Facts About Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease that was first discovered in 1981 in wild deer and elk herds in Colorado and Wyoming. It has since spread to the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, as well as to Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

CWD is progressive and fatal, attacking the brains of deer and elk. It causes the animals to become emaciated, lose bodily functions and eventually die. From the time an animal is infected with CWD, it generally takes months to years before there are clinical symptoms. Although loss of appetite, increased thirst, drooling, excessive urination, nervousness or tremors, teeth grinding, stumbling and drooping head and ears can be symptoms of other diseases, animals with CWD typically exhibit most, if not all, of these symptoms. Nonetheless, experts caution against relying on symptoms alone to diagnose CWD. Testing must be done in a lab by taking samples from the brain stem, lymph nodes near the larynx, and tonsils.

Scientists believe that CWD is transferred from one deer or elk to another through contact with saliva, feces or urine. Exactly how this occurs is yet to be determined. Humans cannot get the disease, however, by being near infected animals, walking in areas known as habitat for infected deer or elk, drinking water from infected areas, camping in infected areas or eating vegetation found in infected areas.

Health officials do, however, recommend that people avoid eating the meat of animals known to be infected with CWD. Also, if hunters kill a deer or elk that appears healthy, but harvested the animal in an area known to be infected, precautions should be taken when field dressing the animal.

When field dressing any deer or elk, wear rubber gloves. Don't use household knives, but use equipment made for dressing animals. Don't saw through the spine or the skull and minimize the handling of brain and spinal tissues. If you want to keep the skull cap, clean it thoroughly with a 50/50 bleach and water solution. Remove all of the internal organs and fat. Cutting away the fatty tissue on a carcass will remove the lymph nodes. Be sure to clean and sanitize any equipment you use with a 50/50 bleach water solution. Finally, don't forget to clean and thoroughly sanitize your hands and clothing.

If you consume deer or elk meat known to have come from a CWD area, don't eat the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils or lymph nodes. And, of course, don't eat meat from any animal that either appears to be sick or tested positive for CWD.

Several states have regulations for transporting deer or elk from areas where there have been confirmed cases of CWD, and at least five states (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, New York and Texas), as well as Canada, have closed their borders to importation of all deer and elk.

To date, there's no evidence CWD has spread to humans; neither is there evidence it can be transmitted to humans. However, understanding CWD, taking general precautions and staying informed as the disease continues to be studied is recommended by the experts. And in the meantime, enjoy your hunt!

Resources:

Minnesota DNR; http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/deer/cwd/index.html

Alaska Division of Fish & Game; http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=disease.cwd

Safari Club International; http://www.scifirstforhunters.org/content/index.cfm?action=view&content_ID=229