CWD UPDATE 75 June 14, 2006
A reminder to the states that will be submitting grant applications to USDA-APHIS for CWD work for the coming year. The deadline for grant applications is July 14, 2006. As in the past, applications should be submitted through the local AVIC. A big thank you to Dean Goeldner for his mammoth effort to keep the contract period the same instead of having to go to a calendar year basis, this helps the states in many untold ways. This year, tier 1 states are eligible for $235,000, tier 2 states $75,000, and tier 3 states $48,000.
Wisconsin DNR has published a human dimensions report on “Landowner Response to Chronic Wasting Disease and its Management in Wisconsin’s Southwest Disease Eradication Zone” by Jordan Petchenik. A copy can be downloaded at dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/publications/ss1022_2006.htm.
Also from Wisconsin DNR; they report that they have collected a total of 24,782 deer for CWD testing so far. The results from 24,761 of these are in with a total of 179 positives. Fifteen of the positives are from the Herd Reduction Zone while the rest are within the Disease Eradication Zone. Since 2002 they have sampled 99,874 deer and have results back from 99,756, with 634 positives, 18 of those in the Herd Reduction Zone.
South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks reports that they have tested 3,248 samples with 5 positive elk, 4 positive mule deer, and 4 positive whitetail deer; all from the area of known occurrence is western South Dakota. To date, South Dakota has found 46 cases of CWD (32 deer and 14 elk) in free ranging deer and elk since testing began in 1997. Wind Cave National Park accounts for 14 of these animals (6 elk, 8 deer). A total of 12,298 wild deer and elk have been tested for CWD since 1997. They will continue to sample sick cervids for CWD. Wind Cave National Park also continues to conduct CWD surveillance.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reports two additional CWD positives, both adult male mule deer from Box Butte County. These two animals were exhibiting the clinical signs of CWD, were collected, and tested positive. They were located in the focal area east of Alliance, Nebraska where previous CWD positives have been detected.
The Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division reports that a total of 9 wild deer have tested positive in their province, bringing the total number of positives to 13 since the first case was detected in September of 2005. The winter disease control program removed 1,688 wild deer in the vicinity of Empress and Acadia Valley were 4 deer had tested positive as well as Chauvin where Saskatchewan finds infected deer adjacent to the border. The majority of Alberta’s cases are clustered along the South Saskatchewan River and Red Deer River, both within 10 kilometers of the border. A map of locations in Alberta where CWD has been detected is available at www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fw/diseases/cwd/index.html.