March 30, 2018
Contact: Lt. David Shaw, 616-218-3762
Mecosta County man sentenced following DNR investigation
Game ranch owner falsified information related to chronic wasting disease testing
A Mecosta County game ranch owner has been sentenced on charges resulting from an investigation by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Lester Jay Gemmen, 64, of Morley was charged with providing false information regarding the origin of two deer heads that were submitted for disease testing, and for failing to properly maintain fencing at the Super G Ranch. The ranch is a privately owned cervid (POC) facility, a designation that includes game ranches and hunting ranches.
He was sentenced by the 77th District Court to 60 days in jail for each count, ordered to pay $775 in fines and costs and must perform 80 hours of community service.
The investigation began in 2017 after two of the six deer heads submitted by Gemmen tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
“I commend the detectives from our Special Investigations Unit and our field conservation officers for their thorough, professional approach to this investigation,” said 1st Lt. David Shaw, supervisor of the Special Investigations Unit of the DNR Law Enforcement Division.
The facility’s remaining deer were depopulated and tested, but no further evidence of CWD was found. The facility remains under quarantine, currently preventing ownership of farmed cervids.
The Privately Owned Cervid Program is jointly managed by the DNR and MDARD. There is mandatory CWD testing in all registered herds in Michigan, under the oversight of MDARD. The DNR oversees POC registration and performs inspections of POC facilities. Proper maintenance of POC facilities is critical to protecting Michigan’s free-ranging and privately owned cervid herds.
CWD is a fatal central nervous system disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. It attacks the brain of infected animals, creating small lesions in the brain, which result in death. It is transmitted through direct animal-to-animal contact or by contact with saliva, urine, feces, blood, carcass parts of an infected animal or infected soil. To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by humans or domestic animals.
Since May 2015, CWD-positive deer have been found in Michigan. As of mid-March 2018, 57 free-ranging deer have tested positive for the disease. CWD has not been found in the Upper Peninsula, though it has been discovered in Wisconsin, approximately 40 miles from the western Upper Peninsula border.
The DNR is working with stakeholders to address the status of CWD in Michigan. In the coming weeks, the DNR and the Michigan Natural Resources Commission will host a series of public engagement meetings across the state on CWD. The sessions will provide hunters, business owners and residents with opportunities to share their ideas and observations.
In addition, the DNR, NRC and MDARD are evaluating recommendations from the CWD Working Group, which was created after last year’s CWD Symposium. The symposium brought national and international experts to Michigan to discuss CWD. During the coming months, the DNR, NRC and MDARD will work with stakeholders to develop new CWD regulation recommendations.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2017
Michigan Chronic wasting disease identified in two Mecosta County farmed deer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2017
Media contacts: Jessy Sielski (MDARD), 517-284-5725 or Chad Stewart (DNR), 517-282-4810
LANSING – Chronic wasting disease was confirmed this week in two female deer from a Mecosta County deer farm. CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. This is the second time the disease has been found in a farmed deer facility in Michigan. In 2008, a white-tailed deer from a Kent County deer farm tested positive.
“Chronic wasting disease is a serious disease affecting both farmed and free-ranging deer,” said MDARD State Veterinarian James Averill, DVM. “We are following the state’s CWD response plan and taking the necessary steps to protect the health and well-being of all of Michigan’s deer populations.” Samples from the two deer were submitted for testing as a part of MDARD’s mandatory CWD surveillance program. All farmed deer facilities licensed with the Michigan Department Natural Resources must participate in this program.
“Any discovery of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging or farmed deer is disappointing,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer and elk specialist. “It will take significant time and effort – through immediate, targeted surveillance and mandatory checks during the upcoming deer seasons – to understand the current situation. The Michigan DNR remains committed in our efforts to contain this disease and safeguard our valuable wildlife resource.”
MDARD and DNR are implementing the Michigan Surveillance and Response Plan for Chronic Wasting Disease of Free-Ranging and Privately Owned Cervids, and are taking the following steps:
Quarantine the affected farm.
Complete trace investigations to identify the potential sources of infection and possible areas of spread.
Work with the producer to depopulate the facility.
Test all deer from the affected herd for CWD.
Identify all other deer farms in a 15-mile radius, which will undergo a records audit, fence inspection and increased surveillance testing.
Conduct targeted surveillance testing on free-ranging white-tailed deer near the facility.
Have mandatory deer check for hunter-harvested deer in a nine-township area.
An informational meeting for deer farmers is scheduled for:
Wednesday, February 1, 2017, at 7 p.m.Big Rapids Holiday Inn1005 Perry Avenue, Big Rapids, Michigan 49307
In May 2015, CWD was found in a free-ranging deer in Ingham County. Since then, the DNR has tested nearly 12,000 free-ranging deer for CWD; nine deer have tested positive in Ingham and Clinton counties.
CWD is transmitted directly from one animal to another and indirectly through the environment. Infected animals may display abnormal behavior, progressive weight loss and physical debilitation. To date, there is no evidence that CWD presents any risk to humans or other animals outside the deer family, either through contact with an infected deer or from handling venison that came from a CWD-infected deer. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals.
More information about CWD – including Michigan’s CWD surveillance and response plan – is available at www.michigan.gov/cwd.
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January 14, 2018
Michigan’s Chronic Wasting Disease Working Group Recommendations Report to the Natural Resources Commission Prepared December 2017 CWD Confirmed Cases holding for now at 57 cases
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017 Michigan Chronic Wasting Disease Identified in a Mecosta County Farmed Deer Chronic Wasting Disease Identified in a Mecosta County Farmed Deer
Agency: Agriculture and Rural Development
For immediate release: December 13, 2017 Media contacts: Jessy Sielski (MDARD), 517-284-5725 or Ryan Soulard (DNR), 517-284-6184
LANSING – Chronic wasting disease was confirmed this week in a one-and-a-half-year-old female deer from a Mecosta County deer farm. CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. The sample was submitted for testing as a part of the state’s CWD surveillance program.
“The deer farmer who submitted the sample has gone above and beyond any state requirements to protect their deer from disease, and it is unknown at this time how this producer’s herd became infected with CWD,” said Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development State Veterinarian James Averill, DVM. “In partnership with the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we are taking the necessary steps to protect the health and well-being of all of Michigan’s deer populations.”
“What we know about CWD is always evolving,” said DNR state wildlife veterinarian, Kelly Straka, DVM. “As new positives are found, we learn more about how it’s transmitted to determine the best way to protect both free-ranging and farmed deer.”
MDARD and DNR are following the Michigan Surveillance and Response Plan for Chronic Wasting Disease of Free-Ranging and Privately Owned Cervids. The positive farm has been quarantined and, based on the plan, DNR and MDARD will take the following steps:
Conduct trace investigations to find possible areas of spread. Identify deer farms within the 15-mile radius and implement individual herd plans that explain the CWD testing requirements and movement restrictions for each herd. These herds will also undergo a records audit and fence inspection. Partner with the USDA on the management of the herd. CWD is transmitted directly from one animal to another and indirectly through the environment. Infected animals may display abnormal behavior, progressive weight loss and physical debilitation. To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals.
Since May 2015, when the first free-ranging white-tailed CWD positive deer was found in Michigan, the DNR has tested approximately 23,000 deer. Of those tested, as of December 6, 30 cases of CWD have been suspected or confirmed in deer from Clinton, Ingham, Kent and Montcalm counties. This is the first year any free-ranging deer were found CWD positive in Montcalm or Kent counties.
More information about CWD – including Michigan’s CWD surveillance and response plan – is available at http://www.michigan.gov/cwd.
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January 14, 2018
Michigan’s Chronic Wasting Disease Working Group Recommendations Report to the Natural Resources Commission Prepared December 2017 CWD Confirmed Cases holding for now at 57 cases
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2017
Michigan DNR CWD INCREASES TO TOTAL 30 CASES TO DATE
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2017
Michigan 11 case CWD confirmed, three additional suspect positives awaiting confirmation
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 07, 2018
Michigan DNR CWD National Perspective: Captive Herd Certification Program - Dr. Tracy Nichols
CURRENT STATUS OF CWD IN CAPTIVE CERVID HERDS IN 16 STATES AS OF MAY 2017
43 ELK HERDS
37 WTD HERDS
1 RED DEER HERD
6 MIX SPECIES HERDS
85 CWD-POSITIVE CAPTIVE HERDS
snip...see
TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2018
Hunters and citizens invited to collaborate on Michigan's chronic wasting disease response
Docket No. APHIS-2018-0011 Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards Singeltary Submission March 30, 2018
Greetings APHIS, USDA, Dr. Tracy Nichols, et al,
I wish to kindly submit my comments on the Docket No. APHIS-2018-0011 Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards please. i have submitted online and sent a hard copy to Dr. Nichols via email. i know that my concern may not be the same concern as others, but ramifications from cwd tse prion can be long lasting, and science is still emerging. however, the science today warrants immediate and further actions be taken. my comments, with reference materials, are as follows, and will be formatted in such a way, i will address issues by numbers 1-10, and under each one of my comments by each number, i will reference my comments with science to back up what i am stating/asking...thank you kindly, terry
1. I believe that immediately, there should be a 'DECLARATION OF EXTRAORDINARY EMERGENCY FOR FOREIGN ANIMAL DISEASE OF THE United States of America USA' due to Chronic Wasting Disease CWD Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion disease. All Intercontinental, International, Interstate movements of cervid should be banned immediately from the USA, and documented CWD TSE Prion Countries. ...snip...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
2. Voluntary Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program should be made MANDATORY immediately, OR NO PERMIT TO FARM DEER OR ELK, PERIOD! you don't want to join, then fine, you don't farm cervid and or any product there from...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
3. INDEMNITY, NO MORE Federal indemnity program, or what i call, ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM for game farm industry. NO MORE BAIL OUTS FROM TAX PAYERS. if the captive industry can't buy insurance to protect not only themselves, but also their customers, and especially the STATE, from Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion or what some call mad deer disease and harm therefrom, IF they can't afford to buy that insurance that will cover all of it, then they DO NOT GET A PERMIT to have a game farm for anything. This CWD TSE Prion can/could/has caused property values to fall from some reports in some places. roll the dice, how much is a state willing to lose?...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
4. QUARANTINE OF ALL CAPTIVE, BREEDERS, URINE, ANTLER, VELVET, SPERM, OR ANY FACILITY that has been confirmed to have Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion, the QUARANTINE should be for 21 years due to science showing what scrapie can do. 5 years is NOT enough. see; Infectious agent of sheep scrapie may persist in the environment for at least 16 years...snip...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
5. DESCRIBING APHIS' intent to amend the regulations to define susceptible species based on scientific evidence of natural infection or experimental infections through natural routes and adding the genera Rangifer and Muntiacus to the list of susceptible species...
WELL, THAT WOULD BE A START, especially with Norway CWD and Reindeer there naturally in the field, and muntiacus reefesi in the lab, ORALLY, BUT, WHAT ABOUT HUMANS AND PIGS ??? cwd transmits to the macaque in the lab, orally, by muscle meat, infected with cwd, and CWD HAS TRANSMITTED TO PIGS, orally, in the lab. so, do we continue to roll the dice there with human life? if so, why? and what about feed? pigs are still allowed in the feed, along with cwd risk deer. absolutely crazy imo. let's see what DEFRA/MAFF have to say about this...snip...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
6. Providing support for implementing antemortem immunohistochemistry testing of rectal anal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) and medial retropharyngeal lymph node (MRPLN) biopsies conducted as a whole-herd test concurrently with genotyping at Prion Protein Gene (PRNP) codon 96 in white-tailed deer in traceback, traceforward, and CWD-exposed herds and for disease management in CWD-positive herds. AND, Providing support for initiating pilot projects using RAMALT and MRPLN biopsies conducted concurrently with genotyping at PRNP codon 132 in elk in traceback, traceforward, and CWD-exposed herds and for disease management in CWD-positive herds to inform decisions about testing protocols...
***>We hypothesized that the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, a developing amplification assay, would offer greater detection capabilities over immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the identification of infected animals using recto-anal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT).
***> Successful transmission of an emergent strain of CWD prion, H95+, into mice resulted in infection. Thus, emergent CWD prion strains may have higher zoonotic potential than common strains.
***> to date, there is no cervid that has been documented to be totally resistant to cwd tse prion.
***at present, no cervid PrP allele conferring absolute resistance to prion infection has been identified.
***> we found that the retropharyngeal lymph nodes of red deer, white-tailed deer and elk contained similar prion titres to brain from the same individuals...snip...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
7. UPDATING and streamlining Appendix IV: Guidelines for ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION...
the 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.
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 with.
that’s what’s so worrisome about Iatrogenic mode of transmission, a simple autoclave will not kill this TSE prion agent...snip...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
8. Clarifying the consequences of poor quality and missing post-mortem surveillance samples on herd status, as well as describing options States may consider as substitutions for these samples. Making the Program Standards language consistent with that of the regulations by requiring CWD testing of all mortalities from certified herds, including at slaughter and on hunt facilities when animals remain under the same ownership. Streamlining the description of fencing characteristics considered necessary to prevent ingress and egress of cervids for HCP-enrolled herds. Eliminating Appendix II: Fencing Requirements and References, and making these scientific references available upon request...
GAME FARM INDUSTRY MUST BE MADE TO COMPLY WITH ALL REGULATIONS, IF FENCING IS NOT MAINTAINED, FIRST OFFENCE should be call to revoke permit for game farming, as with 1st escapee, FIRST OFFENCE should be call to revoke permit for game farming...snip...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
9. Consolidating the discussion of carcass disposal options in the main body of the Program Standards and deleting Appendix V: Carcass Disposal.
YOU better work to solve this carcass disposal options, or once again, you risk spreading this cwd tse prion. incineration is the best option imo...snip...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
10. ZOONOTIC, ZOONOSIS, CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY TSE PRION AKA MAD DEER ELK DISEASE IN HUMANS, has it already happened, that should be the question...
''In particular the US data do not clearly exclude the possibility of human (sporadic or familial) TSE development due to consumption of venison. The Working Group thus recognizes a potential risk to consumers if a TSE would be present in European cervids.''
Scientific opinion on chronic wasting disease (II)
EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) Antonia Ricci Ana Allende Declan Bolton Marianne Chemaly Robert Davies Pablo Salvador Fernández Escámez ... See all authors
First published: 17 January 2018 https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5132 ;
also, see; 8. Even though human TSE‐exposure risk through consumption of game from European cervids can be assumed to be minor, if at all existing, no final conclusion can be drawn due to the overall lack of scientific data. In particular the US data do not clearly exclude the possibility of human (sporadic or familial) TSE development due to consumption of venison. The Working Group thus recognizes a potential risk to consumers if a TSE would be present in European cervids. It might be prudent considering appropriate measures to reduce such a risk, e.g. excluding tissues such as CNS and lymphoid tissues from the human food chain, which would greatly reduce any potential risk for consumers. However, it is stressed that currently, no data regarding a risk of TSE infections from cervid products are available.
snip...
The tissue distribution of infectivity in CWD‐infected cervids is now known to extend beyond CNS and lymphoid tissues. While the removal of these specific tissues from the food chain would reduce human dietary exposure to infectivity, exclusion from the food chain of the whole carcass of any infected animal would be required to eliminate human dietary exposure.
zoonosis zoonotic cervid tse prion cwd to humans, preparing for the storm
***An alternative to modeling the species barrier is the cell-free conversion assay which points to CWD as the animal prion disease with the greatest zoonotic potential, after (and very much less than) BSE.116***
***> However, to date, no CWD infections have been reported in people.
key word here is 'reported'. science has shown that CWD in humans will look like sporadic CJD. SO, how can one assume that CWD has not already transmitted to humans? they can't, and it's as simple as that. from all recorded science to date, CWD has already transmitted to humans, and it's being misdiagnosed as sporadic CJD. ...terry
LOOKING FOR CWD IN HUMANS AS nvCJD or as an ATYPICAL CJD, LOOKING IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES $$$
*** 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).***
snip...see full text of all zoonosis zoonotic transmission studies and most recent science on potential cwd tse prion transmission to humans, if it has not happened already, see...snip...see full text Singeltary Submission for references.
PLEASE SEE Singeltary full text file DOWNLOAD ON GOVERNMENT SITE, OR GO TO THIS URL LINK FOR FULL TEXT OF SINGELTARY SUBMISSION TO Docket No. APHIS-2018-0011 Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards Singeltary Submission March 30, 2018, PLEASE SEE;
FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2018
Docket No. APHIS-2018-0011 Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards Singeltary Submission March 30, 2018
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
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