MDC reports halfway mark on results of deer samples being tested for CWD

[MOPanfisher]

Jerry, it is very unlikely that it will affect you personally, especially if you don't eat or hunt deer.  However it could very well do what some diseases do, go along killing a small percentage of the deer population and then in the space of a year or two turn into a raging epidemic and cause the death of say 75 to 80 percent of the deer population statewide, and since diseases don't recognize any borders move into Iowa, illinois, kansas, Arkansas etc.  There is a huge economic boost to the state simply from deer hunting, from bullets to motels.  Since part of MDCs job is to manage for  healthy wildlife populations it would be a pretty major failure on their part to simply ignore it and not study the disease, and attempt to limit the damage and spread until more is known.  It may well be that you still say, well I don't deer hunt so while that would be a bummer for some, why should I care.  Things like viruses  (and prions are even smaller and less understood), have a tendency to change, adapt, and affect oher things.  Perhaps the prions go through a sort of mutation and decide they have a preference for beef, or even largemouth bass.  Since there is no known way to vaccinate or treat for their "infection", it could result in a devastating assault on the beef industry, or something that could make LMB virus look like a walk in the park.  The short version is that what could happen is unknown, and scientists, biologists and others and working to understand, the what and how of it.  Personally being a biologist at heart I am 110% in favor of the study and understanding of prions and CWD, I have never claimed to be unbiased.  And it's not just the MDC studying CWD, many states, universities, and govt funded labs are doing the same thing.

[Jerry Rapp]

so I am sitting here snacking on deer sausage, cheese, and crackers.  Like I do this time every year when my friends give me deer sausage after they killed a deer.  Should I quit eating the deer sausage?  I am learning something from this thread, don't exactly know what yet.  If I may, let me ask a couple of other questions?  When was CWD first identified in Missouri?  Is it isolated to Missouri only?  How did CWD get started?  I am not at all against deer hunting, or any kind of hunting.  I realize game populations are better than ever in my 60 year life. 

[MOPanfisher]

Jerry, from what I read CWD was first identified in Colorado in 1967, I do not know for sure when it was discovered in MO.  The first I remember hearing of it here was maybe 10 years ago at most, in a captive white tail in Macon MO or some where near there.  As of now it has never been identified in any animals other than members of th deer family, which includes deer, elk moose etc.  I see no reason to be concerned about eating venison at all.  I certainly haven't stopped or even slowed down in my consumption of it.  I am a little more careful in handling deer carcasses, but realistically there is not much direct danger, but I try not to use a saw much, I separate/remove legs at the joints, and debone the meat.  I suspect you would have much better odds of getting E. coli from improperly handled neat, including beef and pork than any health concerns from CWD, at this time however.  That is why the importance of studying CWD, to know if there are risks we don't realize etc.

[SpoonDog]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

Does anyone?   

Seems to me that in 1 1/2 days I've jumped right up there with the guys who have been researching it for a decade.  I may even be ahead of them.   So can we lay them off now?  ☺

The key difference is they're looking for answers as opposed to making an uninformed guess. 

[Jerry Rapp]

once again appreciate the info, but I still have not heard one valid argument that would make me, a state senator, or state representative vote for funding to study CWD. 

[MOPanfisher]

Then I don't know what else to tell you.  If possible loss of a major percentage of the white tail deer herd and UNKNOWN effect on humans and or domestic livestock don't mean anything to you I am at a loss.

[Johnsfolly]

Jerry

Then focus on the economics. Deer hunting in Missouri is reported as having a billion dollar impact on the local economies. That in itself would be why state folks are interested in supporting research on a disease that causes such high mortalities in your state. Then there is the potential that cattle may get affected from affected deer. Pretty sure that you may have heard of mad cow disease. That is the cattle form of CWD. 

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, SpoonDog said:

The key difference is they're looking for answers as opposed to making an uninformed guess. 

I'm looking for answers !   

[Jerry Rapp]

24 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

Jerry

Then focus on the economics. Deer hunting in Missouri is reported as having a billion dollar impact on the local economies. That in itself would be why state folks are interested in supporting research on a disease that causes such high mortalities in your state. Then there is the potential that cattle may get affected from affected deer. Pretty sure that you may have heard of mad cow disease. That is the cattle form of CWD. 

ok John.  This is a start as to answering "why study it".  But your reply, "reported as having a billion dollar impact on the local economies" needs to be clarified.  Source?  Numbers? or is it just a wild posterior guess by someone?

[SpoonDog]

No, you're saying CWD isn't a concern because you don't think CWD is a concern.

 

It's circular reasoning.