumpster.

• Surgical instruments used to collect deer samples can get contaminated with CWD prions.

• Some of the infectious particles are readily released from surgical instruments when washed.

• Our results suggest that taxidermy practices actively contribute in the spreading of CWD.

Snip…

In summary, the information provided in this report demonstrate how anthropogenic activities, specifically taxidermy practices, animal processing, and rehabilitation of CWD susceptible species, may facilitate CWD transmission through the environmental dissemination of CWD prions. This study, along with future research efforts characterizing the overall level of infectivity, provides relevant information on managing CWD and to control its rapid geographic expansion. …

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969725009544

Chronic wasting disease detection in environmental and biological samples from a taxidermy site

Results: The PMCA analysis demonstrated CWD seeding activity in some of the components of this facility, including insects involved in head processing, soils, and a trash dumpster.

Conclusions: Different areas of this property were used for various taxidermy procedures. We were able to detect the presence of prions in

i) soils that were in contact with the heads of dead animals, ii) insects involved in the cleaning of skulls, and iii) an empty dumpster where animal carcasses were previously placed.

This is the first report demonstrating that swabbing is a helpful method to screen for prion infectivity on surfaces potentially contaminated with CWD. These findings are relevant as this swabbing and amplification strategy may be used to evaluate the disease status of other free-ranging and captive settings where there is a concern for CWD transmissions, such as at feeders and water troughs with CWD-exposed properties. This approach could have substantial implications for free-ranging cervid surveillance as well as in epidemiological investigations of CWD.

Prion 2022 Conference abstracts: pushing the boundaries

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336896.2022.2091286

Artificial mineral sites that pre-date endemic chronic wasting disease become prion hotspots

The Ames Research and Educational Center property, centrally located within the CWD zone of southwest Tennessee, contains 49 historical mineral supplementation sites that were decommissioned in 2012. Here, we demonstrate that 32 of the 49 (65%) mineral sites within Ames established prior to the regional CWD outbreak, serve as foci of environmental PrPCWD contamination. Detection of PrPCWD in soils from these artificial mineral sites was dependent on site-specific management efforts. Soil physical properties were very similar across sites and no correlation between PrPCWD detection and soil physical properties was found. The detection of PrPCWD in soils at attractant sites within an endemic CWD zone significantly advances our understanding of environmental PrPCWD accumulation dynamics, providing valuable information for advancing adaptive CWD management approaches.

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

Shedding of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Multiple Excreta Throughout Disease Course in White-tailed Deer

Conclusions: These studies demonstrate: (a) CWD prion excretion occurs throughout infection; (2) PRNP genotype (GG≫GS/NT) influences the excreta shedding; and (3) detection sensitivity in excreta can vary with different RT-QuIC protocols. These results provide a more complete perspective of prion shedding in deer during the course of CWD infection.

Prion 2022 Conference abstracts: pushing the boundaries

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19336896.2022.2091286

Characterizing Hydrological Transport Pathways of Chronic Wasting Disease in the Environment

Authors Anu Wille, Diana L Karwan, Stuart Siegfried Lichtenberg, Madeline Grunklee, Gage Rowden, Victoria Ferguson-Kramer, Marc D Schwabenlander, Tiffany M Wolf, Peter A Larsen Publication date 2024/6 Journal Water Science Conference (WaterSciCon24 Pages 110-04

Description Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative prion disease found in deer, moose, and elk. Cases of CWD in Minnesota have risen considerably over the last few years, raising wildlife, environmental, and public health concerns.

Infectious prions, such as those causing CWD, enter the environment through bodily fluids or decomposing carcasses of infected individuals and can persist for at least fifteen years in soil and water.

Previous studies have shown strong prion sorption to various mineral particles in soils.

Through field observation and laboratory experimentation, we observed that prions readily partition to the particulate fraction of environmental waters, suggesting that hydrological transport of prions is likely sediment-facilitated.

To effectively contain the spread of CWD through the environment, it is imperative to predict prion transport times and pathways in the context of specific landscape and …

Scholar articles Characterizing Hydrological Transport Pathways of Chronic Wasting Disease in the Environment

A Wille, DL Karwan, SS Lichtenberg, M Grunklee… - Water Science Conference (WaterSciCon24, 2024 Related articles

https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=cVqWACIAAAAJ&cstart=20&pagesize=80&citation_for_view=cVqWACIAAAAJ:0EnyYjriUFMC

Characterizing Hydrological Transport Pathways of Chronic Wasting Disease in the Environment

Wille, Anu search by orcid.svg ; Karwan, Diana L. search by orcid.svg ; Lichtenberg, Stuart Siegfried ;Grunklee, Madeline ; Rowden, Gage ; Ferguson-Kramer, Victoria ;Schwabenlander, Marc D. ; Wolf, Tiffany M. ; Larsen, Peter A.

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024wsc..conf11004W/abstract

https://agu.confex.com/agu/hydrology24/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1502243

Characterizing Hydrological Transport Pathways of Chronic Wasting Disease in the Environment

Wille, Anu search by orcid ; Karwan, Diana L. search by orcid ; Lichtenberg, Stuart Siegfried ; Grunklee, Madeline ; Rowden, Gage ; Ferguson-Kramer, Victoria ; Schwabenlander, Marc D. ; Wolf, Tiffany M. ; Larsen, Peter A.

Abstract Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative prion disease found in deer, moose, and elk. Cases of CWD in Minnesota have risen considerably over the last few years, raising wildlife, environmental, and public health concerns. Infectious prions, such as those causing CWD, enter the environment through bodily fluids or decomposing carcasses of infected individuals and can persist for at least fifteen years in soil and water. Previous studies have shown strong prion sorption to various mineral particles in soils. Through field observation and laboratory experimentation, we observed that prions readily partition to the particulate fraction of environmental waters, suggesting that hydrological transport of prions is likely sediment-facilitated. To effectively contain the spread of CWD through the environment, it is imperative to predict prion transport times and pathways in the context of specific landscape and watershed conditions. Our purpose is to characterize the hydrological transport of prions through watersheds at multiple scales. Through spatial analysis, we mapped surface flow pathways from CWD hotspots in Minnesota to identify how they overlap with major rivers and regions of high soil erosion. Based on in-stream measurements and sediment characterization, we used empirical equations to predict sediment mobilization conditions and transport rates in CWD-contaminated regions with diverse flow regimes. In order to model subsurface prion transport, we began conducting flow-through column experiments testing various flow rates and soil matrices.

Publication: Water Science Conference (WaterSciCon24), held in St. Paul, Minnesota, 24-27 June 2024, Session: Learning from observations / Catchment and Critical Zone Science - Understanding Ecosystems through Monitoring, Analysis, and Experimentation III Oral (Coupled Workshop: 231), id. 110-04. Pub Date: June 2024

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024wsc..conf11004W/abstract

New studies on the heat resistance of hamster-adapted scrapie agent: Threshold survival after ashing at 600°C suggests an inorganic template of replication

http://www.pnas.org/content/97/7/3418.full

Prion Infected Meat-and-Bone Meal Is Still Infectious after Biodiesel Production

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2493038/

Rapid assessment of bovine spongiform encephalopathy prion inactivation by heat treatment in yellow grease produced in the industrial manufacturing process of meat and bone meals

https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1746-6148-9-134.pdf

TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2026 .

Distribution of Chronic Wasting Disease in North America APRIL 11, 2025

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/05/distribution-of-chronic-wasting-disease.html

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

April 2026

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

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

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

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

SUNDAY, AUGUST 09, 2026

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD and Population Declines of Cervid

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

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

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

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

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

Terry S. Singeltary Sr.