Chronic Wasting Disease

[Budgie Smuggler]

Interesting read about America's "Zombie Deer Disease",
"Once an environment is infected, the pathogen is extremely hard to eradicate. It can persist for years in dirt or on surfaces, and scientists report it is resistant to disinfectants, formaldehyde, radiation and incineration at 600C (1,100F)."
âZombie deer diseaseâ epidemic spreads in Yellowstone as scientists raise fears it may jump to humans

 

[sikamalc]

Yes I saw this earlier yesterday. Not good reading at all. It seems to be spreading in the States, and one hopes that we do not see anything over here in the UK.

 

[JTO]

BSE was blaimed on several things, feeding meat to cows, warble fly dressing, manganese in feed..........
How does CWD pass from one deer to another?

 

[Budgie Smuggler]

BSE was blaimed on several things, feeding meat to cows, warble fly dressing, manganese in feed..........
How does CWD pass from one deer to another?

Scientists believe CWD proteins (prions) likely spread between animals through body fluids like feces, saliva, blood, or urine, either through direct contact or indirectly through environmental contamination of soil, food or water.

 

[JTO]

Scientists believe CWD proteins (prions) likely spread between animals through body fluids like feces, saliva, blood, or urine, either through direct contact or indirectly through environmental contamination of soil, food or water.

Sounds like it could become genetic?

 

[Milligan]

do our resident vets know if the sheep/goat variety can spread to deer? @Buchan
I condemned a Roe Doe recently that was completely wasted, massive growth on liver and otherwise poor condition. Recently learned that some of the goats on the same property have wasting disease - coincidence is of course possible but would appreciate a professional view.

 

[Buchan]

I'm not aware of anything suggingsting scrapie (the sheep/goat prion) can affect anything other than sheep/goat. BSE was, last time I read, thought to be a very specific cow variant that, unfortunately, was allowed to spread through the cattle population via feed.
CWD is very heavily linked to the idiotic practice of bait stations that is widespread in the states.

 

[JTO]

.
CWD is very heavily linked to the idiotic practice of bait stations that is widespread in the states.

That is what I surmised after reading the article.

 

[User00052]

I'm not aware of anything suggingsting scrapie (the sheep/goat prion) can affect anything other than sheep/goat. BSE was, last time I read, thought to be a very specific cow variant that, unfortunately, was allowed to spread through the cattle population via feed.
CWD is very heavily linked to the idiotic practice of bait stations that is widespread in the states.

On a side note, would you discourage any supplementary feeding/game encouragement in the UK? On the grounds on increasing risk of disease.
Like pheasant feeders in woodland (to encourage straying/wild birds and or deer) ?

 

[User00052]

Genuinely interested as I see you are a vet

 

[devon deer stalker]

It will make it's way over here, just a matter of time.

At the random game inspection stations (where tags/licences get checked) occasionally game wardens would take the lymph nodes for analysis in Montana, you would be surprised how many hunters in the states don't know what a lymph node is, let alone locate one.

 

[JTO]

On a side note, would you discourage any supplementary feeding/game encouragement in the UK? On the grounds on increasing risk of disease.
Like pheasant feeders in woodland (to encourage straying/wild birds and or deer) ?

Might depend on the make-up of the feed. I think there is a place in Australia where people live near a facility that produces/mines Manganese and have a high incidence of BSE-like conditions.

 

[VSS]

Might depend on the make-up of the feed. I think there is a place in Australia where people live near a facility that produces/mines Manganese and have a high incidence of BSE-like conditions.

Any supplementary feeding of wild deer will cause them to congregate at unnatural densities, facilitating the spread of disease.

 

[Buchan]

On a side note, would you discourage any supplementary feeding/game encouragement in the UK? On the grounds on increasing risk of disease.
Like pheasant feeders in woodland (to encourage straying/wild birds and or deer) ?

Yes. While we don't have CWD, we do have TB and in the State that also is linked to spread from feeding stations.

Supplementary feeding of all wildlife is a bit of problem. One's birdfeeders for instance, can spread several diseases so need regular cleaning. There is a balance to be had in creating areas where wildlife can feed especially when the original feed/habitat has been removed.

 

[Buchan]

It will make it's way over here, just a matter of time.

If it isn't here already, it will have to be brought in. One reason this vet would see antler imports banned.

 

[User00052]

Many thanks for your replies @VSS and @Buchan

I am an avid filler of bird feeders in the garden and have definitely seen an increase in the local sparrows and tits since I started a few years ago, but good point on cleaning the feeders. I will make sure to do this going forward. I guess this is a case where because it's in an urban environment the feeding is replacing something removed, and if kept clean would be beneficial?

Just taking on an area of woodland surrounded by grazing and arable, with a number of other people, and there is talk in the group of supplementary feeding for wildlife, encouraging game birds, and encouraging deer. I guess in this instance, the feeding can't be justified as it doesn't replace anything, but I doubt we'll be able to make more structural changes to the landscape to attract such game ' naturally ' , what would be your thoughts and advice in this scenario.

Many thanks again

 

[devon deer stalker]

If it isn't here already, it will have to be brought in. One reason this vet would see antler imports banned.

Not just antlers, it could be brought in by many other means, easy to blame hunters, hikers could bring it back on their boots etc

 

[JTO]

Any supplementary feeding of wild deer will cause them to congregate at unnatural densities, facilitating the spread of disease.

I can understand that argument where respiratory disease is concerned, but this concerns a 'rogue' prion/protein. I know of one BSE case where it was the only one of a group that had been hand fed the suspect concentrate food as a calf. It didn't spread to the others in the group in the same shed.

 

[VSS]

I can understand that argument where respiratory disease is concerned, but this concerns a 'rogue' prion/protein. I know of one BSE case where it was the only one of a group that had been hand fed the suspect concentrate food as a calf. It didn't spread to the others in the group in the same shed.

CWD, like BSE, is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. The clue is in the name.
Yes, you'll sometimes get isolated cases like the calf you mention, but transmission of these diseases can be both horizontal and vertical. CWD appears to spread very readily via the horizontal route.

 

[JTO]

CWD appears to spread very readily via the horizontal route.

In what physical way?
The case that I mentioned was in a mature cow that had been hand-reared as a calf, the others in the group had been suckled.