September 23, 2005
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that
three free-ranging white-tailed deer, collected last week in Hampshire
County as part of an intensive Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance
effort, tested suspect positive for the disease. The University of
Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory screened the samples using the
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test which offers fast turnaround
time but which must be confirmed with an additional test. Therefore, these
samples are undergoing further diagnostic testing using the
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) test which is considered the gold standard for
CWD testing. Final test results are expected next week.
I want to stress that these results are preliminary and identify the need
for more definitive testing through IHC on these three samples, said DNR
Director Frank Jezioro. We will announce the results of the final testing
as soon as we receive them from the laboratory.
Earlier this month a single white-tailed deer was confirmed as positive for
CWD in Hampshire County . DNR immediately implemented its CWD Incident
Response Plan. As part of that plan, CWD deer collection teams, comprised
of personnel from the Wildlife Resources and Law Enforcement Sections, have
been conducting carefully planned deer collections within portions of
Hampshire County for the past two weeks.
As identified in our Response Plan and based upon these preliminary
findings, deer collection teams will now intensify their collection efforts
within the surveillance area to accurately determine the prevalence and
distribution of CWD in this region of the state, Jezioro said. Landowner
cooperation throughout this entire surveillance effort in Hampshire County
has been just terrific. As we strive to meet this wildlife disease
challenge and implement appropriate management strategies, the support and
involvement of landowners and hunters will continue to be essential.
CWD is a neurological disease found in deer and elk, and it belongs to a
family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The
disease is thought to be caused by abnormal, proteinaceous particles called
prions that slowly attack the brain of infected deer and elk, causing the
animals to progressively become emaciated, display abnormal behavior and
invariably results in the death of the infected animal. There is no known
treatment for CWD, and it is fatal for the infected deer or elk. It is
important to note that currently there is no evidence to suggest CWD poses
a risk for humans or domestic animals.
CWD was first recognized in 1967 in Colorado , and it subsequently had been
found in captive herds in nine states and two Canadian provinces and in
free-ranging deer or elk in nine states and one province. Earlier this
year, the disease was found as far east as New York . The source of
infection for wild and captive deer and elk in new geographical areas is
unknown in many instances. While it is not known exactly how CWD is
transmitted, lateral spread from animal to animal through shedding of the
infectious agent from the digestive tract appears to be important, and
indirect transmission through environmental contamination with infective
material is likely.
As we await the final IHC test results from Minnesota , our well trained
and professional staff of Wildlife Biologists, Wildlife Managers and
Conservation Officers are working diligently to fully implement DNR's CWD
Incident Response Plan, which is designed to effectively address this
wildlife disease threat, Jezioro said. Hunters, landowners and other
members of the public should feel confident that we have some of the best
wildlife biologists and veterinarians in the world, including those
stationed at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study in Athens
, Georgia , working collaboratively on this situation.
More information on CWD can be found at the West Virginia Division of
Natural Resources' Web site:
www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/chronicwaste.shtm and the CWD Alliance website:
www.cwd-info.org.
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