As hunting seasons begin opening across the U.S., it is a good time to remind hunters and venison consumers of the threat of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, its risks, and state regulations for its control.
Although there are no known cases of transmission to humans through contact or consumption, transmission is considered theoretically possible. CWD belongs to the same family of prion diseases as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or “mad cow disease”), which has caused human illness. Additionally, studies in non-human primates suggest they can contract CWD by consuming infected deer or elk tissues. As a prion disease, there is no treatment or cure, and cooking does not destroy or inactivate prions.
CWD was first detected in 1967 in Colorado and has since spread to 36 states across the U.S. Because of this, most states have regulations focused on testing, transport, and disposal of deer and their parts, particularly in areas where CWD has been detected in wild populations. (Maps from TRCP.org)
Because hunters can unknowingly spread the disease by transporting infected carcasses or improperly disposing of high-risk tissues (brain, spinal cord, lymph nodes, eyes, spleen), knowing your state’s regulations is essential. Some states require CWD sampling in select areas (Minnesota); others prohibit moving carcasses or high-risk parts out of Disease Surveillance Areas unless delivered to certified processors within 24 hours (Ohio); still others require test samples from specific hunt codes and request avoiding head shots to prevent tissue destruction that would prevent accurate testing (Colorado).
While state regulations vary, the most critical action to reduce infection risk is having deer from CWD-positive areas tested before consumption and avoiding high-risk tissues. Do not consume meat from animals that test positive for CWD.
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