Son of a gun...

http://www.ksat.com/content/pns/ksat/new...ina-county.html

Gracias STXRM

How many deer have died because of cwd in Texas breeding pens?

Directly---To date zero

In directly as a political tool... Hundreds

I believe the deer in question in Medina County didn't even die from cwd. Apparently he jumped into the fence and broke his neck.

This is a very serious problem. 40 animal transfers have been made in Texas from what is now an identified CWD infected site. It is unclear as to whether any of those 40 locations made any animal transfers afterwards. Given the persistance of CWD in the environment (outside the host), and considering the large number of now suspected locations, it is likely that CWD will have a continuing presence in Texas. The ramifications of this would be quite extensive. Millions of dollars of deer will probably be killed, and if any evidence that the disease has spread beyond high fenced ranches in the whitetail population is found, then it is likely that we may see a ban on any kind of baiting for whitetail hunting in those regions (as is the case with Wisconsin).Not to mention the loss of whitetail deer as a food source in those areas.

I disagree. EHD is much more prevelant in the state. It kills thousands of deer a year, and has been around forever, and no one is freaking out over that. Colorado spent $80 million on how to stop CWD, and they figured out that it wasn't that big of a deal. Colorado now has 0 regulations on CWD. Heck, there are scientist at A&M that say CWD may not even be transferable to other deer.I think TPWD will try to use this as a way of getting more control of the deer breeding industry. Just do a little research for yourself on CWD, and try not to get your information from The Outdoor Channel.

I'm a Dr and I have a reasonably good understanding of prions, EHD, and CWD. There is certainly no shortage of literature and studies that demonstrate that CWD is definitely infectious among other deer and cloven hooved ungulates, but it is also being discovered that it can infect an ever growing list of other species. It has a larger reservoir that EHD, represented by these other species (including agriculture), and that is why there is increasing concern over it. Yes, EHD may be more virulent than CWD. But mortality with CWD is 100%. That coupled with it's persistance in the environment make it a serious concern.

Then how did this one have it?

So where exactly has there been a massive die of deer from CWD? From the disease, not from a state coming in and massacring hundreds or thousands of animals because one was sick.

CWD is a slow and horrible death that takes years. Many (maybe most) that have it were killed by humans in an attempt to stop it from spreading.

So your saying there have been 0 massive die offs from CWD? Sounds like state wildlife departments have killed about 100X more deer than CWD. So we are suppose to loose our minds over something that hasn't even shown it kills in large numbers. All this is, is a case of tpwd wanting to take down a multi billion dollar deer industry that it is envious of.

Mk . . .

What has killed more deer in North America, CWD or wildlife agencies?

I sure hope your info on the 40 numbers is correct and what I have been told is false since my redneck contacts are saying different.

Humor me then since I am just a dumb redneck. Do you have a link(s) and pics of this 100% mortality from CWD so I can see it? I have looked and looked without any luck. I can't find one pic of a dead animal that died from CWD. I can find info on slaughters of large numbers of deer with a small % testing postive in wild deer. I can also find examples of the slaughter of deer in breeding pens that were suspected of CWD and killed for that reason, but none of them ever tested postive for CWD. If CWD is being found in more than just deer then why stop at the slaughter of just deer in the pens or in the wild then? I would think every species of animal within that ranch or those counties should be slaughtered that might be a carrier at this point, correct?

So does CWD occur only in locations where all the animals that have it are killed or are you are saying that there are animals deaths from CWD 100% the time before the slaughter starts? If so can you provide links to clarify. Again sorry just a redneck so I need more detailed info at to this 100% mortality.
I consider any disease to humans, wildlife or livestock serious. This first case of WT with CWD is serious, but to me how it got to Central Texas is even more serious at this point. Since other animals stand the same chance of getting it just as this deer has until we find out how it got here. I do not always take what is written on any forum 100% truthful without asking questions.

First let me separate what I am certain of from what I am not certain of. I am NOT certain that 40 is the exact number of animal transfers from the infected site, since I did not hear this directly from the ranchers themselves. It was an estimation for a 3 year period given by someone who worked with TWIMS.

What I do know is that CWD and similar diseases in this class, are always fatal (Kreuzfeld-Jakob, and "Mad cow disease"). The exception may be Scrapie, and just today I came across some literature that said some sheep seem to show resistance. But whether they are simply able to delay the symptoms by a few years, or actually avoid infection is not known to me. If you want documentation that it is 100% fatal, follow this link:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/media/tpwd_cwd_factsheet.pdf

In regard to how many animals should be killed, that is still a contested issue because biologists are still determining how it is transmitted, and how likely each of those transmission methods are to infect other animals. They also don't know exactly how many other species can be affected by this prion. Right now, I believe the protocol is to kill and test cloven hooved ungulates that would have been in the same area that this infected deer was confined to. It is also important to remember that when it comes to testing, animals in the beginning stages of infection have a good chance of not registering positive on the test. CWD is slow to progress.
Killing all animals in a county would be quite extreme and would receive overwhelming resistance and backlash. There would have to be unfaltering scientific documentation proving it was necessary.

Regarding this question: "So does CWD occur only in locations where all the animals that have it are killed or are you are saying that there are animals deaths from CWD 100% the time before the slaughter starts?"
Understand that I said this:"CWD is a slow and horrible death that takes years. Many (maybe most) that have it were killed by humans in an attempt to stop it from spreading." Because someone else was saying that there had not been a large scale "die off" caused by CWD. So the point I was making was that many of the infected deer were killed before they had a chance to die from the disease. But earlier today I came across an article saying that in Colorado or Wyoming they were witnessing a 50% reduction from CWD in some wild Mule Deer herds. Again, it is slow, but unwavering.

How this particular deer contracted the disease is the million dollar question. Maybe some whitetail deer were brought to the ranch from outside the state illegally. Or, maybe they bought infected exotic deer from out of state (Whitetail cannot be imported from out of state, but exotics still can). Maybe from other livestock. Maybe even from deer attractant scent used on the property. A few days ago Virginia outlawed the use of urine based scent attractants, specifically because it can be a means of spreading CWD. This is the mess the epidemiologists have to deal with.

Oh wow. Linking a tpwd "fact" sheet to support your arguments. Exactly what are tpwd "facts"on spikes today.

Facts are facts though. Your statement that "there would have to be 'unfaltering' evidence before they tried to kill all deer in a county" is bogus since in Wisconsin they tried just that. Based on their flawed belief that it would have an impact.

As long as DNR's are listening to "Drs" like you, I guess they'll keep getting it wrong.

Again, DNR's have and will continue to kill vastly higher numbers than CWD has or will. Until the public rises up and tells them to go pound sand.

what about CWD infection rates on some of these game farms ???

CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD WISCONSIN Almond Deer (Buckhorn Flats) FarmUpdate DECEMBER 2011The CWD infection rate was nearly 80%, the highest ever in a North American captive herd. RECOMMENDATION: That the Board approve the purchase of 80acres of land for $465,000 for the Statewide Wildlife Habitat Program inPortage County and approve the restrictions on public use of the site.SUMMARY:

http://dnr.wi.gov/about/nrb/2011/december/12-11-2b2.pdf

For Immediate Release Thursday, October 2, 2014

Dustin Vande Hoef 515/281-3375 or 515/326-1616 (cell) or Dustin.VandeHoef@IowaAgriculture.gov

TEST RESULTS FROM CAPTIVE DEER HERD WITH CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE RELEASED 79.8 percent of the deer tested positive for the disease

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship today announced that the test results from the depopulation of a quarantined captive deer herd in north-central Iowa showed that 284 of the 356 deer, or 79.8% of the herd, tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The owners of the quarantined herd have entered into a fence maintenance agreement with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship,which requires the owners to maintain the 8’ foot perimeter fence around the herd premises for five years after the depopulation was complete and the premises had been cleaned and disinfected CWD is a progressive, fatal, degenerative neurological disease of farmed and free-ranging deer, elk, and moose. There is no known treatment or vaccine for CWD. CWD is not a disease that affects humans.On July 18, 2012, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS)National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, IA confirmed that a male whitetail deer harvested from a hunting preserve in southeast IA was positive for CWD. An investigation revealed that this animal had just been introduced into the hunting preserve from the above-referenced captive deer herd in north-central Iowa.The captive deer herd was immediately quarantined to prevent the spread of CWD. The herd has remained in quarantine until its depopulation on August 25 to 27, 2014.The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship participated in a joint operation to depopulate the infected herd with USDA Veterinary Services, which was the lead agency, and USDA Wildlife Services.Federal indemnity funding became available in 2014. USDA APHIS appraised the captive deer herd of 376 animals at that time, which was before depopulation and testing, at $1,354,250. At that time a herd plan was developed with the owners and officials from USDA and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.Once the depopulation was complete and the premises had been cleaned and disinfected, indemnity of $917,100.00 from the USDA has been or will be paid to the owners as compensation for the 356 captive deer depopulated.The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship operates a voluntary CWD program for farms that sell live animals. Currently 145 Iowa farms participate in the voluntary program. The above-referenced captive deer facility left the voluntary CWD program prior to the discovery of the disease as they had stopped selling live animals. All deer harvested in a hunting preserve must be tested for CWD. -30-

http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/press/2014press/press10022014.asp

*** see history of this CWD blunder here ;

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/Hunting/070313_consent_order.pdf

On June 5, 2013, DNR conducted a fence inspection, after gaining approval from surrounding landowners, and confirmed that the fenced had beencut or removed in at least four separate locations; that the fence had degraded and was failing to maintain the enclosure around the Quarantined Premises in at least one area; that at least three gates had been opened;and that deer tracks were visible in and around one of the open areas in the sand on both sides of the fence, evidencing movement of deer into the Quarantined Premises.

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/Hunting/060613_consent_order.pdf

Friday, December 14, 2012

DEFRA U.K. What is the risk of Chronic Wasting Disease CWD being introduced into Great Britain? A Qualitative Risk Assessment October 2012

snip...

In the USA, under the Food and Drug Administration’s BSE Feed Regulation (21 CFR 589.2000) most material (exceptions include milk, tallow, and gelatin) from deer and elk is prohibited for use in feed for ruminant animals. With regards to feed for non-ruminant animals, under FDA law, CWD positive deer may not be used for any animal feed or feed ingredients. For elk and deer considered at high risk for CWD, the FDA recommends that these animals do not enter the animal feed system. However, this recommendation is guidance and not a requirement by law.

Animals considered at high risk for CWD include:

1) animals from areas declared to be endemic for CWD and/or to be CWD eradication zones and

2) deer and elk that at some time during the 60-month period prior to slaughter were in a captive herd that contained a CWD-positive animal.

Therefore, in the USA, materials from cervids other than CWD positive animals may be used in animal feed and feed ingredients for non-ruminants.

The amount of animal PAP that is of deer and/or elk origin imported from the USA to GB can not be determined, however, as it is not specified in TRACES. It may constitute a small percentage of the 8412 kilos of non-fish origin processed animal proteins that were imported from US into GB in 2011.

Overall, therefore, it is considered there is a __greater than negligible risk___ that (nonruminant) animal feed and pet food containing deer and/or elk protein is imported into GB.

There is uncertainty associated with this estimate given the lack of data on the amount of deer and/or elk protein possibly being imported in these products.

snip...

36% in 2007 (Almberg et al., 2011). In such areas, population declines of deer of up to 30 to 50% have been observed (Almberg et al., 2011). In areas of Colorado, the prevalence can be as high as 30% (EFSA, 2011). The clinical signs of CWD in affected adults are weight loss and behavioural changes that can span weeks or months (Williams, 2005). In addition, signs might include excessive salivation, behavioural alterations including a fixed stare and changes in interaction with other animals in the herd, and an altered stance (Williams, 2005). These signs are indistinguishable from cervids experimentally infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Given this, if CWD was to be introduced into countries with BSE such as GB, for example, infected deer populations would need to be tested to differentiate if they were infected with CWD or BSE to minimise the risk of BSE entering the human food-chain via affected venison.

snip...

The rate of transmission of CWD has been reported to be as high as 30% and can approach 100% among captive animals in endemic areas (Safar et al., 2008).

snip...

In summary, in endemic areas, there is a medium probability that the soil and surrounding environment is contaminated with CWD prions and in a bioavailable form. In rural areas where CWD has not been reported and deer are present, there is a greater than negligible risk the soil is contaminated with CWD prion.

snip...

In summary, given the volume of tourists, hunters and servicemen moving between GB and North America, the probability of at least one person travelling to/from a CWD affected area and, in doing so, contaminating their clothing, footwear and/or equipment prior to arriving in GB is greater than negligible. For deer hunters, specifically, the risk is likely to be greater given the increased contact with deer and their environment. However, there is significant uncertainty associated with these estimates.

snip...

Therefore, it is considered that farmed and park deer may have a higher probability of exposure to CWD transferred to the environment than wild deer given the restricted habitat range and higher frequency of contact with tourists and returning GB residents.

snip...

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130822084033/http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/files/qra_chronic-wasting-disease-121029.pdf

Friday, December 14, 2012

DEFRA U.K. What is the risk of Chronic Wasting Disease CWD being introduced into Great Britain? A Qualitative Risk Assessment October 2012

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2012/12/defra-uk-what-is-risk-of-chronic.html

CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CWD TSE PRION, how much does it pay to find CWD $$$

CWD, spreading it around...

for the game farm industry, and their constituents, to continue to believe that they are _NOT_, and or insinuate that they have _NEVER_ been part of the problem, will only continue to help spread cwd. the game farming industry, from the shooting pens, to the urine mills, the antler mills, the sperm mills, velvet mills, shooting pens, to large ranches, are not the only problem, but it is painfully obvious that they have been part of the problem for decades and decades, just spreading it around, as with transportation and or exportation and or importation of cervids from game farming industry, and have been proven to spread cwd. no one need to look any further than South Korea blunder ;

===========================================

spreading cwd around...

Between 1996 and 2002, chronic wasting disease was diagnosed in 39 herds of farmed elk in Saskatchewan in a single epidemic. All of these herds were depopulated as part of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) disease eradication program. Animals, primarily over 12 mo of age, were tested for the presence CWD prions following euthanasia. Twenty-one of the herds were linked through movements of live animals with latent CWD from a single infected source herd in Saskatchewan, 17 through movements of animals from 7 of the secondarily infected herds.

***The source herd is believed to have become infected via importation of animals from a game farm in South Dakota where CWD was subsequently diagnosed (7,4). A wide range in herd prevalence of CWD at the time of herd depopulation of these herds was observed. Within-herd transmission was observed on some farms, while the disease remained confined to the introduced animals on other farms.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2081988/

spreading cwd around...

Friday, May 13, 2011

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) outbreaks and surveillance program in the Republic of Korea

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) outbreaks and surveillance program in the Republic of Korea

Hyun-Joo Sohn, Yoon-Hee Lee, Min-jeong Kim, Eun-Im Yun, Hyo-Jin Kim, Won-Yong Lee, Dong-Seob Tark, In- Soo Cho, Foreign Animal Disease Research Division, National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Republic of Korea

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been recognized as an important prion disease in native North America deer and Rocky mountain elks. The disease is a unique member of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which naturally affects only a few species. CWD had been limited to USA and Canada until 2000.

On 28 December 2000, information from the Canadian government showed that a total of 95 elk had been exported from farms with CWD to Korea. These consisted of 23 elk in 1994 originating from the so-called “source farm” in Canada, and 72 elk in 1997, which had been held in pre export quarantine at the “source farm”.Based on export information of CWD suspected elk from Canada to Korea, CWD surveillance program was initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) in 2001.

All elks imported in 1997 were traced back, however elks imported in 1994 were impossible to identify. CWD control measures included stamping out of all animals in the affected farm, and thorough cleaning and disinfection of the premises. In addition, nationwide clinical surveillance of Korean native cervids, and improved measures to ensure reporting of CWD suspect cases were implemented.

Total of 9 elks were found to be affected. CWD was designated as a notifiable disease under the Act for Prevention of Livestock Epidemics in 2002.

Additional CWD cases - 12 elks and 2 elks - were diagnosed in 2004 and 2005.

Since February of 2005, when slaughtered elks were found to be positive, all slaughtered cervid for human consumption at abattoirs were designated as target of the CWD surveillance program. Currently, CWD laboratory testing is only conducted by National Reference Laboratory on CWD, which is the Foreign Animal Disease Division (FADD) of National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS).

In July 2010, one out of 3 elks from Farm 1 which were slaughtered for the human consumption was confirmed as positive. Consequently, all cervid – 54 elks, 41 Sika deer and 5 Albino deer – were culled and one elk was found to be positive. Epidemiological investigations were conducted by Veterinary Epidemiology Division (VED) of NVRQS in collaboration with provincial veterinary services.

Epidemiologically related farms were found as 3 farms and all cervid at these farms were culled and subjected to CWD diagnosis. Three elks and 5 crossbreeds (Red deer and Sika deer) were confirmed as positive at farm 2.

All cervids at Farm 3 and Farm 4 – 15 elks and 47 elks – were culled and confirmed as negative.

Further epidemiological investigations showed that these CWD outbreaks were linked to the importation of elks from Canada in 1994 based on circumstantial evidences.

In December 2010, one elk was confirmed as positive at Farm 5. Consequently, all cervid – 3 elks, 11 Manchurian Sika deer and 20 Sika deer – were culled and one Manchurian Sika deer and seven Sika deer were found to be positive. This is the first report of CWD in these sub-species of deer. Epidemiological investigations found that the owner of the Farm 2 in CWD outbreaks in July 2010 had co-owned the Farm 5.

In addition, it was newly revealed that one positive elk was introduced from Farm 6 of Jinju-si Gyeongsang Namdo. All cervid – 19 elks, 15 crossbreed (species unknown) and 64 Sika deer – of Farm 6 were culled, but all confirmed as negative.

http://www.prion2011.ca/files/2011TSEBookletV6Final.pdf

http://www.prion2011.ca/files/PRION_2011_-_Posters_(May_5-11).pdf

http://www.cwd-info.org/index.php/fuseaction/news.detail/ID/c792d0e56e0cb3ee3a6517e754729cac

http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2011/05/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-outbreaks.html


Terry S. Singeltary Sr.

Still ignorantly criticizing I see.
One deer in Texas vs a population of infected deer in Wisconsin is not the same situation. Likewise, scientists did not know then what we know now.

First a doctor, now a scientist. Impressive.

I do like how flounder cited all his information. Those were some interesting reads for sure.

I would question any scientist or doctor on what they know now, and that's reading this latest prion gathering post. They are still grasping at straws to say the least.

And let me state clearly I have no skins in the ranching or breeding game. I think at this point it would be fair to say everyone with a theory or opinion is ignorant to truly understanding this disease and what causes it. And that's why you don't just kill healthy acting deer on a wide spread scale until your understand more of what you dealing with. Especially basing their lives on a test that could be extremely flawed to begin with.

This could be genetic as well as environmental just like many researchers believe Alzheimers is. And logically when you see a high occurance of positive tests on deer farms would logically make sense of a genetic trait that the test identifies.

There is not enough factually supported data to be calling anybody ignorant except the supposed experts record of treating this problem that they claim to understand more than we do.

Couldn't agree more. Jumping to conclusions with incomplete data is no platform to be calling people ignorant from.

I'll note he didn't explain how the "correct data" has had "biologists" changing their stories for decades.

I'm sure as a doctor, and a scientist, he will set it all straight before long.