Bluestem has posted often about Chronic Wasting Disease in Minnesota's cervid herds. Here in South Dakota, not so much.
That may change. At the end of a South Dakota Searchlight story, Joshua Haiar reports:
Chronic Wasting Disease continues
South Dakota’s deer populations are wrestling with pressures beyond non-residents and a brutal winter.
GF&P Senior Wildlife Biologist Andy Lindbloom updated the commission on the state of Chronic Wasting Disease in South Dakota’s deer and elk populations.
In 2022, the department tested about 500 samples, and 23 of those tested positive for the disease. For mule deer, there were 84 samples and 11 positives.
Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. It is caused by abnormal proteins, called prions, that attack the animal’s brain and nervous system. The contagious disease can be spread through direct contact with infected animals, as well as through contaminated soil, food or water.
The state already confirmed over 650 cases of the disease in South Dakota’s white-tailed and mule deer and elk since 2001.
Hunters can have their deer tested for the disease by dropping off the animal’s head at one of the state’s collection stations, properly submitting lymph nodes, or by contacting GF&P for help at no cost.
Related posts
- Minnesota DNR: Tribal Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance contributes to statewide effort
- Session Daily: Bill targets deadly deer disease with tighter proposed restrictions on farms
- VIDEO: MN House environment committee passes most sweeping anti-CWD measure to date
- Update: wild CWD detection in Beltrami County possibly connected to deer farm dump site
- DNR: Chronic wasting disease suspected in a wild deer in Bemidji area for the first time
- MN Chronic Wasting Disease dilemma: should new deer farms be blocked? The old bought out?
- Chronic Wasting Disease: St. Louis County permanently bans new or expanded cervid farms
- Todd Miller's deer farm was depopulated Tuesday,
- On Facebook, operator of CWD doomed Winona County deer farm wears Miller Scrap hat
- MN Board of Animal Health: CWD confirmed in quarantined Winona County captive deer herd
- Update: More on Miller family deer farm interests
- Senate DFL Leader Franzen raises conflict-of-interest concerns in Republican leader's role overturning bipartisan vote to protect wild deer
Photo: A wild whitetailed buck.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.
Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.
I'm on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6
Comments