CWD Found in North Missouri

Has CWD ever been found in MO. before this case?

Nope this is the first case.

Louisiana has reopened its border for import from Mo except for a 25 mile radius around this one farm where CWD was reported. When applying for permit from State Vet office in La please have the location of the farm available so they can check this distance and you should have no problems.



Bill Holdman

Elam Woods Whitetails

President of Whitetials of Louisiana

Bill, isn't it refreshing to have a progressive agriculture department that makes sound logical decisions and does not over-react to issues? II for one am glad to have these folks regulating our industry in Louisiana.

What about deer from any farms that have brought deer to their farms from inside that 25 mile radis, are they able to move them or not???

You can contact the LA Dept of Ag and ask them your specifics. As of now, we know for sure we can import from Mo except for a 25 mile radius around this one farm where CWD was reported. My guess is that if you are shipping an animal into LA that originated on the farm with CWD it will not be allowed.

Any news yet?

They are going to start shooting deer the 10th. They are going to kill 50 and check them, no idea how long it will take? They have 50 to kill and check.

Here is an update for everyone.



We went to the CWD Task force meeting last Thursday. There were about 50 people in attendance including state and federal vets, the Department of Health, the Missouri Department of Conservation, various state senators and reps, and the Missouri Whitetail and Hunting Ranch Association, Dr Woods our state vet and Dr. Henry talked about the positive and made the following points:



1. The positive was found in an 800 acre enclosure that had a majority of whitetails with some elk and red deer.

2. The positive was found in an adult male that was hunter harvested and was healthy. He was considered a management buck.

3. The positive was collected in the fall, stored in formulin and submitted in February 2010.

4. The animal appeared to be born and raised in the enclosure.

5. All the animals in the enclosure appear to be very healthy.

6. The area was quarantined and a team of epidemiologists tried to do trace-outs and look for any sources.

7. No animals have left the area during the last 10 years. Only animals meeting the state requirements for CWD testing had been imported.

8. The herd plan was initiated to harvest 50 additional animals from the enclosure for testing. That number was determined to be significant to arrive at a confidence level on whether CWD exists in the herd. Every effort was going to be made for quick results and the ability to utilize the meat from these animals.

9. An additional 10 animals would be taken at several other close enclosures and the Missouri Department of Conservation was going to initiate some testing on the free ranging herd in the area.



Dr. Woods allowed everyone that wanted to speak to do so and Bill Pittenger and I tried to explain our concern, the impact of the media, and how we needed to try to control the damage the media would cause. We pointed out how many of the states had closed their borders to Missouri and that we needed true information given to the state vets so that we could get them opened back up as soon as possible.



We also wanted the group to hear some interesting facts on the last couple states to have CWD positives and ask a couple questions. Here is what we discussed:



We asked them about the transparency of the test and how confident they were is the validity of it. As it was explained, a slice of the obex and lymph nodes is taken, stained and placed under a microscope. In the case of a positive, the staining shows prions that are associated with CWD. I asked them how many prions it takes to make a positive and they said it was positive if any showed up.



I then asked them if these prions could appear in these places for some other reason other than CWD. They didn’t think so but were not really sure.



I then stated that most of the whitetails found to be positive across the country were healthy and if it was possible that whitetails might exhibit a genetic resistance to actually contracting CWD disease. Much like the srapies in sheep. They said it was unknown but possible.



I then asked them to explain to me how the positive cases in Minnesota and Michigan could have occurred and how come the media never published the results and the CWD scientific community never really acknowledged them. I explained how I could find lots of information about the positive cases and the gloom and doom press associated with them but could not find any of the follow up testing information. Was it because good news is not news worthy? Here are the two cases in a nutshell:



CWD was found in MN in a 7 year old healthy elk slaughtered for meat. It was in a very large herd and had been for quite some time. 750+ animals were slaughtered and 3 more positives were found in healthy elk.



CWD was found in MI is a whitetail deer that was part of a 52 animals herd that was in a very small enclosure. The animal was 3 and had been in the herd since it was a fawn. The rest of the herd was killed along with 2 other herds including a herd containing the mother of the positive animal. Many animals were also tested in the wild surrounding the enclosure. NO OTHER POSITIVES WERE FOUND. WOW!



I thought it was pretty amazing that I had never heard these results and that they were not really even put out in the media. That is some real data that doesn’t seem to be recognized and helps prove that either the test is not that accurate, CWD might be able to crop up anywhere, and lastly if the animal really had CWD, it is not very contagious!



I asked anyone in the group to explain what happened in the MI case. No-one really had a good explanation.



I want to end by saying that everyone involved in the Missouri case is doing a very good job and we are lucky to have some very good people working on it and a task force and contingency plan in place. We are taking this positive VERY seriously and are going to do everything possible to study what caused it. Bill Pittenger and Dr. Woods have been relentless in talking to other states and informing them on what we have found. Most states have opened back up.



We will continue to investigate this case and find the problem if in fact one exists. We will also make sure that everyone has the results and some conclusions to go along with them.



We’ll keep you informed when the next series of tests are back.

Sam, in the Michigan case, was the deer healthy, or was it showing signs??

Sam,

Thanks for keeping us updated.

There are not two better guys to have on the Deerfarmer side than Sam and Bill.

Willows,



I never found that out? It is amazing to me that clinical signs, the very basics of diseases management are never discussed or reported along with a positive.



Does anyone from MI know? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the info Sam.

of any the positive CWD cases I am aware of here, none showed visual signs of CWD , in one case all the animals "flagged" by vets to be suspect before testing (20+ animals) all turned out to be negative

Since it sounds like Indiana has closed its borders to Missouri for 5 years. I have a question. Does this mean they cannot receive deer from any other state? I will assume since I can send one to Illinois and that farmer decides to sell it to a farm in Indiana it would be ok. Can you say STUPID! I have another title for my picture besides the president of PETA we now have the Indiana DNR.

I delivered a deer from OH to Indiana last week both states were great to work with

I would like to know where these states come up with the 25 mile rule. I am 7 years CWD tested and live within the 25 miles and now I can't sell deer to several states. Now the question is if anyone in Missouri buys from me are they band from them states also? Does anyone know?

Here in WI our Ag Dept state vet says he feels that it should be like 8 miles from a positive. But he will have to follow whatever the feds use.

According to the research they are getting from radio collared whitetails the range is less than 8 miles so why use any thing more. And that is assuming an "infected" deer is roaming between the farm with the positive and your farm David.

Really it is all crap. What they are really saying is no ones status means anything. And that is just plain WRONG!

Rational thinking, if they believed in the CWD testing wouldn't make a mile rule of any kind. Unless you are fence to fence with the farm with a positive it really should make no difference as most of us have five years or more in this CWD program. I've been in the CWD program sense 1999. It looks like your status means nothing to the FEDS or the State. It also looks like the people running these programs have no faith in the tested status of any deer farm under the CWD program or you would be allowed to move your animals even if a guy had a positive down the road. Even after some forty plus years of studying this disease they really still know nothing. Like Roger said all crap.

Sam,



I have always have been amazed at how well you market and promote your deer and hunting. But after reading your update tonight and seeing how you and Bill share information to help others I can see why so many people buy and trust doing business with you. From another deer farmer thank you for your leadership in helping others. (what a gift)



Scott