How to spot Chronic Wasting Disease

Last week, a few calls came in to the Hot Springs County Law Enforcement Center regarding sick wildlife. Though the animals could not immediately be located and confirmed they had Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Game Warden Benge Brown said the county is one of the more prevalent areas for the sickness.

The disease is a chronic, fatal disease of the central nervous system in mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, and moose. Brown said animals afflicted with CWD become very thin and unresponsive to stimuli. They might also have drooping ears but, per the CWD designation, the most obvious symptom is a loss of body tissue. Animals with CWD are typically put down.

Brown noted Wyoming Game and Fish is looking at how to manage the disease and make the public aware it is a concern.

According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website, evidence suggests that CWD is transmitted via saliva, urine, feces, or even infected carcasses. Animals may also be infected through the environment via contamination of feed or pasture with CWD prions — abnormally folded proteins — which can persist for many years. The most likely route of exposure is through ingestion.

The site, wgfd.wyo.gov, also provides CWD surveillance reports and suggestions on how people can help with surveillance and minimize transition of the disease.