CWD 2025 and beyond

[UPThunderbolt]

Go into google scholar and do a search on Chronic Wasting Disease. There has been a huge amount of research on the disease. The current research shows that, while it appears it would be very difficult for humans to contract the disease, the risk is not zero. One thing to consider, CWD is basically the cervid version of mad cow disease . It one point, scientists believed that mad cow was not transmissible to humans. At least 175 people have died from Mad Cow in Great Britain.

 

[nam1975]

Go into google scholar and do a search on Chronic Wasting Disease. There has been a huge amount of research on the disease. The current research shows that, while it appears it would be very difficult for humans to contract the disease, the risk is not zero. One thing to consider, CWD is basically the cervid version of mad cow disease . It one point, scientists believed that mad cow was not transmissible to humans. At least 175 people have died from Mad Cow in Great Britain.

Those Brits were exposed to brain matter thru processed remains and or eating “head cheese”

 

[spike camp]

Unless it was a made deal like Covid why wouldn’t as no one even knew what to test for. It’s joth

I’m still, after all these years, not sure why some folks go so far off the deep end over cwd.
And, To put Covid and cwd in the same sentence, exhibits a lack of rational reasoning.

It’s seems logical to me, especially considering the nature of prion diseases, it’s perfectly conceivable that cwd formed roughly 75 years ago.

And, aside from it being the same tired argument, I don’t think that not testing has much to do with anything.
If there were emaciated, drooling zombie like deer, pre 1960’s..you can bet there’d be written/photographic evidence of such, and testing to follow.

Additionally, The study, testing and spread of cwd from west to east is unequivocally undeniable, unless one were to purposefully trying to skew one’s own perception.

Living in an area for nearly 3 decades that’s now inundated with cwd, coupled with dozens of first hand experiences, I can for sure say that I’ve seen with my own eyes how cwd can change and effect the animals in any given landscape.

 

[Fowl Play]

Go into google scholar and do a search on Chronic Wasting Disease. There has been a huge amount of research on the disease. The current research shows that, while it appears it would be very difficult for humans to contract the disease, the risk is not zero. One thing to consider, CWD is basically the cervid version of mad cow disease . It one point, scientists believed that mad cow was not transmissible to humans. At least 175 people have died from Mad Cow in Great Britain.

A scientist will never say anything is a zero chance, because there can never be absolute certainty in anything. But many of those studies have put CWD prions in direct contact with viable human brain tissue and have never had a jump. Even with cumulative months and months of exposure testing. If it can’t happen in a lab under absolute worst case scenarios, the chances of it happening in the wild are infinitesimally small. You have a better chance of being killed in a car accident with a CWD infected deer driving to your hunting destination than if you took that same deer home and fed him to your family.

 

[Coveyleader]

My prediction is that in some areas, salvage laws will be a thing of the past. Some areas are approaching 50% infection rates. Turning into a horn hunt with those kind of rates.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

CWD has actually benefitted us. My property in the midwest used to be in one of these silly 4-point areas. And because of CWD, they have lifted most of those regulations for hunters to kill more deer. No positive results ever in the county. There's a massive 3X3 I am going to wait for that has been irritating me for several years.

 

[KurtR]

I’m still, after all these years, not sure why some folks go so far off the deep end over cwd.
And, To put Covid and cwd in the same sentence, exhibits a lack of rational reasoning.

It’s seems logical to me, especially considering the nature of prion diseases, it’s perfectly conceivable that cwd formed roughly 75 years ago.

And, aside from it being the same tired argument, I don’t think that not testing has much to do with anything.
If there were emaciated, drooling zombie like deer, pre 1960’s..you can bet there’d be written/photographic evidence of such, and testing to follow.

Additionally, The study, testing and spread of cwd from west to east is unequivocally undeniable, unless one were to purposefully trying to skew one’s own perception.

Living in an area for nearly 3 decades that’s now inundated with cwd, coupled with dozens of first hand experiences, I can for sure say that I’ve seen with my own eyes how cwd can change and effect the animals in any given landscape.

Im not saying it doesn’t excuse im saying it’s not new and people act like it’s something that has just came on the landscape. Its a funding mechanism for the dot orgs. When one of there management practices is kill every deer the credibility goes out the window. That said im sure you have ate plenty of positive animals before testing was readily available

 

[UPThunderbolt]

Those Brits were exposed to brain matter thru processed remains and or eating “head cheese”

A couple responses here. First, brain tissue, eye ball, and connective tissue are not used in making head cheese, rather it is made using the cheek muscles and sometimes the tongue.

Second, the OP questioned the existence of research, I provided an avenue for them to find much of what is available.

Third, the point I was making has been missed. It is irrelevant how the BSE was contracted. The fact is, a similar disease that was once believed to be non transmissible to people eventually did make its way into the human population. The readers of these posts can take that information and use it as they please.

Finally, although this wasn’t previously stated, CWD is extremely plastic. There are now at least 10 different identifiable strains. Each strain has its own properties regarding transmissibility and infection. At this point, no one knows if or how that might impact potential human interactions.

There is a substantial number of questions yet to be answered regarding CWD. But, if you speak to hunters from areas that have dealt with CWD for 20 years or more, I doubt you will hear many positive stories regarding the impact to the herd.

 

[spike camp]

Im not saying it doesn’t excuse im saying it’s not new and people act like it’s something that has just came on the landscape. It’s a funding mechanism for the dot orgs. When one of there management practices is kill every deer the credibility goes out the window. That said im sure you have ate plenty of positive animals before testing was readily available

In my opinion, what we are seeing is relatively new.
Its totally conceivable CWD is <100 years old.

Once slurs like funding mechanisms and relating cwd to covid, THATS when the credibility goes.

Killing deer is the only management practice that actually works to keep prevalence rates low.

I have not only eaten positive deer. I’ve pressure washed skulls of infected deer.

 

[KurtR]

In my opinion, what we are seeing is relatively new.
Its totally conceivable CWD is <100 years old.

Once slurs like funding mechanisms and relating cwd to covid, THATS when the credibility goes.

Killing deer is the only management practice that actually works to keep prevalence rates low.

I have not only eaten positive deer. I’ve pressure washed skulls of infected deer.

All the research and they are at the same point as they were how many years ago. It’s good for business to scare people keep that funding coming.

Well then why have seasons and tags just kill all the deer.

 

[mt terry d]

Once slurs like funding mechanisms and relating cwd to covid,

Am I understanding this correctly?

Pointing out conflict of interest and similarity of contradictory "science" is "slurs"?

 

[spike camp]

Am I understanding this correctly?

Pointing out conflict of interest and similarity of contradictory "science" is "slurs"?

One could draw similarities from anything.

Another crowd will say it’s the car insurance lobbyists.

I would consider that a slur, too.

 

[Mr. October]

Whether or not one would eat a positive animal or have CWD influence hunting choices, the bigger issue to me is that of how state agencies change management practices once CWD hits. In the original infection areas here in PA many have quit hunting because of so few deer. They aren't dying from CWD (I'm sure some are) but rather from the scorched earth policy the game commission has taken. The area I hunt during our firearm season is now partially included in a "Disease Management Area". Antlerless permits were increased by 15,000 tags last year and 20,000 this year. Seems like state agency tactics for managing CWD is basically to eliminate as much of the deer population as possible. Of course, they'll still want people to buy hunting licenses.

It's a conundrum. I'm not sure I'd choose to eat a known, infected animal. And I probably wouldn't continue to hunt once a majority of killed deer began returning positives. I guess time will tell what happens with CWD and other diseases.

 

[NMJM]

We do not know the real number but most likely 100s of thousands of thousands of people have eaten meat from CWD infected animals and there has not not been a single case of a human contracting the disease. Yes we need more research and yes it is a problem for deer and we should do what we can to limit it. But with all the risks humans face this one is pretty far down on the list.

 

[taskswap]

Y'all are missing something really important. Prions are not like fingernail clippings - static things that just sit there, inert, until you touch them.

Prions evolve.

Whether you believe or dismiss the current studies about CWD, you have to remember that those studies are all about the current strains. But scientists aren't worried about you contracting CWD literally tomorrow. They're worried that one day, CWD will evolve the ability to do so, as mad-cow did. And it just so happens that regular exposure to humans is the exact mechanism by which that evolution would happen. To make matters worse, cooking is how we normally kill bacteria in our food, but cooking temperatures (and stomach acids, for that matter) do not destroy prions. That means every time you eat CWD-infected meat, you are giving those prions a free opportunity to learn how to jump to humans even if you cook that steak well-done.

How long will it take? Nobody knows. We know it's possible, but it could be next year or a thousand years from now. The risk is very small but not zero, but a funny thing about small-percentage risks is that when you multiply them across thousands of hunters, they become high enough to be a real concern. One thing we do know is once the rabbit is out of the hat it will be impossible to put back in. If that jump ever happens, what exactly do you think wildlife biologists will do? Since there is no cure or treatment, it is very possible culling will be their only option. And since it's so endemic now, it is actually possible you could see the end of deer/elk hunting within your lifetimes, because herd populations no longer support hunting activities.

If you want to be the guy responsible for that nobody can stop you. As for me, I will comply with the testing requirements and anything else biologists ask me to do. I do not want to be that guy.

 

[Mr. October]

Y'all are missing something really important. Prions are not like fingernail clippings - static things that just sit there, inert, until you touch them.

Prions evolve.

Whether you believe or dismiss the current studies about CWD, you have to remember that those studies are all about the current strains. But scientists aren't worried about you contracting CWD literally tomorrow. They're worried that one day, CWD will evolve the ability to do so, as mad-cow did. And it just so happens that regular exposure to humans is the exact mechanism by which that evolution would happen. To make matters worse, cooking is how we normally kill bacteria in our food, but cooking temperatures (and stomach acids, for that matter) do not destroy prions. That means every time you eat CWD-infected meat, you are giving those prions a free opportunity to learn how to jump to humans even if you cook that steak well-done.

How long will it take? Nobody knows. We know it's possible, but it could be next year or a thousand years from now. The risk is very small but not zero, but a funny thing about small-percentage risks is that when you multiply them across thousands of hunters, they become high enough to be a real concern. One thing we do know is once the rabbit is out of the hat it will be impossible to put back in. If that jump ever happens, what exactly do you think wildlife biologists will do? Since there is no cure or treatment, it is very possible culling will be their only option. And since it's so endemic now, it is actually possible you could see the end of deer/elk hunting within your lifetimes, because herd populations no longer support hunting activities.

If you want to be the guy responsible for that nobody can stop you. As for me, I will comply with the testing requirements and anything else biologists ask me to do. I do not want to be that guy.

This is how CWD first made the jump to cervids. The likely source was a variation of scrapie found in sheep. No reason to think it is done evolving.

 

[NMJM]

Y'all are missing something really important. Prions are not like fingernail clippings - static things that just sit there, inert, until you touch them.

Prions evolve.

Whether you believe or dismiss the current studies about CWD, you have to remember that those studies are all about the current strains. But scientists aren't worried about you contracting CWD literally tomorrow. They're worried that one day, CWD will evolve the ability to do so, as mad-cow did. And it just so happens that regular exposure to humans is the exact mechanism by which that evolution would happen. To make matters worse, cooking is how we normally kill bacteria in our food, but cooking temperatures (and stomach acids, for that matter) do not destroy prions. That means every time you eat CWD-infected meat, you are giving those prions a free opportunity to learn how to jump to humans even if you cook that steak well-done.

How long will it take? Nobody knows. We know it's possible, but it could be next year or a thousand years from now. The risk is very small but not zero, but a funny thing about small-percentage risks is that when you multiply them across thousands of hunters, they become high enough to be a real concern. One thing we do know is once the rabbit is out of the hat it will be impossible to put back in. If that jump ever happens, what exactly do you think wildlife biologists will do? Since there is no cure or treatment, it is very possible culling will be their only option. And since it's so endemic now, it is actually possible you could see the end of deer/elk hunting within your lifetimes, because herd populations no longer support hunting activities.

If you want to be the guy responsible for that nobody can stop you. As for me, I will comply with the testing requirements and anything else biologists ask me to do. I do not want to be that guy.

Isn't this true for every organism/disease? Every bacteria, virus and pathogen can evolve. Again, it is theoretically possible but why worry about this one vs all the other possible diseases out there? How many pathogens could potentially evolve to infect humans?

 

[UPThunderbolt]

The difference between bacteria, viruses and prions is that the first two are living organisms that can be killed. Prions are not. They are misshaped protein molecules that, when they come into contact with health protein molecules, can force them to also take on the misfolded shape. As Taskswap mentioned above, it takes temperatures of 1200-1500 degrees F or a nearly pure bleach solution to break down the misfolded proteins. In other words, at this point in time, there is no realistic method for controlling this disease once it infects an organism. Although it takes time for the disease to manifest itself, Infection is virtually a death sentence.

While we don't know of any cases of this spreading to people, we cannot say with certainty that it hasn't. That's because, until recently, nobody was looking for it. There are two, very closely related human diseases. The first is Crutzfield Jacobs Disease. The people who died from Mad Cow were actually diagnosed with a variant of CJD. The other closely related disease is Alzheimer's. Both of these diseases manifest themselves in very similar ways. CJD simply moves much faster than Alzheimer's. Is there a chance that a case of human CWD was misdiagnosed as CJD or Alzheimer's? I don't know. I agree that chances of that are really, really remote, but....

Whether to worry about this is each individuals choice. I think the people posting on this subject simply want to assist our fellow hunting fraternity members to make informed decisions.

There is so much information out there that likely would surprise the average hunter. Unfortunately, the wife called me for supper 10 minutes ago and if I don't get upstair and into the Kitchen, CWD will be the least of my worries.

Happy Hunting.