News digest update May 9: At the Duluth News Tribune, John Myers reports on the story in CWD confirmed in seven more deer from Brainerd-area game farm. John Enger reports at Minnesota Public Radio in Chronic wasting found in 7 deer on Crow Wing Co. farm.
On social media, we learned that the news was taken up in the Omnibuzz Environment and Natural Resources budget bills conference committee:
Dr. Beth Thompson from Board of Animal Health is testifying. She describes a depopulated cervid farm where some of the specimens were unable to be tested due to decomposition. i.e. Dead deer rotting on the premises. #mnleg
— Clay Schwartzwalter (@ClaytheSchwartz) May 8, 2019
The Environment budget conference committee has gaveled back in and is currently hearing from the Board of Animal Health about CWD and today's news about CWD at a Crow Wing county "pay for hunt" facility. #mnleg https://t.co/jz7Ykt7kMN
— MCEA (@MCEA1974) May 8, 2019
[end update]
Bluestem has been following news of chronic wasting disease in both wild and captive deer in Crow Wing County. Just in from the Board of Animal Health:
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health received Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) test results from the depopulation of a Crow Wing County deer farm on April 16. A total of 102 deer were removed from the farm and all viable samples were sent to the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory for CWD testing. The results are as follows:
7 CWD positive
82 CWD not detected
13 too decomposed/unsuccessful test“We appreciate the cooperation of the herd owner and the collaboration of the other state and federal partners we’ve worked with to depopulate this farm and get these CWD test results,” said Board Assistant Director Dr. Linda Glaser. “The results give us a clearer picture of the disease prevalence on the farm as we continue our efforts to contain and eliminate any remaining infectious CWD prions in the enclosed property.”
CWD is a difficult disease because it is transmitted by abnormally shaped proteins called prions, which are very resistant to traditional disinfection treatments like heat and chemicals. Depopulation is currently the best available management option to control CWD in cervid herds. After a herd is depopulated there is still a risk of environmental contamination. The land will remain fenced and no farmed cervids may be housed on the site for a period of at least five years to reduce the risk of the disease being spread off the site.
CWD testing is part of many mandatory measures placed upon Minnesota’s farmed cervid herds to monitor and control this disease. Current testing procedures require samples taken from the brain and lymph nodes of the animal, and there are no live-animal sampling procedures at this time.
CWD is a disease of the deer and elk family caused by prions, which can damage brain and nerve tissue. The disease is most likely transmitted when infected deer and elk shed prions in saliva, feces, urine, and other fluids or tissues. CWD is not known to naturally occur in other animals. The disease is fatal in deer and elk, and there are no known treatments or vaccines. Consuming infected meat is not advised.
The seven new positive tests illustrate that deer at the farm continued to be infected. Readers may remember the role the Crow Wing County farm played in earlier discussions of CWD during the Minnesota legislative session.
Bluestem posted CWD found in Crow Wing County wild doe; Walz to up funds for DNR & Board of Animal Health and CWD news digest: county board backs off on sharpshooter ban, Merrifield meeting & more. See also the discussion of the Crow Wing County farm in Fabian donor: Kittson County deer farmer battles scientists, DFL lawmakers in Facebook videos. We also recommend VIDEO: Ag & Food Division hears CWD bills.
We reported on the depopulation of the herd in Board of Animal Health: Crow Wing Co CWD positive deer farm depopulated, USDA pays for it
Map: The location of the dead doe that was found in Crow Wing County that was infected with Chronic Wasting Disease and the Trophy Woods Ranch, where a number of deer tested positive for CWD in 2016 and 2018. The captive deer on the farm have been euthanized and were tested for CWD; the Board of Animal Health press release discusses the results of that test.. Via DNR.
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