Hunters' help is needed to curb spread of CWD

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a known threat to Missouri's deer population, and the Missouri Department of Conservation is spreading the word about scientific research behind disease management efforts.

In June, MDC announced plans to add Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry Counties to a CWD management zone, after a case was reported in Perry County.

CWD management zones impose certain restrictions, including a ban on feeding deer, to help manage the spread of the disease.

That includes grain, salt products, minerals and other consumable natural and manufactured products used to attract deer, according to the Wildlife Code of Missouri.

The regulation went into effect July 1.

MDC will hold a series of public meetings on CWD in October, said MDC's wildlife disease coordinator Jasmine Batten. Local meetings are:

• Oct. 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Cape Girardeau Nature Center, 2289 County Park Drive.
• Oct. 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Perry Park Center theater, 800 City Park Drive in Perryville, Missouri.

The meetings have two main purposes, Batten said. "We want to inform the public generally, and we're seeking public input and comments on potential additional regulation changes we are contemplating to further address risks of CWD in the state."

CWD is caused not by bacteria or viruses, but by a misshapen protein called a prion. The danger, said Batten, lies in a prion's ability to attach to healthy cells and corrupt them, leading to a buildup of damaged cells in the affected area -- in CWD's case, deer's brain and neurological tissue.

That prion is carried in deer's waste, including feces, urine and saliva, Batten said, and areas where deer congregate can lead to a CWD hot spot.

And CWD is highly resistant to heat, cold, freezing, thawing -- and can stay infectious in an environment for months, if not years.

That's a problem, Batten said, as CWD has no vaccine and no cure.

The good news is, preliminary reports show CWD does not affect humans or livestock -- yet.

"Some researchers from the medical side think [CWD] is still an evolving pathogen. Even if it hasn't crossed species barrier, we're not sure that can't ever happen," Batten said, adding the Centers for Disease Control recommends hunters test all deer harvested in an area with CWD, and if results are positive, that meat should not be eaten.

"There's certainly no reason to panic, but this is a common-sense precaution," Batten said.

CWD was first discovered in captive Missouri deer in 2010, according to MDC's website.

White-tailed deer are a popular game species, and are highly studied -- a vast amount of scientific research exists on deer behavior and social interactions, Batten said in an MDC news release.

More CWD information is at mdc.mo.gov/cwd.

"We're very grateful to work with hunters and landowners, partnering with them in this effort," Batten said. "We encourage folks interested to participate in sampling, follow recommendations, and be on the lookout for sick deer and report to a local wildlife agent. That will help us monitor CWD more closely."

The 48 Missouri counties in the CWD management zone are Adair, Barry, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Cedar, Chariton, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Franklin, Gasconade, Grundy, Hickory, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Madison, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, Ozark, Perry, Polk, Putnam, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, St. Louis, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Warren and Washington.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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