It’s hunting season, and newly-sampled lymph nodes and brain stems from deer, elk and other antlered herds are headed for Chronic Wasting Disease testing and research at the Wildlife Health Lab in Bozeman.
Wildlife Health Program Biologist Bevin McCormick and her colleagues at Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks are trying to better understand the high prevalence of Chronic Wasting Disease in areas where it’s popping up the most, like near Montana’s borders with Canada and Wyoming.
“It’s very possible that part of that is natural spread that occurs from interconnected deer populations, but honestly, we could also be seeing spread due to people moving contaminated materials,” said McCormick.
Part of their research is understanding how humans are contributing to or hindering the spread of CWD, which is fatal to animals like deer. While not known to transmit to humans, it’s been confirmed in more-than half of states and is driving down wild deer populations in parts of Wyoming.
It’s highly contagious from both animals and their habitats, where it can stay for years, and McCormick says there is no way they currently know how to slow the spread of CWD except through hunting restrictions, good hunter protocol and other management actions.
“With Chronic Wasting Disease, we don’t really have enough knowledge to really know if there’s some sort of biosecurity measures that people can take to keep from spreading CWD from one area to another, aside from trying to keep the bodily tissues of animals from moving from one spot to another,” said McCormick.
FWP provides guidance for hunters about disposing of deer, elk and other remains to prevent transporting CWD along with their harvest. Carcass parts like the spleen, eyes or brain should be left at the kill site or, if taken off site, bagged and dumped in a landfill.
