[ODFW-News] Hunter assistance needed to monitor for CWD

[ODFW News]

For Immediate Release Friday, Sept. 23, 2005

Hunter assistance needed to monitor for CWD

SALEM - During the upcoming deer and elk hunting seasons, the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking deer and elk hunters to assist
with collection of vital wildlife disease information.

"We are asking hunters to bring their deer and elk carcasses to
biological check stations or their nearest ODFW office to be sampled for
chronic wasting disease," said Colin Gillin, ODFW state wildlife
veterinarian.  ODFW District Wildlife Biologists also will be collecting
samples during their field hunter checks."

While the disease has not been found in Oregon wildlife to date, Gillin
noted that chronic wasting disease (CWD) is spreading and now infects
deer and elk in 14 states and two Canadian provinces. CWD is an
untreatable, always fatal neurological disease of deer and elk. 
 
Although similar to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or "Mad Cow
Disease", CWD is a disease of deer and elk and is not infective or
transmissible to people.

"Chronic wasting disease is part of a unique family of chronic
neurologic diseases called prion diseases or transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies," said Gillin. "The disease was recognized more than 30
years ago as a syndrome in a state wildlife research facility in
Colorado. Its natural hosts include mule deer, white-tailed deer and
elk. Sheep and cattle have not been found to be naturally susceptible to
CWD."

The disease is present in wild populations of deer and elk, and occurs
in farmed deer and elk maintained for agricultural purposes. CWD
currently is found in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana,
Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia,
Wisconsin, Wyoming and Utah, as well as the provinces of Alberta and
Saskatchewan. 
 
Observations of infected deer and elk in captivity indicate that the
disease is highly contagious. However, the exact mechanism of
transmission has not been identified. CWD likely exits the animal in
saliva or feces and then re-infects susceptible deer and elk by direct
contact between animals or by environmental contamination.

Another concern and avenue for the introduction of CWD into the state is
via hunter-harvested deer and elk from states that have CWD-infected
animals, noted Gillin. Precautionary measures taken to protect Oregon 's
wildlife from CWD and keep the disease from entering Oregon include a
ban on deer and elk carcass parts containing central nervous system
tissue from animals killed in states or provinces with a documented case
of CWD. 

The following parts may be imported: 
Meat cut and wrapped commercially or privately; 
Meat that has been boned out; 
Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or
head attached; 
Hides and/or capes with no head attached; 
Skull plates with antlers attached that have been cleaned of all meat
and brain tissue (velvet antlers are allowed); 
Antlers with no tissue attached (velvet antlers are allowed); 
Upper canine teeth (buglers, whistlers and ivories); and 
Finished taxidermy heads. 

Hunters traveling to other states or Canada are advised to thoroughly
read local hunting regulations to be sure they comply with that state or
Province's requirements for evidence of sex, transport, and tagging.

Voluntary check stations will be manned from dawn to dusk and signs will
be located along the highway to identify check station locations. The
locations and dates of voluntary CWD check stations where hunters may
bring deer and elk carcasses to be sampled for chronic wasting disease
are:

Brothers check station: Oct. 1-3, located in the ODOT Maintenance
Station in Brothers, on Highway 20, about 30 miles east of Bend.

Prineville check station: Oct. 2-3 and Oct. 29-30, located just east of
Prineville on US Highway 26.

LaGrande Region check station: Oct. 1-3 and Oct. 29-30, located at the
Animal Health Center, 10302 Oregon Highway 82 in Island City.

Additional check stations may be set up at other locations throughout
the course of hunting seasons. ODFW will provide additional
notifications as check stations are opened. 

For more information on CWD or ODFW check stations, call Don Whittaker
at 503-947-6300.
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