- A mule deer killed by a hunter near Alberta-Saskatchewan
boundary was infected with CWD bringing the total in Alberta to 5. Another
mule deer was CWD infected taken through the cull program in Sept 2005.
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- The total CWD cases in Saskatchewan is now a high count
of 80.
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- Also note that both articles come with the same phrase:
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- "There is no scientific evidence to suggest CWD
can affect humans. But, as a precaution, the World Health Organization
advises against humans consuming products from animals infected with any
sort of prion disease."
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- If people can't read between the lines in this doubletalk,
God help them. -ed
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- From ProMed Mail
-
-
- Mule Deer Killed By Hunter Found To Have CWD
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- A mule deer killed by a hunter near the Alberta-Saskatchewan
boundary was infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD). Government veterinarians
say the deer was shot about 15 km south of Empress, near Medicine Hat,
in September 2005.
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- It's the 1st case of CWD turned in by a hunter this year
[2005], and the 4th detected in Alberta. The other deer with CWD were detected
after organized culls in the same vicinity. Saskatchewan has recorded 80
cases of CWD.
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- Like mad cow disease in cattle, CWD affects the infected
animal's central nervous system, causing it to lose weight and slowly waste
away. The Alberta government said in its release that "there is no
scientific evidence to suggest CWD can affect humans". But, as a precaution,
the World Health Organization advises against humans consuming products
from animals infected with any sort of prion disease.
-
- (It is actually the 5th affected deer found in Alberta.
In September 2005, we reported a "very thin" wild mule deer about
30 km south east of Oyen, which, on culling, was shown to have CWD. Previously,
there had been 3 cases of CWD found in game-farmed animals in Alberta,
and in Saskatchewan, 68 cases in wild deer and a substantial number of
elk found on game farms. Thank you, Sylvia. - ProMed Mod.MHJ)
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- Chronic Wasting Disease Increasingly Found
In Big Horn Basin
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- Associated Press
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- CHEYENNE -- The state Game
and Fish Department has found seven new cases of chronic wasting disease
among mule deer in the Big Horn Basin.
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- The department first found the disease in the area in
2003 in two deer killed by hunters, but tests of more than 500 deer killed
by hunters and department personnel last year turned up no new cases, according
to department spokesman Dennie Hammer.
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- With this year's cases, Hammer said, nine deer have tested
positive out of 1,800 basin deer that have been tested over the last three
years.
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- "We're always concerned with diseases in wildlife.
This is one that's been around for some time, but it's just now being discovered
in the Big Horn Basin area," he said.
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- The deer tested were taken roughly between Worland and
Thermopolis. He said the department planned to kill and test another 22
deer south of Thermopolis beginning this week.
-
- Although chronic wasting disease has been known in southeastern
Wyoming and in Colorado for years, Hammer said the department doesn't know
if the recent findings show a new influx of the disease into north-central
Wyoming or if the disease has been there all along, undetected.
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- Much of the state's information about the disease comes
from hunters who submit their deer to the game department for sampling
and testing. Hammer said continued public participation is essential to
tracking the spread of the disease.
-
- "At the present time, there is no scientific evidence
to suggest that chronic wasting disease has any effect on humans,"
Hammer said. "It's a disease of wildlife, and that's where our concern
lies."
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- However, Hammer said the World Health Organization has
recommended against eating meat of animals suffering from any form of spongiform
encephalopathy -- a group of diseases which includes both chronic wasting
disease in wildlife and mad cow disease, a disease of cattle which can
spread to humans who eat meat from infected animals. Chronic wasting disease
was first recognized in 1967 in Colorado.
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- Hammer said the state contacts hunters whose animals
test positive for chronic wasting disease. He said the decision whether
to eat the meat is up to them.
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- As part of the department's efforts to stop the spread
of the disease, Hammer said the department this year instituted a new regulation
that requires hunters either to bone out their animal and leave the bones
in the field or to dispose of the bones in an approved landfill after processing.
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- In addition, the game department has considered calling
for stricter laws to discourage people from feeding deer. Concentrating
animals around feeders may help the disease to spread.
-
-
- Copyright © 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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-
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- Patricia A. Doyle, DVM, PhD- Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural
Economics
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at:
-
- http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?
- Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases
-
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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