Recently there was a hype story about monkeys get CWD from eating deer meat and other fantastic tales of CWD. When you dig deeper and actually look into it, you have to shake your head as to what is trying to be passed off a science. This ought to help folks understand. http://www.myewa.org/blog/fake-chronic-wasting-disease-cwd/
Sorry Rancid I do not support raising exotic species or the commercial deer operations, the truth is commercial deer operations have been responsible for the spread of the disease. We can all argue about CWD and transference etc but there is no denying how CWD has been transferred to different parts of the country, commercial deer operations.
I don't care about the implications regarding deer farms with this article, all I care about is that it potentially shows how overblown and sensationalized the original article in question was. It wouldn't surprise me a bit to find out that CWD started in a University lab, they do crap like that all the time and it doesn't get caught or publicized. Just like the DNR has started several invasive species over the years. Start a new problem by fighting an old one.
My point is based on the website and what what I have read online about the CWD outbreak in southern MN, the commercial deer farmers have an agenda to downplay and effects and spread of CWD while being the source of many of the outbreaks nation wide. Of course they would poo poo any study with their own opinion.
Just because that organization used the article to defend their livelihood doesn't discredit the article. Doesn't matter if one agrees with an organization that used it. If you want to discredit the article, discredit the author as the author did the previous article that was quoted.
Why not the organization that probably paid the author and promoted the story, it is called a spin, shopping for an agreeing opinion etc. Promoting the message they want to put out there for like minded individuals.
Two minutes of research on Mr. Davis shows he's a far more credible resource for information than a reporter. I find it refreshing to read something from someone that's far more objective than a biased wank that hates deer farms spreading obvious junk and sensationalized BS. I'll take a 40+ year expert's opinion over an inexperienced bystander blowing smoke any day of the week. If his opinion happens to bolster the argument of an industry then so be it. Dr. Don Davis, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine http://indianadeer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Deer-farming-not-a-threat-to-wild-population.pdf
While this is highly likely, it's not proven fact. CWD has been in Colorado for many, many years in both wild and captive animals. It's certainly plausible that a CWD positive deer or elk from Colorado was shot, brought back to a state like Wisconsin, butchered at someone's house/farm and then the carcass disposed off somewhere on the landscape. Let's just say thrown in a field and left for the yotes to gnaw on. CWD prions in that carcass are then introduced into the landscape and could in theory be transmitted to wild animals from there. Although not highly likely, also not improbable. I tend to agree with you that captive deer are the primary transmitter of CWD and would love to see additional regulations put on this industry. The trouble is that captive deer farms fall under the jurisdiction of the USDA and not the state DNRs, so in a lot of cases the hands of the people pushing for additional regulation are tied. As for the transmission of CWD to humans - the simple fact is that while it may be a very long shot that it will ever happen, the chance that it could happen is technically not zero. It's well documented that Mad Cow (BSE) jumped the species barrier and infected humans in the form of vCJD. It certainly stands to reason that CWD could do the same at some point in time. Granted we all have a higher likelihood of getting struck by lightning or dying in a car crash on our way to work than we do of contracting CWD, but the possibility may be out there. Just because it hasn't happened doesn't mean it can't or won't. Looking back to the origin of CWD nobody knows where it came from, but there is pretty heavy speculation that scrapie jumped the species barrier into deer. This is an interesting and informative article, but don't overlook the fact it's being published by an organization that thrives on the captive animal industry. While it may not sway any of the information that is being published, it certainly can't be overlooked entirely. They have their own agenda to protect.
Fair enough but it's about time some of this came from the other direction as opposed to the direction the first article came from which he proved was sensationalized and misleading. The anti-deer organization side of the argument shops for agreeing opinions all the time and if they can't find one that suits their needs then they simply make up whatever "facts" fit their narrative. The original article would have been worthy of CNN reporting, lol.
Did you see the source of the CWD outbreak in southern Minnesota? a deer from a deer farm that spread the disease to the free ranging herd, that is not a threat that is actual.
I agree that on both sides stories and studies are reported with a bias somewhere in the middle is the truth.
Google search CWD in Minnesota. I used up all my free stories for the month at the Minneapolis star this month so I can't access the stories to post a link.
This is the reason any article written by Durkin is BS. Durkins biased is clear and that's one of the reasons he should retire.
I did, all I found was some cases where they found deer farm deer infected with CWD. I didn't find any conclusive evidence that the farms caused the CWD. The logical question in my mind is did the farms start it or did the farm deer contract it from the wild deer population? You would have to know for certain that there had been absolutely zero wild deer infections and that's impossible to know because they weren't testing wild pops until fairly recently as far as I know. Holes in fencing can transmit either direction and it's transmitted through fencing anyway. I'm not supporting deer farms, I have no interest in them at all. I'm just trying to be objective here. There are a lot of animal rights groups and liberals attacking farms all the time and we all know how the media is. I don't want to fall into a BS trap set by liberal nuts but I don't want to stay so open minded that my brain falls out either. The only way I know to do that is look at credentials, keep an open mind and try to look at everything as objectively as I can. News stories written by non-experts that obviously mis-state facts and purposely mischaracterize studies and findings don't do much to encourage credibility from my point of view and especially so when a 40+ year expert writes and article pointing out the flaws. I don't like fear mongering and it seems there is a fair amount of that going on from people that don't have the background to justify it.
Oh I agree it is a lot of speculation. I also lack confidence in any Gov't state or federal to manage the response properly.
Yes, I doubt Durkin will cite this Dr's findings about the junk CWD science that is being peddled. (unless the Dr. is a pro-Scott Walker Republican) durkin has about the same credibility of these bogus studies.
The point of the thread here is the info provided by the Dr. that studies being used to hype CWD scare are not what they appear to be and once you get past the hyped up headlines you season its junk science and sensationalized headlines that further hype the junk science. I don't he mentions deer farms as he is speaking to "studies about transmission" and junk science.
I honestly would not even feed my dog venison from some of the Wisconsin counties. You can debate infection rates, what causes it, etc. However, the bottom line for me is the CDC says do not eat it. How could I ethically give away venison that is untested from high infection rate areas? Hey neighbor here is some deer sausage that has a 45% chance of containing CWD and the CDC says not to eat it, but hey break out a couple beers and sausage. IMO the high infected counties should test 100% of the deer if for nothing else other than public safety.
