I have a family member that did all the testing on cwd for years in a northern state as the state pathologist. I can tell you this...it is not an epidemic, it has been around for thousands of years just like many other diseases, there has been no proof of transferring to a human from wild game meat, it is a nervous system disease. It IS a huge political mess. This man was asked to falsify documents and that is when he decided it was time to retire. I have personally seen the slaughter of hundreds of unaffected mule deer in Colorado, truck loads shot and hauled off with out any proof that any of the animals were infected with anything. Politics drives this and that is $....follow the money.

Good gosh man, follow the subject.

The subject is whether humans are susceptible to CWD by eating infected deer meat. Not how deer contract CWD. How deer contract it has nothing to do with the study. (They get it from ingesting prions from plants/soil btw.)

Monkeys were fed the CWD infected meat. They eat meat.
Humans eat meat.

Thus, the study.

Geez.

I don't worry about it. I've had it twice. Just made me prettier and smarter.

Wish it would stay more about intelligent discussion and less about who can insult the other the most.

Arguments based on agenda and not on facts are NEVER gonna stay in the "intelligent" category because they didn't start there.

The facts are out there for everyone to see.

1. It's never decimated a wild deer population.
2. It's never crossed over to humans or ANY primates naturally.
3. It's no where near as pathogenic to animals or humans as anthrax.

When did monkeys move into Canada?

On a serious note.....IMO it's really not logical to get worked up over this. Until they have evidence that CWD has infected or killed humans from eating game animals there are myriad other threats to our health/life to concern ourselves with. Statistically you have a much greater chance of dying in a commercial plane crash than you do contracting CWD from eating game animals. Same can be said for smoking, eating fatty and processed foods.

Have you eliminated all these potential health threats from your current lifestyle? Do you worry about these threats often? Do you still fly on commercial airliners?

They just found another free range deer with CWD (whitetail this time, mule deer the last) in the Panhandle not that far from where I hunt. Sure if I see a sick deer I'm not gonna try to eat it, no matter what it's carrying. Beyond that, if it appears healthy inside and out I will eat it and not give it a second thought.

As far as money and resources devoted to research, I can think of many threats I'd rather see the money and resources devoted to other than CWD.

Well said Mr. Helfrich. When a human being becomes infected with a crumpled prion, well known to be confined only to cervids, I'll get more choosy with my red meat consumption. Until then, my family will continue to enjoy every piece of edible meat from every healthy 'deer' we kill.

I think we all know that EHD and Anthrax are a far greater threat to our deer than CWD. And we have plenty of research, studies, etc. to confirm that. But those afflictions are no longer in vogue because there simply isn't a comprehensive solution.

Nor is there one for CWD, but it's getting all the press these days. Wonder why? $ For more studies? Easier to get grants? The image of that poor Holstein milk cow stumbling around in a chitty, muddy stall in England during the mad cow deal? Yes. Shock drama. The press thrives on it. There were some BIG $ spent by a non-interested entity to take the CWD scare primetime.

Anthrax is FAR more deadly to deer AND humans than any TSE. EHD is FAR more deadly to cervids than CWD. Those who claim otherwise are disingenuous.

amen

While I understand the involvement for some, I can't believe the drama for the crowd. Until it really translates to humans from cooked deer meat, it's a non issue. Good post fouzman