- Hello Jeff -- Try and figure this one out. First they
claim that Chronic Wasting Disease has been 'contained' in Hampshire and
Hardy Counties, West Virginia.
-
-
- They don't tell us what methods they use to contain it,
and second, they mention finding a 'couple of cases' of CWD in a Virginia
county just east of the Hampshire county line and CWD cases in Maryland
just bordering to the north of Hampshire county. So, CWD may not be 'contained'
but, in fact, may be spreading. The deer do not stop at county lines...they
keep going and take the disease with them.
-
- Another thing to consider is hunting season has not realy
begun, except in some States where bow hunting has just started. Deer
heads from the hunting season for Fall 2011 have not yet been submitted.
So, how can we say with confidence that CWD has been contained in the
two counties until the results are made known from the testing of deer
heads supplied by this Fall and Winter deer hunters.
-
- A very confusing article to say the least.
-
- Patty
-
-
- Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Contained In 2 West Virginia
Counties
-
-
- The State Journal Report
- By Marla Pisciotta
- WTRF.com
- 9-11-11
-
- Chronic wasting disease [CWD] in West Virginia (WV) deer
is believed to be contained in Hampshire and Hardy counties, but the West
Virginia Division of Natural Resources [DNR] continues to be vigilant in
its efforts to control the disease.
-
- CWD is a neurological, brain and nervous system disease
of deer and elk. The 1st confirmed case of it in the Mountain State was
in a road-kill deer found in Hampshire County in 2005. Since then, 99 cases
have been confirmed in Hampshire and Hardy counties -- one in Hardy and
the rest in Hampshire. The agency regularly tests both road-kill deer and
hunter-harvested deer as part of a CWD containment area that includes all
of Hampshire County, the northern part of Hardy County and the western
part of Morgan County.
-
- The DNR has tested road-kill deer in all 55 counties
for CWD since 2002. In cooperation with the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife
Disease Study at the University of Georgia and the Minnesota Veterinary
Diagnostic Laboratory, more than 12 200 deer from West Virginia have been
tested for the abnormal prion associated with CWD.
-
- According to Richard Rogers, district wildlife biologist
for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, CWD is not harmful
to humans. As far as we know -- and nobody is actually 100 percent sure
-- CWD is not harmful to humans. There is still a lot of research to be
done," said Rogers.
-
- As of June [2011], CWD has been found in free-ranging
deer and elk in 14 other states and 2 Canadian provinces. The disease has
been confirmed in captive or farm-raised deer and elk in 10 states and
2 provinces, but not in West Virginia. [CWD has been confirmed in WV, just
not in their captive or farmed animals. - Mod.TG]
-
- Officials say the disease can be spread both directly
via animal-to-animal and indirectly through soils or other surfaces. "It
is most commonly spread from animal-to-animal," said Rogers. Because
of the risk of spreading CWD, hunters are prohibited from transporting
dead carcass of deer or elk beyond the boundary of the containment area.
-
- "Spinal material and brain matter is what we believe
to contain CWD. That has to stay where it is and not be moved because they
are the most likely contaminated tissues," said Rogers.
-
- The DNR said the discovery of CWD in Hampshire County
represented a significant threat to the state's white-tailed deer. The
agency said the disease can be described as a 30- to 50-year epidemic on
the deer population.
-
- Infected deer and elk may not show any signs of the disease.
The disease is thought to be caused by a protein called a prion that accumulates
in the brain and the lymphatic tissues. However, deer that appear sickly
or emaciated should be reported to the DNR immediately. In some stages
of the disease, infected animals begin to lose control of bodily function
and display abnormal behavior such as staggering. The disease is always
fatal for the infected animal.
-
- Those deer hunting in Hampshire, Hardy, or Morgan counties
are asked to refer to the special West Virginia regulations regarding carcass
transport and baiting in the hunting and trapping regulations summary online
at <<http://www.wvdnr.gov/>http://www.wvdnr.gov>.
-
- According to the DNR, the Virginia Department of Game
and Inland Fisheries has detected 2 positive deer in Frederick County just
east of the Hampshire County line. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources
has detected one positive deer in Allegany County just north of the Hampshire
County line.
-
- http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=107547
-
- -
- Communicated by:
- ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts
- promed@promedmail.org
-
- This represents a nice summary of the area regarding
CWD. It may also
- represent a success story of containment. But one must
remember that,
- on average, a deer has a home territory range of only
about 2-2.5
- miles (3-4 km) in radius. - Mod.TG
-
- West Virginia can be seen on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive
- map at <http://healthmap.org/r/0ITB>http://healthmap.org/r/0ITB.
The counties mentioned are in
- eastern West Virginia and can be located on the map at
- http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/county-map/west-virginia.shtml.
- Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural
Economics Univ of West Indies Please visit my "Emerging Diseases"
message board at:<http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php>http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php Also
my new website: <http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/>http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/ Zhan
le Devlesa tai sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health
-
- "They that can give up essential liberty to
obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin
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