Chronic Wasting Disease Active
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging infectious disease that is fatal to free-ranging and captive animals in Cervidae, the deer family. CWD is one member of a family of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and is thought to be caused by prions. CWD is the only TSE known to affect free-ranging wildlife.
Since its initial identification in Colorado in captive mule deer in the late 1960s and free-ranging elk in the 1980s, chronic wasting disease (CWD) has affected captive and free-ranging cervids (members of the deer family) in about half the States in the United States, as well as Canada, South Korea, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, and continues to spread across North America through new and recurring outbreaks. The only prion disease known to affect free-ranging wildlife, CWD is increasing in prevalence in areas where the disease is already established. In heavily affected areas of Wyoming, Colorado, and Wisconsin, more than 40% of free-ranging cervids are infected; wildlife managers and researchers have documented CWD-associated population declines in white-tailed deer, mule deer, and elk.
CWD is one member of a family of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which includes scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (commonly called “mad cow disease”) in cattle, and Creutzfeldt Jakob disease in humans. The causative agents of TSEs are thought to be prions. Prions are unconventional pathogenic agents that are comprised mostly, if not entirely, of an abnormal, infectious form of a normally occurring host protein called a prion protein. Prion proteins are found most abundantly in mammalian brain and central nervous system tissues. Currently, effective treatment for CWD does not exist, and management practices to prevent disease transmission in cervids are limited.
Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) work collaboratively with and provide technical assistance to various federal, state, and tribal natural resources agencies, academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations and industry partners. Some of these collaborative efforts include, but are not limited to:
- Understanding the biology, ecology, and epidemiology of CWD
- Assessing and predicting the spread and persistence of CWD in wildlife and the environment; and
- Developing tools for early detection, diagnosis, surveillance, and control of CWD.
Research performed at the NWHC has been instrumental in developing surveillance strategies for early detection of CWD in Montana (Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department) and Shenandoah National Park (National Park Service), identifying potential disease risks posed by CWD to noncervid species such as bighorn sheep, and identifying environmental factors, like soil and plants, that may facilitate CWD transmission on the landscape.
The benefits of USGS research on CWD extend beyond wildlife management. For example, USGS scientists identified a novel enzyme from lichens with the ability to break down infectious prion protein that is being studied for its use in decontaminating human hospital environments in collaboration with an industry partner. Efforts will continue to focus on improving diagnostic testing platforms in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, providing surveillance and modeling technical assistance to a long-term CWD study carried out by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, developing modeling techniques for predicting CWD growth within free-ranging cervid populations and forecasting disease spread in regions of interest, and continued identification and development of novel anti-prion compounds and processes to disrupt disease transmission cycles.
In addition to research, the NWHC also conducts numerous communications and outreach activities and products, such as fact sheets, briefings, media interviews, and presentations, on both a national and international scale.
To learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease, see our fact sheet - Chronic Wasting Disease: Status, Science, and Management Support by the U.S. Geological Survey.
To learn more about the plan for assisting states, federal agencies, and tribes in managing chronic wasting disease in wild and captive cervids, see - Federal Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes 2002.
Access up-to-date maps of the expanding distribution of chronic wasting disease.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are multimedia items associated with chronic wasting disease.
Below are publications about chronic wasting disease.
Chronic wasting disease—Status, science, and management support by the U.S. Geological Survey
Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic wasting disease infection patterns in female white-tailed deer related to demographics, genetic relationships, and spatial proximity of infected deer in southern Wisconsin
The fitting of general force-of-infection models to wildlife disease prevalence data
Demographic patterns and harvest vulnerability of chronic wasting disease infected white-tailed deer in Wisconsin
White-tailed deer harvest from the chronic wasting disease eradication zone in south-central Wisconsin
Spatial epidemiology of chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin white-tailed deer
Chronic wasting disease risk analysis workshop: An integrative approach
Surveillance strategies for detecting Chronic Wasting Disease in free-ranging deer and elk: Results of a CWD surveillance workshop
Chronic wasting disease in free-ranging Wisconsin white-tailed deer
Helping to combat chronic wasting disease
Review of chronic wasting disease management policies and programs in Colorado
Below are news stories about chronic wasting disease.
Below are FAQs about chronic wasting disease.
- Overview
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging infectious disease that is fatal to free-ranging and captive animals in Cervidae, the deer family. CWD is one member of a family of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and is thought to be caused by prions. CWD is the only TSE known to affect free-ranging wildlife.
Since its initial identification in Colorado in captive mule deer in the late 1960s and free-ranging elk in the 1980s, chronic wasting disease (CWD) has affected captive and free-ranging cervids (members of the deer family) in about half the States in the United States, as well as Canada, South Korea, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, and continues to spread across North America through new and recurring outbreaks. The only prion disease known to affect free-ranging wildlife, CWD is increasing in prevalence in areas where the disease is already established. In heavily affected areas of Wyoming, Colorado, and Wisconsin, more than 40% of free-ranging cervids are infected; wildlife managers and researchers have documented CWD-associated population declines in white-tailed deer, mule deer, and elk.
CWD is one member of a family of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which includes scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (commonly called “mad cow disease”) in cattle, and Creutzfeldt Jakob disease in humans. The causative agents of TSEs are thought to be prions. Prions are unconventional pathogenic agents that are comprised mostly, if not entirely, of an abnormal, infectious form of a normally occurring host protein called a prion protein. Prion proteins are found most abundantly in mammalian brain and central nervous system tissues. Currently, effective treatment for CWD does not exist, and management practices to prevent disease transmission in cervids are limited.
Scientists at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) work collaboratively with and provide technical assistance to various federal, state, and tribal natural resources agencies, academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations and industry partners. Some of these collaborative efforts include, but are not limited to:
- Understanding the biology, ecology, and epidemiology of CWD
- Assessing and predicting the spread and persistence of CWD in wildlife and the environment; and
- Developing tools for early detection, diagnosis, surveillance, and control of CWD.
Research performed at the NWHC has been instrumental in developing surveillance strategies for early detection of CWD in Montana (Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department) and Shenandoah National Park (National Park Service), identifying potential disease risks posed by CWD to noncervid species such as bighorn sheep, and identifying environmental factors, like soil and plants, that may facilitate CWD transmission on the landscape.
The benefits of USGS research on CWD extend beyond wildlife management. For example, USGS scientists identified a novel enzyme from lichens with the ability to break down infectious prion protein that is being studied for its use in decontaminating human hospital environments in collaboration with an industry partner. Efforts will continue to focus on improving diagnostic testing platforms in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, providing surveillance and modeling technical assistance to a long-term CWD study carried out by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, developing modeling techniques for predicting CWD growth within free-ranging cervid populations and forecasting disease spread in regions of interest, and continued identification and development of novel anti-prion compounds and processes to disrupt disease transmission cycles.
In addition to research, the NWHC also conducts numerous communications and outreach activities and products, such as fact sheets, briefings, media interviews, and presentations, on both a national and international scale.
To learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease, see our fact sheet - Chronic Wasting Disease: Status, Science, and Management Support by the U.S. Geological Survey.
To learn more about the plan for assisting states, federal agencies, and tribes in managing chronic wasting disease in wild and captive cervids, see - Federal Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes 2002.
Access up-to-date maps of the expanding distribution of chronic wasting disease.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
- Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with chronic wasting disease.
- Publications
Below are publications about chronic wasting disease.
Chronic wasting disease—Status, science, and management support by the U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigates chronic wasting disease (CWD) at multiple science centers and cooperative research units across the Nation and supports the management of CWD through science-based strategies. CWD research conducted by USGS scientists has three strategies: (1) to understand the biology, ecology, and causes and distribution of CWD; (2) to assess and predict the spreadAuthorsChristina M. Carlson, M. Camille Hopkins, Natalie T. Nguyen, Bryan J. Richards, Daniel P. Walsh, W. David WalterFilter Total Items: 47Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an always-fatal, neurological illness occurring in North American cervids (members of the deer family), including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. Since its discovery in 1967, CWD has spread geographically and increased in prevalence locally. CWD is contagious; it can be transmitted freely within and among free-ranging populations. It is likely that disAuthorsBryan RichardsChronic wasting disease infection patterns in female white-tailed deer related to demographics, genetic relationships, and spatial proximity of infected deer in southern Wisconsin
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) caused by transmissible protease resistant prions. Since the discovery of CWD in southern Wisconsin in 2001, more than 20,000 deer have been removed from a >2,500 km2 disease eradication zone surrounding the three initial cases. Nearly all deer removed were tested for CWD infection and sex, age, and harvAuthorsDaniel A. GrearThe fitting of general force-of-infection models to wildlife disease prevalence data
Researchers and wildlife managers increasingly find themselves in situations where they must deal with infectious wildlife diseases such as chronic wasting disease, brucellosis, tuberculosis, and West Nile virus. Managers are often charged with designing and implementing control strategies, and researchers often seek to determine factors that influence and control the disease process. All of theseAuthorsD.M. Heisey, D.O. Joly, F. MessierDemographic patterns and harvest vulnerability of chronic wasting disease infected white-tailed deer in Wisconsin
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) caused by transmissible protease-resistant prions. Since the discovery of CWD in southern Wisconsin in 2001, more than 20,000 deer have been removed from a >2,500-km2 disease eradication zone surrounding the three initial cases. Nearly all deer removed were tested for CWD infection and sex, age, and harvAuthorsD.A. Grear, M. D. Samuel, J.A. Langenberg, D. KeaneWhite-tailed deer harvest from the chronic wasting disease eradication zone in south-central Wisconsin
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was discovered in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in south-central Wisconsin in 2002. The current control method for CWD in the state is the harvest of deer from affected areas to reduce population density and lower CWD transmission. We used spatial regression methods to identify factors associated with deer harvest across south-central WisconsAuthorsJulie A. Blanchong, D.O. Joly, M. D. Samuel, J.A. Langenberg, R.E. Rolley, J.F. SausenSpatial epidemiology of chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin white-tailed deer
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, emerging disease of cervids associated with transmissible protease-resistant prion proteins. The potential for CWD to cause dramatic declines in deer and elk populations and perceived human health risks associated with consuming CWD-contaminated venison have led wildlife agencies to embark on extensive CWD control programs, typically involving culling to rAuthorsD.O. Joly, M. D. Samuel, J.A. Langenberg, Julie A. Blanchong, C.A. Batha, R.E. Rolley, D.P. Keane, C. A. RibicChronic wasting disease risk analysis workshop: An integrative approach
Risk analysis tools have been successfully used to determine the potential hazard associated with disease introductions and have facilitated management decisions designed to limit the potential for disease introduction. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) poses significant challenges for resource managers due to an incomplete understanding of disease etiology and epidemiology and the complexity of managAuthorsShana Gillette, Joshua Dein, Mo Salman, Bryan Richards, Paulo DuarteSurveillance strategies for detecting Chronic Wasting Disease in free-ranging deer and elk: Results of a CWD surveillance workshop
Executive SummaryChronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal brain disease of North American deer and elk, has recently emerged as an important wildlife management issue. Interest and concern over the spread of this disease and its potential impact on free-ranging cervid populations has increased with discovery of the disease in numerous states and provinces. Current studies suggest that CWD may adversAuthorsMichael D. Samuel, Damien O. Joly, Margaret A. Wild, Scott D. Wright, David L. Otis, Rob W. Werge, Michael W. MillerChronic wasting disease in free-ranging Wisconsin white-tailed deer
Three White-tailed Deer shot within 5 km during the 2001 hunting season in Wisconsin tested positive for chronic wasting disease, a prion disease of cervids. Subsequent sampling within 18 km showed a 3% prevalence (n=476). This discovery represents an important range extension for chronic wasting disease into the eastern United States.AuthorsD.O. Joly, C. A. Ribic, J.A. Langenberg, K. Beheler, C.A. Batha, B.J. Dhuey, R.E. Rolley, G. Bartelt, T.R. VanDeelen, M. D. SamuelHelping to combat chronic wasting disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a disease of the nervous system that results in distinctive brain lesions. CWD affects elk, white-tailed deer, and mule deer, but has not been documented in livestock or humans. The origins of the disease, as well as the modes of transmission, remain unknown. Infected deer and elk appear robust and healthy in the early stages of CWD; clinical signs might not show fAuthorsReview of chronic wasting disease management policies and programs in Colorado
No abstract available.AuthorsM.J. Peterson, M. D. Samuel, V. F. Nettles, G. Wobeser, W.D. Hueston - News
Below are news stories about chronic wasting disease.
- FAQ
Below are FAQs about chronic wasting disease.