A new twist in the CWD saga

[VikingsGuy]

A recent (not yet peer reviewed) paper linked below suggests transmission to a monkey from asymptomatic but CWS-infected deer muscle tissue equivalent to one 7 oz steak per month. If this were to be confirmed over several peer reviewed studies, this could be a game changer for many. Of course it could just end up in the waste basket of irreproducable scientific results.

Chronic Wasting Disease in Cervids: Implications for Prion Transmission to Humans and Other Animal Species - PMC

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion-related transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids, including deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer, and moose. CWD has been confirmed in at least 26 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces, South Korea, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Losing_Sanity]

There will need to be more studies, but humans contact rare diseases all the time so it is a logical thought process that it is just a matter of time that humans can contract it in one form or another. Too bad studies and treatments depend highly on available financing.

 

[onpoint]

"...........this could be a game changer for many".

Especially all the monkeys with a taste for venison.

 

[VikingsGuy]

"...........this could be a game changer for many".

Especially all the monkeys with a taste for venison.

Still fighting that lead-paint data?

 

[RockinU]

Wasn't there a professor at LSU that said a little while back that he had cracked the code on CWD? What happened with that?

I went to the meat eater podcast in Dallas in February and they asked the audience how many would eat a deer that tested positive for CWD, and I was shocked at the number of affirmative responses....but maybe I'm just a sissy or something.

 

[brockel]

Wasn't there a professor at LSU that said a little while back that he had cracked the code on CWD? What happened with that?

I went to the meat eater podcast in Dallas in February and they asked the audience how many would eat a deer that tested positive for CWD, and I was shocked at the number of affirmative responses....but maybe I'm just a sissy or something.

I must be a sissy too cause there’s no way I’d take that chance with my family

 

[onpoint]

Still fighting that lead-paint data?

I collected copious amounts of data for a couple decades.
The people with ultra advanced degrees are the ones who either "fought" it or most often ignored it. As an aside - you don't fight the data, it is neutral.
Anyways, my most effective coping mechanism for fighting the mind numbing ridiculousness exhibited by the "smart people" is poking fun at.........

 

[Sask hunter]

I would almost guarantee I have ate a CWD deer. I have handled probably 50 deer out of an area that has had it for at least 10 years. Never was concerned to get any tested.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I think the question of whether you would eat CWD-infected deer is perhaps too easy. The real question is whether you get your deer tested to verify that it is CWD-free. And currently there really isn't the capacity to test deer at the volume needed and in the turnaround time necessary to make sure we are eating verified CWD-free meat.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I think the question of whether you would eat CWD-infected deer is perhaps too easy. The real question is whether you get your deer tested to verify that it is CWD-free. And currently there really isn't the capacity to test deer at the volume needed and in the turnaround time necessary to make sure we are eating verified CWD-free meat.

Too many open questions for me to change my current actions, but will be watching the issue carefully.

For example, does it cross to humans? - still unclear. Is carefully butchered meat OK - may not be as simple as we thought. Do CWD tests really detect early enough and accurately enough to give 95+% answer? - not clear. And more. . .

 

[TheBenHoyle]

Too many open questions for me to change my current actions, but will be watching the issue carefully.

For example, does it cross to humans? - still unclear. Is carefully butchered meat OK - may not be as simple as we thought. Do CWD tests really detect early enough and accurately enough to give 95+% answer? - not clear. And more. . .

I'm not sure we will ever have an answer that it doesn't cross to humans, but we might someday soon get an answer that it does. In my mind, it is a similar biological condition to bovine spongiform encephalopathy which does cross over to humans. That's enough for me to take a VERY wide berth around it. I would like to see more effort put into providing on demand testing for hunters who want to know the status of their meat in a timely manner. Most of the states that do test are merely doing what I would call surveillance testing so that they can monitor a population in specific areas. Colorado is the best state in terms of the testing services they offer hunters.

 

[BuzzH]

I think the question of whether you would eat CWD-infected deer is perhaps too easy. The real question is whether you get your deer tested to verify that it is CWD-free. And currently there really isn't the capacity to test deer at the volume needed and in the turnaround time necessary to make sure we are eating verified CWD-free meat.

Its not a negative test, so even if they don't detect prions, there's no assurance that your deer doesn't still have CWD.

As to the study in Canada on the monkeys being quoted all the time, I think its a horse shit study myself. If it isn't up for peer review and its not going to replicated, then its crap.

Since cwd has been around since at least the late 60's, I would find it hard to believe that nobody has contracted CWD in that time frame if it were jumping to humans. I wouldn't want to guess the number of deer, elk, etc. that have been consumed by humans around Fort Collins/Laramie/Casper area, but surely in the thousands. Not a single case of CWD jumping to humans.

I still think it makes sense to proceed with caution, no doubt it impacts wildlife in a negative way, but I think there's a lot of sky is falling propaganda out there in regard to CWD.

One that comes to mind is projections and models predicting the extinction of elk, deer in areas with CWD...purely speculation and is being proven wrong.

Study first, remain neutral in the outcomes, and quit with the speculation...would do more to help than "scientists" breaking their legs jumping to conclusions.

 

[RockinU]

There have been many diseases and conditions that were thought to not make a species jump, until they did. I'll admit that I have never tested an animal from an area that was thought to not have CWD, and the only animal I've ever had tested was negative, but I just can't see taking the chance. We're not talking about something that might keep you on the toilet for a few days...

 

[onpoint]

I took part in the CWD sample collection and processing effort in the 90's, when MT was in the process of depopulating a CWD infected game farm.
Relative to the time elapsed since discovery and subsequent study of CWD, "we" haven't really made that much progress on this thing - given it's far reaching potential.
Seriously spooky stuff..........................

 

[406LIFE]

As to the study in Canada on the monkeys being quoted all the time, I think its a horse shit study myself. If it isn't up for peer review and its not going to replicated, then its crap.

Buzz is right. ( I would also add that there has been some drama with the Canada study and its author if you wanted to google it up.)

I've been following CWD for sometime and there has been a lot of articles and studies come and go that have no veracity to them (if you setup a keyword alert for CWD you will find more) . There is a reason within academia that we have the peer review process; if it can't be replicated or standup to the scrutiny of your peers it isn't worth much. I don't put my head in the sand and dismiss articles like the OP, but they need to be understood as very tenuous until verifcation happens. I shared about a report that came out of Rocky Mountain Labs that they have had some limited transmission of CWD in mice with human proteins. But everyone has said that there is much more study to be done on that particular situation. Again, maintaining information flow is very good, but it needs to be filtered as its consumed.

 

[BuzzH]

I took part in the CWD sample collection and processing effort in the 90's, when MT was in the process of depopulating a CWD infected game farm.
Relative to the time elapsed since discovery and subsequent study of CWD, "we" haven't really made that much progress on this thing - given it's far reaching potential.
Seriously spooky stuff..........................

Basically this^.

But, lets be realistic about that far reaching potential.

Even rates of occurrence are probably largely exaggerated.

 

[onpoint]

The "far reaching potential" I'm referring to isn't so much human transmission, but the potential to change hunting as we know it. It has already began.

I have no worries for myself, as a case of brain sponjuform enceffalofojy would present no noticeable change in me.........

 

[JTHOMP]

Wasn't there a professor at LSU that said a little while back that he had cracked the code on CWD? What happened with that?

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure that is one of those studies where no other scientist have replicated the same results. He is the one that said it is not caused by prions, but by a bacteria instead.

 

[RockinU]

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure that is one of those studies where no other scientist have replicated the same results. He is the one that said it is not caused by prions, but by a bacteria instead.

That is correct, I went back and looked again, his contention is that nobody has really tried to replicate his results, and he counters that nobody has been able to repeatably demonstrate how prions are supposed to replicate. It's pretty well over my head, I just remember that there was a big stir about it for a few weeks, then I haven't heard anything else about it since.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

Since cwd has been around since at least the late 60's, I would find it hard to believe that nobody has contracted CWD in that time frame if it were jumping to humans. I wouldn't want to guess the number of deer, elk, etc. that have been consumed by humans around Fort Collins/Laramie/Casper area, but surely in the thousands. Not a single case of CWD jumping to humans.

I agree with your thought process, but how do we know with complete certainty? People have died of unknown causes for ever. There are people who never go to doctors and their in home death is contributed to natural causes with no autopsy. And, as there are no recorded cases in humans, how would we know how it manifests itself and how it would effect every human? Hard to make a definitive "Not a single case of CWD jumping to humans". More accurately "not a single recorded" case, which means we really don't know.