The contagious, always-fatal prion sickness has by no means been recorded in captive elk within the Gem State.
BOISE, Idaho — A domesticated bull elk at a facility in Madison County examined constructive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), marking a primary of its sort.
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) mentioned the bull elk died on the facility and take a look at samples had been despatched to the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL). On Thursday, the division mentioned it obtained affirmation that CWD was detected in a deceased bull elk.
ISDA mentioned the animal was from a facility in Alberta, Canada, and it was despatched with a bunch of elk to an Idaho ranch in March 2023. The division mentioned the animals had been accredited for import.
“Shortly after the cargo was obtained in Idaho, the origin ranch in Alberta confirmed a CWD-positive elk on the premises,” ISDA wrote in a information launch. “Once ISDA was notified of the CWD-positive elk from the Canadian ranch, the cargo that arrived in Idaho was positioned below a protecting quarantine to limit additional motion of the CWD-exposed animals.”
The remaining elk are nonetheless alive and can stay below quarantine, the division mentioned.
As beforehand reported, CWD was first detected in Idaho deer in 2021.
Chronic Wasting Disease is a neurological sickness that causes signs in animals together with extreme salivation, drooping head or ears, tremors, low physique weight, and odd conduct, like exhibiting no worry of people and lack of coordination. Fish and Game famous, nonetheless, that deer and different animals will be contaminated months or years earlier than exhibiting signs.
CWD is at all times deadly, and there are not any remedies or vaccines.
“No CWD infections in folks have been reported. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that folks don’t eat meat from CWD affected animals,” ISDA wrote.
