CWD Monthly Newsletter: October

Chronic Wasting Disease Monthly News CWD Newsletter: October 2020 Welcome to this month's edition of the CIDRAP Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Monthly Newsletter. Here's what's new: CIDRAP CWD Twitter With hunting seasons under way across North America, be sure to stay updated on the latest CWD news by following us (@CIDRAP_CWD) on Twitter! CWD Webinars The University of Calgary hosted two virtual CWD workshops, with leading experts presenting on a range of topics relevant to the disease. Videos of both workshops are available:  September 30 – Session One October 7 – Session Two The Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO) also wrapped up its four-part CWD webinar series this month. Recordings of the presentations are now available: October 7 – Session One: Biology Basics October 14 – Session Two: Ecology and Diagnostics October 21 – Session Three: The Human Factor October 27 – Session Four: Minnesota Management News Stories Worth Noting America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act passed by Congress The ACE Act, which is considered to be one of the most comprehensive bills pertaining to conservation in US history, has officially passed both the US Senate and House of Representatives. Currently awaiting the president's signature to become law, the bill includes support for items ranging from wetlands conservation to clean water initiatives. The ACE Act would also establish a federal CWD task force within the US Fish and Wildlife Service to better address the spread of the disease and coordinate state responses. Additionally, the ACE Act would commission a study by the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the pathways and mechanisms of CWD transmission. News Stories Worth Noting How can hunters help prevent the spread of CWD? If you're concerned about CWD but remain unsure as to how you can help, check out this article that lays out five steps hunters can take to help control the disease. Some of the steps feature video resources that provide useful examples of best practices intended to reduce risk. Read More State and Provincial Updates In Florida, recent changes to regulations on the importation of cervid carcasses into the state could be causing confusion among hunters. Florida, which has not yet detected CWD, has rules in place that restrict the importation of certain cervid carcass parts that could contain higher levels of CWD prions if the animal was infected. Michigan is seeing a substantial increase in sales of deer hunting licenses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the state's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued 584,802 deer hunting licenses. This year, however, the agency has already issued 751,310—an increase of over 25%. This reported surge in sales arrives just weeks after Michigan DNR officials announced that they're cutting back on CWD testing because of budget and staffing constraints. CWD was detected in a 2.5-year-old white-tailed doe living on a deer farm in Houston County, Minnesota, this month. The farm, which will be depopulated as a result of this detection, is located in an area of the state's southeastern region that is considered CWD-endemic. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health—the agency overseeing cervid farms—has reported that the positive doe was imported in 2019 from a cervid farm in adjacent Winona County, Minnesota, which has been quarantined. The Houston County farm also exported animals to one location in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the Minnesota DNR is reporting a significant decline in the number of hunters seeking free CWD testing up to this point in the season. Around 30% of eligible hunters are having their animal tested for the disease, down from 93% when the DNR mandated CWD testing in designated zones. The DNR moved to eliminate mandatory CWD testing this season in response to COVID-19, but are still strongly encouraging hunters to get their deer tested. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announced that CWD was detected for the first time in a hunter-harvested deer in Pulaski County—the 17th affected county in the state. MDC also reported that it will no longer mandate CWD testing during the opening weekend of the state's firearms deer season, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Missouri hunters will still be able to have their deer tested for the disease on a voluntary basis. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) announced 18 new cases of CWD, all in already-affected areas. Of the 18 cases, 17 were detected in white-tailed deer and 16 were harvested by hunters during the state's ongoing archery season. Montana FWP also reported that 352 samples were submitted by hunters for CWD testing during the opening weekend of the state's general big game season, which kicked off on October 24. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is now offering a CWD hotline that hunters can use to get information on the disease and learn about regulations. Pennsylvania first detected CWD in 2012. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment is once again asking hunters to submit samples for CWD testing this season. CWD was first discovered in Saskatchewan's wild cervid population in 2000 and has since been detected throughout most of the province's central and western regions. New regulations are in place in South Dakota this hunting season to combat the spread of CWD, including restrictions on the movement of cervid carcasses and rules for carcass disposal. The Supreme Court of Texas backed a previous ruling that the state's white-tailed deer herd—including both wild and farmed deer—are owned by the public. A lawsuit brought forth by two deer breeders sought to distinguish farmed deer as private property and argued that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) acted outside of its authority with CWD testing requirements and regulations on the movement of live farmed deer. The state's court system ruled in favor of TPWD. Utah hunters are being encouraged by wildlife officials to take advantage of free CWD testing offered in various parts of the state. Utah first detected CWD in 2002, but the disease does not appear to be widespread, with wildlife officials reporting a total of 120 cases as of earlier this month. In Wisconsin, CWD was detected in a 4-year-old white-tailed buck at a Burnett County deer farm. All 19 deer remaining on the 5-acre farm were quarantined in response to the detection, and an epidemiologic investigation is under way. Meanwhile, to help limit CWD spread, the Wisconsin DNR is urging hunters to dispose of deer carcasses in a licensed landfill that accepts them as waste or in a dumpster intended for carcasses. CWD was found in five new hunting areas in Wyoming this month, but all in parts of the state where the disease had been previously detected. Two of the detections were in designated elk hunting areas, with both involving hunter-harvested adult cow elk. The remaining three were in deer hunting areas. As hunting seasons continue throughout the state, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is reminding hunters to follow regulations related to carcass movement and disposal to protect wildlife health. Recent Publications Aguzzi A, De Cecco E. Shifts and drifts in prion science. Science 2020 Oct 2;370(6512):32-4 Chafin TK, Douglas MR, Martin BT, et al. Age structuring and spatial heterogeneity in prion protein gene (PRNP) polymorphism in white-tailed deer. Prion 2020;14(1):238-48 (Available online Oct 20) Hedman HD, Varga C, Brown WM, et al. Spatial analysis of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Illinois, 2008-2019. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020 (Available online Oct 28) Mysterud A, Benestad SL, Rolandsen CM, et al. Policy implications of an expanded chronic wasting disease universe. J Appl Ecol 2020 (Available online Oct 26) Contact Us Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN Copyright © 2020 Regents of the University of MN Academic Health Center, University of MN Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.