on a deer farm... http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121011/NEWS/121019962 October 11, 2012 The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today confirmed the first positive case of Chronic Wasting Disease in the state on a deer farm in Adams County. The disease is fatal in deer, elk and moose, but there is no evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The World Health Organization. The positive sample was taken from a white-tailed deer in New Oxford, and tested as part of Pennsylvania’s intensive CWD monitoring efforts. The sample tissue was tested at the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory in Harrisburg and verified at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. In addition to the Adams County location, the department has quarantined two farms directly associated with the positive deer in Williamsport, Lycoming County, and Dover, York County. The quarantine prevents movement of animals on and off the premises. The task force will carry out the response plan, which includes education and outreach with public meetings and minimizing risk factors through continued surveillance, testing and management. “To date CWD has not been found in Pennsylvania’s wild deer population,” said Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe. ”Concerns over CWD should not prevent anyone from enjoying deer hunting and consuming meat from healthy animals.” Roe said that hunters should shoot only healthy-appearing animals, and take precautions like wearing rubber gloves when field-dressing their deer and wash thoroughly when finished. “Though no human disease has been associated with CWD, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people or other animals do not eat any part of an animal diagnosed with or showing signs of CWD,” said Acting Health Secretary Michael Wolf. CWD attacks the brains of infected deer, elk and moose, producing small lesions that eventually result in death. It is transmitted by direct animal-to-animal contact through saliva, feces and urine. Signs of the disease include weight loss, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, and abnormal behavior like stumbling, trembling and depression. Infected deer and elk may also allow unusually close approach by humans or natural predators. The disease is fatal and there is no known treatment or vaccine. Pennsylvania is the 23rd state to find CWD in either a captive or wild population of deer and the 13th state to have it only in a captive deer herd.
I haven't done a lot of research on it, but wonder if all preliminary finds in the other states have been in deer farms as well. Nature works in mysterious way, but wonder if some of it isn't brought on by raising deer similar to mad cow disease in cattle.
Farms import/export deer, so it may have been introduced from deer brought in or from prion contaminated equipment,gear, material, from an area with CWD.
i found it interesting that of the 23 states in which CWD has been identified, CWD was only found in captive herds in 13 of those states.
All this indicates is that it is spreading in the wild of 10 states but only detected (so far) in the other 13 in captive populations...a weak/dying animal in the wild is often prey (possibly before it is detected), so if there aren't active studies/testing or reason for same, in the other states it won't be reported, yet.
In Missouri, it took nearly 2 years from the time CWD was found in captive deer to when they confirmed it in free ranging deer. No doubt CWD has been spread to these states from the captive deer population. The way CWD is spread, and the fact that a deer won't show symptoms until almost 18 month makes containing the disease a nearly impossible task.
You beat me to it Skywalker. Here is a link to a MDC article talking about what Skywalker mentioned. http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/animal-management/animal-diseases/deer-diseases/chronic-wasting-disease -D
