CWD Positive Deer Discovered in Florida Panhandle
- Thread starter Canyonfish
- Start date
Just got the same message from another member via text. I suspect the random positives throughout the Nation are far more than any of us want to believe.
Dang
If testing became standard across the board, I'd be surprised if any of the continental states are clear. My guess is that it's everywhere. It just doesn't get heavily tested everywhere like it does in the known hot zones. Considering the way it spreads and how certain areas become overwhelmed with it while other areas seem immune, I have to wonder if environmental conditions contribute to its prevalence. Would be interesting to compare/contrast environmental conditions among the hot zones.
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
Shame testing results aren't more transparent here. Has there even been an updated map since season ended?
But yeah, it is likely to spread everywhere. There are just too many natural ways for it to be spread since the prions are not living and cannot be killed. When scavengers and birds of prey can carry pieces parts for long ways, it is easy to see how it has spread. Really is a shame.
But yeah, it is likely to spread everywhere. There are just too many natural ways for it to be spread since the prions are not living and cannot be killed. When scavengers and birds of prey can carry pieces parts for long ways, it is easy to see how it has spread. Really is a shame.
Its been all around for longer than we want to admit. The more you test fir something the more you find, its just like covid , throwing money down a rabbit hole over something you can do nothing about
Kill em all!!
kaizen leader
Well-Known Member
Isn't there anything that can be fed to them that will cure it?
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
No known cure.
Lead.
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
Sadly that just ends the life of one animal, and potentially leads way to more spread. Unless the positive deer you kill is buried deep enough that the prions never reach the surface, or is incinerated at a super high temp, the prions are left there to infect more deer.
We might as well learn to live with it as people have out west.
Poker
Well-Known Member
I live and hunt in Florida and this was pretty devastating news. The CDC doesn't recommend it even though there's no known cases of it being passed to humans. What are the thoughts on eating venison potentially carrying CWD?
^^^ Along the lines of testing results, TWRA published article below in January explaining nationwide shortage of CWD tests.
CWD Test Shortage
CWD Test Shortage
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
I think that shows the same as the last map I looked at. The distribution into the northern counties really seems odd, there being so much distance between confirmed positives. Have to wonder if that is due to lack of testing or if there is some other reason.
Everything I have read advises against consumption of known positive animals, but there has been no proven jump from cwd in deer to cjd in people.
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Canyonfish
Well-Known Member
I would not do it. Very similar to Mad Cow, it does not show up for 20 years or so after consumption, so not worth the risk. I have followed CWD for some time, and if I remember right, in the hot zones of either Michigan or Minnesota a decade or so ago a man died from it that sponsored and partaken in numerous church wild game dinners over several years. His brother died too, a few years later. This and a couple other unexplained cases in the country. Anyone else recall or remember the details?
BSK
Well-Known Member
Naturally occurring Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) afflicts 1 in 1,000,000 people. Mad Cow Disease (MCD) infected humans (CJDv) in Europe at a rate of around 1 in 200,000 who ate infected beef. So far, I suspect far more than 200,000 people have eaten CWD infected deer meat, yet no one has gotten sick. That doesn't mean it can't be transmitted to humans, but suggests that if it is, it is far less infectious to humans than MCD.
Would I personally eat a deer that tested positive for CWD? Yes, as long as the deer did not show signs of the affliction (suggesting the prion load in that deer is low). If a deer was obviously sick, no.
I wouldn't volunteer to eat a confirmed positive animal. However, I'd have to guess countless positive animals have been consumed by countless people over the span of many years. Time will ultimately tell. Hopefully there'll be a breakthrough in terms of prevention/cure but so far it doesn't look good.
Guaranteed. I suspect Ames deer club membership (myself included) consumed hundreds of pounds of CWD infected meat for several years before it was detected in the herd in SW TN. The number of hunters out West who still consume CWD positive animals likely exceeds that by far. I had a buddy who had family in CWD positive counties in Wisconsin. He said they never skipped a beat eating deer when it was detected in their herd. His exact words to me "they don't let a crumb hit the floor".
