[ODFW-News] ODFW News: Emergency rule relating to CWD amended, no evidence
of CWD in Oregon
ODFW News
Odfw.News@STATE.OR.US
Fri, 18 Oct 2002 12:17:34 -0700
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Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife =20
Contact: Ann Snyder (503) 872-5264 x5363=20
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us Fax: (503) 872-5700
=20
For Immediate Release Friday, Oct. 18, 2002
Emergency rule relating to CWD amended, no evidence of CWD in Oregon
PORTLAND -- The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission today amended an =
emergency temporary rule dealing with the importation of deer and elk =
carcasses into Oregon. That rule, which had been in response to concerns =
about the potential spread of chronic wasting disease into Oregon's =
captive and wild herds of deer and elk, banned the import of hunter-harvest=
ed deer and elk carcasses, except for boned out, processed or quartered =
meat, hides and skull plates that had no part of the spinal column or =
brain attached, or finished taxidermy heads. It also banned the import of =
all live cervids except reindeer.=20
However, the rule brought with it unintended consequences for meat =
processing plants and taxidermists in Oregon. Many hunters from surrounding=
states frequently bring carcasses to Oregon to be processed. In addition, =
hunters bring deer or elk heads to Oregon taxidermists for mounting. The =
emergency rule's ban on importing cervid carcasses and heads created an =
unintended financial hardship for many processing plants and taxidermists. =
The ban also interfered with the ability of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife =
Service's animal forensic lab in Ashland to receive deer and elk carcasses =
from other states for analysis and investigation.=20
The amendment to the rule, which takes effect today, allows Oregon's meat =
processing facilities and taxidermists to legally receive, process and =
return deer and elk carcasses from states that have not been identified as =
having chronic wasting disease. Those states include Washington, Idaho and =
California. The ban on importation of parts remains in place for deer and =
elk from those states and provinces that have been identified as having =
chronic wasting disease in captive and/or wild deer and elk populations. =
CWD is found in free-ranging and/or captive mule deer, white-tailed deer =
and elk in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, =
Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The amended rule also allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to receive =
carcasses from any state for purposes of analysis and investigation.
=20
"The reason for the ban in the first place was to protect Oregon's =
wildlife from CWD, and the amended rule, while allowing reasonable =
flexibility, continues to protect the state's wildlife from CWD," said =
Larry Cooper, ODFW Wildlife Division deputy administrator.
State wildlife biologists will continue efforts this weekend to sample =
Oregon's wild herds for CWD. The new samples will add to the more than 200 =
samples already collected. All samples tested between 1997 and 2001 found =
no evidence of the disease agent in the state's captive or wild herds of =
deer and elk.=20
Results of all the deer and elk tissue samples collected this fall are =
expected to be available in mid to late spring 2003, and will be publicized=
.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking hunters to help with =
this effort by allowing field biologists visiting hunting camps to collect =
a thumb-sized sample of the animal's lower brain tissue, called the obex. =
The sample collection will not harm taxidermy mounts or game meat =
processing.=20
"District biologists received lots of support from deer hunters," said Don =
Whittaker, ODFW Wildlife Division big game biologist. "They are receptive =
and want to help."
ODFW hopes to send 500 preserved samples in December from deer and elk =
harvested by hunters throughout Oregon this fall to the National Disease =
Health Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. The samples will be tested for the =
presence of an abnormal protein that causes CWD. The procedure, which is =
extremely accurate, tests for the presence of the protein by adding a =
chemical to a thin slice of the sample tissue. The chemical stains any CWD =
agents, called prions, a specific color when viewed under a microscope. =
The obex tissue is used because researchers have found it is where prions =
initially become established.=20
ODFW biologists must collect the obex within 24 of harvest to ensure =
sample integrity. Biologists also collect a tooth to identify the age of =
the animal. Hunters are asked to note the location of the kill using a =
Global Positioning System or by identifying the section, range and =
township on a map. Biologists also will ask for the hunter's Hunter/Angler =
Identification Number, found on the harvest tag. If a sample tests =
positive for CWD, the hunter will be notified.=20
CWD is an untreatable disease that leads to progressive loss of body =
condition, behavioral changes, excessive salivation and death. In the =
later stages, small holes in the brain tissue of affected animals are =
visible with a microscope, producing a spongy look characteristic of =
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). Similar TSE diseases exist =
in domestic sheep (scrapie), cattle (bovine TSE or mad cow disease), and =
humans (Crueutzfeldt-Jakob disease).=20
More information about CWD and game meat safety can be found on ODFW's Web =
site at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/InfoCntrWild/chronic_wasting.ht=
m or the Web site of the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance at www.cwd-info.o=
rg .
###
Information and Education Section
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 872-5264 ext 5528
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<DIV>Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife <BR>Contact: Ann =
Snyder=20
(503) 872-5264 x5363 <BR>Internet: <A=20
href=3D"http://www.dfw.state.or.us">www.dfw.state.or.us</A> Fax: =
(503)=20
872-5700<BR> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For Immediate Release Friday, Oct. 18, 2002</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Emergency rule relating to CWD amended, no evidence of CWD in =
Oregon</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PORTLAND -- The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission today amended =
an=20
emergency temporary rule dealing with the importation of deer and elk =
carcasses=20
into Oregon. That rule, which had been in response to concerns about =
the=20
potential spread of chronic wasting disease into Oregon's captive and wild =
herds=20
of deer and elk, banned the import of hunter-harvested deer and elk =
carcasses,=20
except for boned out, processed or quartered meat, hides and skull plates =
that=20
had no part of the spinal column or brain attached, or finished taxidermy =
heads.=20
It also banned the import of all live cervids except reindeer. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>However, the rule brought with it unintended consequences for meat=20
processing plants and taxidermists in Oregon. Many hunters from surrounding=
=20
states frequently bring carcasses to Oregon to be processed. In =
addition,=20
hunters bring deer or elk heads to Oregon taxidermists for mounting. =
The=20
emergency rule's ban on importing cervid carcasses and heads created an=20
unintended financial hardship for many processing plants and taxidermists. =
The=20
ban also interfered with the ability of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife =
Service's=20
animal forensic lab in Ashland to receive deer and elk carcasses from =
other=20
states for analysis and investigation. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The amendment to the rule, which takes effect today, allows Oregon's =
meat=20
processing facilities and taxidermists to legally receive, process and =
return=20
deer and elk carcasses from states that have not been identified as =
having=20
chronic wasting disease. Those states include Washington, Idaho and =
California.=20
The ban on importation of parts remains in place for deer and elk from =
those=20
states and provinces that have been identified as having chronic wasting =
disease=20
in captive and/or wild deer and elk populations. CWD is found in free-rangi=
ng=20
and/or captive mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk in Colorado, Kansas,=20=
Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, =
Wisconsin,=20
Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The amended rule also allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to =
receive=20
carcasses from any state for purposes of analysis and=20
investigation.<BR> <BR>"The reason for the ban in the first place was =
to=20
protect Oregon's wildlife from CWD, and the amended rule, while allowing=20=
reasonable flexibility, continues to protect the state's wildlife from =
CWD,"=20
said Larry Cooper, ODFW Wildlife Division deputy administrator.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>State wildlife biologists will continue efforts this weekend to =
sample=20
Oregon's wild herds for CWD. The new samples will add to the more than =
200=20
samples already collected. All samples tested between 1997 and 2001 found =
no=20
evidence of the disease agent in the state's captive or wild herds of deer =
and=20
elk. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Results of all the deer and elk tissue samples collected this fall =
are=20
expected to be available in mid to late spring 2003, and will be=20
publicized.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking hunters to help =
with=20
this effort by allowing field biologists visiting hunting camps to collect =
a=20
thumb-sized sample of the animal's lower brain tissue, called the obex. =
The=20
sample collection will not harm taxidermy mounts or game meat processing. =
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"District biologists received lots of support from deer hunters," =
said Don=20
Whittaker, ODFW Wildlife Division big game biologist. "They are receptive =
and=20
want to help."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>ODFW hopes to send 500 preserved samples in December from deer and =
elk=20
harvested by hunters throughout Oregon this fall to the National Disease =
Health=20
Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. The samples will be tested for the presence of =
an=20
abnormal protein that causes CWD. The procedure, which is extremely =
accurate,=20
tests for the presence of the protein by adding a chemical to a thin slice =
of=20
the sample tissue. The chemical stains any CWD agents, called prions, a =
specific=20
color when viewed under a microscope. The obex tissue is used because=20
researchers have found it is where prions initially become established. =
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>ODFW biologists must collect the obex within 24 of harvest to ensure =
sample=20
integrity. Biologists also collect a tooth to identify the age of the =
animal.=20
Hunters are asked to note the location of the kill using a Global =
Positioning=20
System or by identifying the section, range and township on a map. =
Biologists=20
also will ask for the hunter's Hunter/Angler Identification Number, found =
on the=20
harvest tag. If a sample tests positive for CWD, the hunter will be =
notified.=20
<BR>CWD is an untreatable disease that leads to progressive loss of =
body=20
condition, behavioral changes, excessive salivation and death. In the =
later=20
stages, small holes in the brain tissue of affected animals are visible =
with a=20
microscope, producing a spongy look characteristic of transmissible =
spongiform=20
encephalopathy (TSE). Similar TSE diseases exist in domestic sheep =
(scrapie),=20
cattle (bovine TSE or mad cow disease), and humans (Crueutzfeldt-Jakob =
disease).=20
<BR>More information about CWD and game meat safety can be found on ODFW's =
Web=20
site at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/InfoCntrWild/chronic_wasting.ht=
m">http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/InfoCntrWild/chronic_wasting.htm</A>=
=20
or the Web site of the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.cwd-info.org">www.cwd-info.org</A> .</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>###<BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Information and Education Section<BR>Oregon Department of Fish and=20
Wildlife<BR>(503) 872-5264 ext 5528<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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