Deer harvested in Allamakee County is first wild deer to test positive for Chronic Wasting Disease

by Lissa Blake

Because Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been detected in bordering states, it was no surprise to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) when it showed up in a wild deer in Allamakee County.
Kevin Baskins, communications bureau chief for the Iowa DNR, said although CWD was previously detected in the state, the prior cases were all found in captive deer “used as breeding stock or for some kind of shooting preserve.”
Baskins said the newly-detected deer in question was a mature male harvested near Harpers Ferry during the first shotgun season in early December last year. He said there is no way to tell if the current case of CWD has any connection to previous efforts in Allamakee County to detect and deter the disease, those efforts involving what were thought to be previously captive elk that had broken free into the Allamakee County woodlands in the same general location.
“We really don’t know where the animal came from. Additional testing is needed to answer those questions,” said Baskins. He said it is certainly possible the deer “island hopped” across the Mississippi from Wisconsin, which has previously confirmed cases of CWD.

ABOUT THE SAMPLING
When asked why it took almost four months after the deer was harvested to detect the disease, Baskins said the laboratory in Texas that processes the samples is extremely busy. “Every state is sending in samples every year. The lab is obviously processing a lot of these. From last deer season, we’ve only received about two-thirds of the results,” said Baskins.
Baskins said the way sampling works involves game wardens and biologists approaching hunting parties in the field and asking their permission to take a sample of the deer’s brain stem, which is then sent in for testing.

EDUCATION AND PREVENTION
Since 2002, the Iowa DNR has collected more than 650 samples of deer from within a five-mile radius of where the stricken Allamakee County deer is believed to have been harvested. Baskins said the DNR is currently working to obtain as much information as possible about the infected deer to implement its CWD response plan.
“We have been testing for CWD in Iowa’s deer herd for more than a decade and are optimistic, given the extensive data we have collected, that we have caught this early,” said Chuck Gipp, Iowa DNR director. “The next step will be to focus our monitoring efforts in the area where the animal was harvested and work closely with local landowners and hunters to gather more information.”
Baskins added the DNR will eventually host some educational meetings in northeast Iowa to discuss how hunters can help with additional sampling and minimize the spread of the disease. “People should try to avoid activities that congregate deer, such as putting out salt licks,” said Baskins.
Baskins added that one of the advantages of CWD previously being detected in bordering states is that Iowa has been able to learn from the experience of others. “CWD was detected in some western states a long time ago. It’s definitely something we don’t like to see here, but it’s not the end of the world,” he said. “As we get additional information, we will definitely keep the public informed.”
To date, there have been no other cases of CWD reported in wild deer in Iowa.

ABOUT CWD
According to a press release provided by the DNR, CWD is a neurological disease affecting primarily deer and elk. It is caused by an abnormal protein, called a “prion,” that attacks the brains of infected animals, causing them to lose weight, display abnormal behavior and lose bodily functions. Signs include excessive salivation, thirst and urination, loss of appetite, progressive weight loss, listlessness and drooping ears and head. The only reliable test for CWD requires testing of lymph nodes or brain material.
There is currently no evidence that humans can contract CWD by eating venison. However, the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that hunters do not eat the brain, eyeballs or spinal cord of deer and that hunters wear protective gloves while field dressing game and boning out meat for consumption.
For more information, visit cwd-info.org.