WYOMING — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Health Laboratory tested 6,884 samples from big game animals for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in 2021, according to a press release from the department.
Testing was completed in early January, and samples were submitted from throughout the state. CWD was detected in 831 samples.
CWD is a chronic, fatal disease of the central nervous system in mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and moose. It belongs to the group of rare diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. These disorders are caused by abnormally folded proteins called prions. Affected animals show progressive weight loss, reluctance to move, excessive salivation, droopy ears, increased drinking and urinating, lethargy and eventually death.
Samples were collected from hunters, road-killed animals and animals found dead or in poor condition.
The number of tested samples and positive tests increased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, 6,496 samples were tested with 829 positives compared to 5,067 samples tested and 568 positives in 2019.
Hank Edwards, Game and Fish Wildlife Health Laboratory supervisor said comparing the number of positive tests each year can be misleading because the Game and Fish’s CWD surveillance program focuses on different deer and elk herd units each year, and the number of positive cases is proportional to the prevalence of CWD in the particular herd unit surveyed that year.
“That said, we can say the prevalence of CWD is slowly increasing in most deer and elk herd units in the state,” said Edwards, who added CWD was detected in four new deer hunt areas and five new elk hunt areas in 2021.
The majority of the samples this year were collected by Game and Fish field personnel at hunter check stations or through regional offices. Edwards said the number of samples collected and submitted by hunters continues to increase each year.
“Chronic wasting disease is a major concern for Game and Fish and we sincerely thank all those who contributed samples from their deer, elk and moose,” Edward said. “These samples help us better understand the prevalence and distribution of this disease in our state.”
