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09/06/02
NDOW STEPS UP SAMPLING AND EDUCATION ON
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
By Joe Doucette and Kelly Clark, NDOW
Currently, chronic wasting disease (CWD) has not been detected in Nevada, and state wildlife officials are urging residents heading out of state to hunt deer and elk to process their game before bringing it back home to reduce the risk of introducing the disease into the the state.
| Safety Precautions: If you butcher your deer or elk yourself, NDOW recommends the following safety precautions:
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"We are working with Nevada hunters to inform them about affected areas and to ask them to take preventive actions to keep our native deer and elk disease free," said Nevada Department of Wildlife Game Bureau Chief Gregg Tanner.
CWD is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that is found in deer and elk. It is believed to be caused by a mutated protein, called a prion that attaches to, and transforms healthy brain proteins into disfigured mutations that lead to a deterioration of the brain, and ultimately death of the animal.
CWD is similar but different from scrapie ( a disease found in domestic sheep), Bovine Sponfigorm Encephalitis (also referred to as "mad cow" disease) and Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (a TSE found in humans.) While similar to these diseases, there is no known causal link between CWD and other TSEs of animals or people. There is currently no evidence to indicate that CWD can be transmitted from elk and deer to livestock or humans.
To date, CWD has been identified in parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Montana, Oklahoma, and Kansas in the U.S., and in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. In many of these areas, CWD was first identified in animals found in captive elk or deer game farms. Nevada law prohibits establishment of captive mule or white-tailed deer farms, and would require rigorous testing by the Nevada State Department of Agriculture before any captive elk farms could be established. Currently there are no commericial deer or elk farms in the state.
In addition to requesting that hunters return only processed meat into Nevada, the agency is also taking a number of other actions to ensure the state's herds remain disease free. A direct mailing targeted to residents who hunt in affected areas; a direct mailing to taxidermists, processors and guides; and brochures on the disease will be distributed statewide. Several voluntary check stations are also planned this fall in hunt areas to inform hunters and collect additional deer and elk samples. NDOW has collected 335 deer samples to date and 102 elk samples, and no CWD has been shown. The sampling effort will continue this year in an effort to collect at least 500 samples from each species, and to confirm that the state remains disease-free.
"We are increasing our sampling effort to ensure that our deer and elk populations remain disease-free," said Tanner. " We would appreciate hunters voluntary compliance with the sampling, which will take about 20 minutes. It is essential that we stick with our sampling effort, and remain vigilant."
It is not definitively known how CWD spreads, however it appears that the disease may be transmitted through saliva, urine, and feces. This can occur either directly from animal to animal contact or indirectly, through soil or forage that is contaminated by body fluids. Current research indicates the prion does not accumulate in muscle tissue, but does collect in the brain, eyes, spinal cord, lymph nodes, tonsils and spleen of infected animals. Pressurized heat is the only method thus far found to kill the prion.
Nevada Department of Wildlife is strongly encouraging any hunters planning to hunt in other state's affected areas to call ahead to find out what state carcass transportation regulations may be in effect. As a precaution against the possible spread of CWD, Colorado wildlife officials have established the carcass transportation regulations for infected areas of NE Colorado. The Colorado regulations state that "only the following carcass parts may be transported out of the infected units in northeastern Colorado or brought into any part of Colorado from infected areas in other states:
1.) Meat that is cut and wrapped (either commercially or privately)
2.) Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached.
3.) Meat that has been boned out.
4.) Hides with no heads attached.
5.) Clean (no meat or tissue attached) skull plates with antlers attached.
6.) Antlers with no meat or tissue attached
7.) Upper canine teeth, also known as "bugler," "whistlers" or "ivories.
8.) Finished taxidermied heads.
Please DO NOT BRING ANIMALS FROM AFFECTED AREAS INTO NEVADA UNLESS THE ANIMAL HAS BEEN FULLY PROCESSED. If you have any questions, contact an NDOW office, or the State Veteranarian's Office at (775) 785-5121,Ext. 212.
Voluntary Check Stations
Nevada hunters can expect to encounter voluntary education and sampling checkpoints this fall, as NDOW biologists will be attempting to gather up to 500 elk samples and another 200 deer samples. The sampling will be voluntary as it requires removal of the brainstem. The sampling should take about 20 minutes per harvested animal. At this date, check stations are scheduled in the following areas:
Southern Region:
Oct 4-Oct. 8, 2002: Ash Springs and Alamo area along Highway 93.
Dec. 7-9, 2002, near Eagle Valley State Park.
Southern region biologists, wardens and personnel from Nevada Department of Agriculture will visit meat lockers and game processing plants to request brain samples as well.
Western Region:
Oct. 6-7, 2002: Grimes Point, east of Fallon along Highway 50.
Eastern Region:
Throughout October and November 2002: Small crews of biologists and volunteers will frequent commonly used access routes such as Jack Creek, Charleston, Harrison Pass, and Duck Creek Basin in White Pine and Elko counties to collect brain samples.
Elko regional office, 60 Youth Center Road, will have staff available by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. during the deer and elk seasons to remove brain samples brought in by hunters who wish to participate in the sampling effort. Please call (775) 777-2300.
Staff will also visit Ely and Elko meat lockers and game processing plants to collect brain samples, as available.
Hunters Can Help
Hunters can assist with surveillance of animal populations. If you see an animal that is in poor condition, salivating excessively, shows weight loss and extreme weakness, or whose startle response is delayed, please take note of the area and call the information into the regional Division of Wildlife Office. Although we do not think we have CWD in Nevada, it is essential that we remain vigilant and responsive to any potential problems that might arise.
