Posted on 04/04/2005 7:03:36 AM PDT by finnsheep
A ProMED-mail post ProMED-mail, a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
[1] Date: 2 Apr 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: NY Dept. of Agriculture press release [edited]
2nd Case of CWD Found in Oneida County Deer State's Trace Back Finds 2nd Positive CWD in Herd Directly Linked to Index Herd ----------------------------------------------- A 2nd positive case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in New York State has been confirmed in a white-tailed deer from a captive herd in Oneida County that is directly linked to the herd where a white-tailed doe was found positive for CWD earlier this week.
CWD is a transmissible disease that affects the brain and central nervous system of deer and elk. There is no evidence that CWD is linked to disease in humans or domestic livestock other than deer and elk.
During the investigation of the State's 1st case of CWD this week, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets found that one of the herds associated with the index animal had recently sent a sample to the State's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to be tested for CWD. The sample was collected and sent for testing as part of the State's mandatory CWD surveillance and testing protocols.
The positive sample was from a 2.5-year-old white-tailed deer that died from aspiration pneumonia, which is often but not exclusively associated with CWD. Due to the direct association with the index herd, the Department expedited the testing procedure by re-routing the sample to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, which late yesterday found the sample to be positive for CWD.
2 days ago, the New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets, and Environmental Conservation announced the State's 1st case of CWD, found in a 6-year-old white-tailed doe from a captive herd in Oneida County. The deer was sampled as part of the State's Enhanced CWD
Surveillance and Monitoring Program. ------------------------------- Currently, the index herd and the 6 other associated herds, including the 2nd positive herd, are under quarantine. All animals remaining in the index herd and the herd with the 2nd confirmed positive herd will be depopulated and tested for CWD. The investigation to determine the source of the infection is ongoing.
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will continue to seek any susceptible deer that came into contact with either herd and to assess the health and environmental risks associated with such establishments.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will continue to conduct intensive monitoring of the wild deer population surrounding the 2 positive herds to determine if CWD has spread to wild deer.
CWD is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of deer and elk. Scientific and epidemiological research into CWD is ongoing. To date, research shows that the disease is typified by chronic weight loss, is always fatal, and is transmissible between susceptible species. CWD has been found only in members of the deer family in North America, which include white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose.
More information and the transcript of Thursday's press conference regarding the 1st positive case of CWD in New York State can be found at the Department of Agriculture and Markets' website at or at the Department of Environmental Conservation's website at .
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Washington has a bad case of chronic wasting disease.
The population is huge here and hunting pressure is increasingly diminishing due to a number of factors
Hopefully all deer hunted are being tested for CWD?
you would hope so - otherwise I can imagine everyone just staying home
We've known the Democrats had it at least since the 1930's.
I don't think there is a way to stop this desease.
Eventually it will spread everywhere and reach its own equilibrium of prevalence in nature.
Tough to say what the populations of deer and elk will be in that case and how the average life-spans of the animals will be affected.
What is known is that deer and elk farming is a dead industry. Once a farm catches it, the desease prions stay in the soil of the farm indefinitely, infecting all new deer and elk brought in.
There have also been a few suspicious cases of transmission to humans (not proven, just suspect.)
Hopefully all deer hunted are being tested for CWD?
CWD test costs $75 per deer here in Wisconsin.
$75 does not sound too bad. I'd certainly pay for it before serving.
NY tested one third of one percent of the approximately one million wild deer last year. Only a very small number of hunter killed deer would have been tested.
Worse yet the farmed deer industry produces meat and velvet (used as an aphrodesiac in Asia) and only about 2% of those were tested annually.
Cost of deer & elk testing for CWD in Colorado was $15 per in 2004. IMO, Wisconsin isn't serious about knowing the extent of the CWD problem....I know several hunters who have ceased hunting for deer, citing a litany of reasons w/ CWD in the herd coupled w/ the expense of testing being one of those reasons. A whitetail doesn't yield a lot of meat, on average and a good number of hunters bag several deer per season. @$75 each for testing, it adds up. Since most people don't butcher their own, there's the expense of butchering. Add it all up & you might as well hunt the meat case in the grocery store. (And take your chances w/ mad cow.)
No doubt, we should be tracking and testing every head. I don't blame the Japanese at all for banning US beef imports.
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