Written by Sharvan Kumar
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a neurological condition usually fatal to animals including deer, moose, and elk, is testing positive in Ohio deer. Over five Ohio counties, it has affected more than twenty whitetail deer this last hunting season.
2020 saw CWD first identified in the state. There have been 73 overall deer tested positive for the closely related disease linked to Mad Cow Disease since then. The sickness kills the deer finally by degrading brain tissue and induces aberrant behavior.
"There's no way that science has uncovered to get rid of it," McCoy remarked. "We know that its global footprint is going to grow over time and that prevalence grows over time.”
Why does it matter? CWD is still somewhat infrequent in the state notwithstanding the most recent occurrences. McCoy claims that the prevalence rate is far below 1% and is centered in counties such as Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot.
Furthermore as of right now, people have not contracted the sickness. The Centers for sickness Control and Prevention still advise against consuming meat of deer that has developed the sickness, though.
"We have means for hunters to have their deer tested at no cost and they can have peace of mind about the venison they're consuming if they so desire," McCoy said.
McCoy said, nevertheless, Ohioans should pay this matter some attention. He said that sportsmen moving deer carcasses across county boundaries could aggravate the disease's transmission and increase its impact.
Though slow-moving, CWD is a hazard that might be existential to deer. McCoy understands that many of the state's citizens might not consider wildlife numbers decades ahead, but maintaining the long heritage of deer hunting depends on this.
From East West Hunt