Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer
How would you like to see a fourteen point buck in your crossaires with a body of a sick dog? Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is destroying deer in the United States. Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Shiras Moose, and Rocky Mountain Elk are the only four susceptible to CWD. Once pronounced with Chronic Waste Disease there is no going back. Chronic Wasting Disease in Mule deer ( Odocolleus Hemronus), For more than thirty years, has been a clinical syndrome. The origin of CWD is not known, and because of this, the truth about how CWD aose may neve be identified.
The government and science studies do know CDW is a transmissible spongiform Encepholopathy (TSE) of Cervids. Cervids is another way to say hoofed mammals. From 1967 to 2002 CWD spread across the U. S and even entered New Mexico. In 2002 the 1st International CWD symposium was brought together. Held in Denver, Colorado the meeting had a variety of professions attend. Wildlife biologist, pathologists, veterinarians, university scientists. Natural resource administrators, and the press met to discuss CWD.
The group tied to figure out a way to test Cervids, but no inexpensive solution was concluded. The symposium also concluded that this would effect hunters perception toward the game. There are many clinical signs to show if a cervid is infected with CWD. The biggest is loss of body condition. Cervids are very bony looking. They show a wide stance, and subtle ataxia (incoordination). They are in the stage of somnolence (sleep/drowsy), and carry their heads lowered. The food consumption lowers dramatically, which leads to poor body condition.
The time period of death is anywhere from a couple days to a year, but most commonly a few weeks to several months. If a person spots a Cervid with these symptoms the person is to report it to the DNR. Today there is no cure or treatment for Cervids with Chronic Wasting Disease. The situation is problematic, and scientists are trying to find a way to prevent CWD. Many tests are combined, surveillance being the largest, to try and find the most affected areas with CWD. To this point there is no answer to eliminating CWD.
The positive side is since 1970 to the present there is no concluding evidence of human effects from CWD. Across the United States there are stations located in many cities to test Cervids for CWD if found by a Person. This goes about the long-fetched destination to stop CWD. The DNR is trying to crack down on CWD and find the highly concentrated areas. The finish line may be out of sight, but the constant track to the end will stay stable. Once pronounced with Chronic Wasting Disease there is no going back.
This disease has scientists stumped to where it was originated. Cervids affected with CWD only have a few weeks to months to live, and the cure is off sight at this point. If CWD turns for the worse in the future it could extremely effect one of the biggest American games, hunting. With all the organizations and assemblies helping to try and figure out a concluding cure to the disease, they are hoping to try and stop CWD in the near future, but at this point that near future is looking far-fetched.
