Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
CWD is the most significant threat to the future of healthy deer populations, deer hunting, and the hunting industry that we have ever encountered. It is a neurological disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer and moose. CWD is an always fatal brain disease that affects members of the deer family (cervids) and is caused by prions (misshaped proteins) that create holes in the brain and eventually lead to death. There is currently no vaccine or treatment. Once a deer is infected with CWD, it may take up to 24 months to show clinical symptoms.
NDA has launched a new communication initiative to combat CWD that will provide accurate and timely information to the public. Included in this initiative is a series of videos and short films that will bring added levels of education, testimony and data around the spread of this disease that threatens America’s most popular hunting pastime and conservation as a whole.
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Scientific Evidence Supports Prion Hypothesis for CWD
Chronic wasting disease is caused by aninfectious prion, which is a misfolded protein that replicates causing other normally folded proteins to rearrange themselves into a misfolded structure. While other theories have been offered about the cause of CWD, the scientific evidence overwhelmingly points to prions as the causative agent.
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Commonly Asked Questions about Chronic Wasting Disease
In this video, we address 14 of the most commonly asked questions about chronic wasting disease (CWD). The questions were submitted by hunters from across the country and the answers came from top CWD experts and researchers. No matter where you live, if you care about the future of deer and deer hunting and want to learn more, this is a must watch.
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CWD in Pennsylvania: What Does the Future Hold?
Pennsylvania, like more than half of the other states in the country, is facing the challenge of slowing the spread of CWD in wild deer. This video provides suggestions and encouragement as wildlife professionals and hunters in the Commonwealth begin to tread similar waters.
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Janis Putelis Demonstrates How to Debone a Deer in a Chronic Wasting Disease Area
To avoid bringing CWD home with us, we’re all going to have to take extra steps in the field to be part of the solution. That’s why we asked MeatEater‘s Janis Putelis to demonstrate the best way to de-bone your deer and dispose of parts of the carcass that may carry CWD.
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CWD Roundup is NDA's bi-monthly update on all things chronic wasting disease. We’ll provide the latest updates on CWD spread, research and policy from across North America.
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In a recent edition of our On Watch Newsletter, we asked National Deer Alliance members about how CWD has impacted their hunting. Here’s what they had to say.
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NDA, along with conservation partners, compelled the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Commission to abandon a proposed rule change to CWD Management Zone dilineation.
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NDA recently submitted a letter to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry expressing support for proposed amended CWD regulations in Ontario, Canada.
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The Texas Animal Health Commission is accepting comment on proposed rules to establish CWD Containment Zone (CZ) 4 and CWD Surveillance Zone (SZ) 5, and to expand SZ 3.
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Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is accepting public comments on proposed changes to CWD Management Zone sizes and regulations, including supplemental feeding, until July 6.
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