Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a condition that affects the brain and nervous system in deer, elk, and moose. In deer species, the disease is untreatable and always fatal. It is caused by an abnormal protein called a prion, and is in the same group pf diseases as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, better known as "Mad Cow Disease" (NYSDEC, 2019).

Should people be concerned about Chronic Wasting Disease effects on human or pet health?

There is currently no strong evidence suggesting humans or companion animals may become infected with CWD. Previous studies investigating the potential for CWD infection in humans have had conflicting results. At this time, no human cases of CWD are known and it seems unlikely that humans are at risk, but prion diseases may take many years to show symptoms. As a result, the CDC recommends taking precautions to prevent human exposure. Most importantly, they recommend avoiding the consumption of meat from any animal known to be infected (CDC, 2021).

Is CWD a threat to deer populations in New York?

Currently, CWD is not known to occur in New York State. In 2005, the disease was detected in two captive deer facilities in Oneida County, and two infected wild deer were detected in the area. The infection was controlled, and the disease has not been detected in NY since. However, CWD is spreading in North America, and is found in at least 26 US states, including Pennsylvania, and 3 Canadian provinces. Click here for an up-to-date map of areas with CWD infections. It is possible that CWD will eventually reach New York's deer herds. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is actively working to prevent this spread through measures including disease surveillance, prohibiting the feeding of deer (which may cause them to congregate in large numbers and spread disease), and prohibiting the importation of whole carcasses and intact heads of deer from outside New York (NYSDEC, 2019).

References:

CDC, 2021. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Transmission. Accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/prions/cwd/transmission.html

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), 2019. Chronic Wasting Disease. Accessed at https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/cwdbooklet2019.pdf