The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries continues to monitor for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer in Louisiana and has stepped up preventative efforts as CWD has been discovered in Texas and Arkansas.
 
LDWF veterinarian Dr. Jim LaCour said the disease, for which there is no cure, has not been found in Louisiana. However, it is important to be prepared in the event it does, and to take precautionary steps to minimize its introduction.
 
“We’ve been monitoring for CWD statewide for more than 10 years,” Deer Management Assistance Program coordinator Jimmy Ernst said, “and have checked 7,000-plus deer and have not discovered it. We are being proactive because it’s in our neighboring states (Texas and Arkansas) and its close enough that we need to be on guard.’’
 
An importation ban on carcasses of cervids harvested out-of-state was proposed by LDWF during the July Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting and is in the public comment period. The ban defines a cervid as animals of the family Cervidae including but not limited to white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, caribou, fallow deer, axis deer, sika deer, red deer and reindeer. 
 
The proposed ban would prohibit the importation of cervid carcasses except for deboned meat, antlers, clean skull plates with antlers, cleaned skulls without tissue attached, capes, tanned hides, finished taxidermy mounts and cleaned cervid teeth.
 
This proposed ban is strictly for the purpose of reducing the likelihood that CWD will enter Louisiana through carcass importation.  Approved parts and deboned meat from other states must contain a possession tag with the hunter’s name, out-of-state license number (if required), address, species, date and location (county and state) of harvest.  Each state has different possession requirements for game once processed.  Always check with the appropriate state to ensure possession requirements are met.
 
To view the full notice of intent, please visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/action-items.
 
Public comment can be submitted in writing by mail to: Johnathan Bordelon, LDWF Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 98000, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-9000, or via email to jbordelon@wlf.la.gov until 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 22, 2016.
 
CWD is a neurodegenerative disease found in most deer species, including moose, elk,  mule deer and white-tailed deer. It is infectious and always fatal. It’s part of a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and is similar to BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow disease) of cattle and scrapie in sheep. These diseases cause irreversible damage to brain tissue which leads to salivation, neurological symptoms, emaciation and death of the animal.
 
CWD is caused by prions, which are proteins normally found in the body, which have mutated. These prions kill nerve cells and cause holes to develop in the brain tissue. They are spread through direct deer-to-deer contact or through contact with urine, feces, saliva and body parts of infected deer or infectious materials in the soil.
 
Decomposing body parts of dead, infected deer also contaminate the soil.  Plants growing in that soil can take up the prions. Deer feeding in areas with contaminated soil or plants can ingest the prions and become infected. The prions remain in the environment for years, and to date there is no practical method of decontaminating an infected area.
 
CWD is different from hemorrhagic disease (epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and/ or bluetongue virus), which is a virus spread by bites from infected insects.
 
Deer infected with CWD can spread the disease even before symptoms develop. It can take one to two years for infected animals to become symptomatic. When symptoms appear they can include emaciation, lethargy, abnormal behavior and loss of bodily functions. Other signs include excessive salivation, loss of appetite, progressive weight loss, excessive thirst and urination, teeth grinding and drooping ears.
 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) there is no evidence that CWD can infect humans. However, the CDCP recommends caution when handling venison from infected regions and recommends not consuming meat from infected animals.
 
CWD has been documented in 23 states and two Canadian provinces.
 
Though Louisiana has yet to see a single case of CWD, Ernst and LaCour said the LDWF has developed a plan should the disease be found here.
 
Ernst said the LDWF will remain vigilant in testing and enacting preventative measures against CWD introduction into Louisiana.  Working with Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) to prevent importation of potential CWD infected animals into the state through the LDAF licensed deer pen program is a continuing effort of LDWF.
 
Live transport of animals into the state has been prohibited by LDWF since 1998 and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry placed a moratorium on cervid importation into their licensed facilities in 2012 due to the threat of CWD.
 
For more information, contact Johnathan Bordelon at jbordelon@wlf.la.gov or 225-765-2344.
 
More information on CWD can be found on the following websites:
 
LDWF CWD FAQ page
 
http://cwd-info.org/
 
http://vet.uga.edu/population_health_files/briefs/2016_APR_SCWDS_Briefs_FINAL.pdf
 
https://www.qdma.com/articles/10-reasons-you-dont-want-cwd-in-your-woods