Arkansas Game and Fish Commission 2 Natural Resources Drive

Little Rock, AR 72205

Feb. 23, 2016

Chronic wasting disease confirmed in one Arkansas elk

LITTLE ROCK – An elk harvested near Pruitt on the Buffalo National River during the October 2015 hunting season tested positive for chronic wasting disease, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

This is the first time an animal in Arkansas has tested positive for the disease, which is fatal to elk and white-tailed deer. To discuss the development, the Commission called a special meeting for 5:30 p.m. at the AGFC’s main office, 2 Natural Resources Drive, in Little Rock.

The AGFC created a CWD response plan in 2006, as the disease was appearing in other states.

“Several years ago, Arkansas proactively took measures to put a testing procedure in place and created an emergency CWD plan,” said Brad Carner, chief of the AGFC Wildlife Management Division. “Those precautions are now proving to be beneficial. We are in a strong position to follow the pre-established steps to ensure the state’s valuable elk and white-tailed deer herds remain healthy and strong.”

To determine how prevalent the disease may be, samples from up to 300 elk and white-tailed deer combined within a 5-mile radius of where the diseased elk was harvested will be tested. There is no reliable U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved test for CWD while the animals are alive. The AGFC will work with the National Park Service and local landowners to gather samples for testing.

A multi-county CWD management zone will be established, and public meetings in the area will be scheduled as forums to discuss plans and to answer questions.

The number of positive samples collected, if any, will help AGFC biologists determine the prevalence of CWD, and will guide their strategy to contain it.

“Although CWD is a serious threat to Arkansas’s elk and white-tailed deer, we are not the first to deal with the disease,” said AGFC Director Mike Knoedl. “Our staff is prepared and,

with help from the public, will respond with effective measures. We have learned from the experiences of 23 other states.”

Biologists don’t know how the disease reached northern Arkansas at this point. The local herd began with 112 elk from Colorado and Nebraska, relocated between 1981-85.

“(CWD) would have raised its ugly head a lot sooner than now,” said Don White, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Arkansas Agriculture Experiment Station in Monticello. “I think that it’s extremely unlikely that it came from those 112 elk.”

Biologists have tested 204 Arkansas elk for CWD since 1997; the 2½-year-old female was the only one with a positive result. The AGFC also has routinely sampled thousands of white-tailed deer across the state since 1998.

Samples from the diseased female elk were tested at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison, and verified by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.

There are no confirmed cases of CWD transmission from cervids to humans or to livestock,

“As far as we know, it’s not transmissible to humans at all,” said Sue Weinstein, state public health veterinarian for the Arkansas Department of Health. “In other states where they have CWD and they are studying this, they have found no human disease at all. To be on the safe side, it is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and by the Department of Health that you not eat meat from an animal that you know is infected with chronic wasting disease.”

CWD was first documented among captive mule deer in Colorado in 1967, and has been detected in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. It’s been found in the wild in 20 states and among captive cervids in 15 states.

The AGFC has taken several steps to prevent the disease from entering the state. The Commission established a moratorium on the importation of live cervids in 2002, and restricted the importation of cervid carcasses in 2005. It also set moratoriums on permits for commercial hunting resorts and breeder/dealer permits for cervid facilities in 2006, and on obtaining hand-captured white-tailed deer in 2012.

According to the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance, CWD affects only cervids (hoofed animals in the cervidae family such as deer, elk and moose). Biologists believe it is transmitted through feces, urine and saliva. Prions (abnormal cellular proteins) that carry CWD have an incubation period of at least 16 months, and can survive for years in organic matter such as soil and plants.

CWD affects the body’s nervous system. Once in a host’s body, prions transform normal cellular protein into an abnormal shape that accumulates until the cell ceases to function. Infected animals begin to lose weight, lose their appetite and develop an insatiable thirst. They tend to stay away from herds, walk in patterns, carry their head low, salivate and grind their teeth.

Visit www.agfc.com/cwd for more information.

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What is Chronic Wasting Disease?CWD is a neurological (brain and nervous system) disease found in deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. It is similar to mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep. The disease belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases. It is 100 percent fatal.

How is it spread?The disease spreads through prions, abnormally shaped proteins. Studies have shown that the disease can be spread both directly (animal-to-animal contact) and indirectly (through soil or other surfaces). The most common mode of transmission from an infected animal is believed to be through saliva, feces and possibly other body secretions. There is strong evidence that people have helped spread the disease over long distances by moving live infected animals and infected carcasses.

Is it dangerous to humans?There currently is no evidence that CWD affects humans. Public health officials recommend not consuming meat from known infected animals, or animals that appear sick. Also avoid the brain, spinal cord, eyes, lymph nodes, spleen and tonsils, where abnormal prions accumulate.

Is it dangerous to livestock?There is no current evidence that CWD can spread to cows, pigs and other domestic livestock.

How can you tell if a deer or elk has CWD?Infected animals may not show any symptoms of the disease. In later stages of the disease, however, infected animals begin to lose control of bodily functions and display abnormal behavior such as staggering, standing with very poor posture or losing fear of humans. Infected animals lose weight rapidly, appear in very poor body condition and often stand in or near water and drink excessively. They may also exhibit drooling or excessive salivation. However, these symptoms can be found in other diseases affecting deer and elk.

What do I do if I see a deer or elk I suspect of having CWD?Please report any deer or elk showing symptoms of CWD to the AGFC at cwdinfo@agfc.ar.gov.

How do you confirm presence of CWD?There is no reliable live test for CWD. The only test approved by USDA APHIS is by testing lymph nodes and a portion of brain stem removed after the deer or elk is dead.

When and where has CWD been discovered?Since its discovery in a captive mule deer in Colorado in 1967, CWD has been found in 23 other states and two Canadian provinces. A complete timeline of its spread is available at http://www.cwd-info.org/index.php/fuseaction/about.timeline

Where can I find out more information about CWD?The Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance, a joint project of the Boone and Crockett Club, Mule Deer Foundation and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, has an extensive website devoted to CWD at www.cwd-info.org

When was CWD detected in Arkansas?CWD was confirmed from a sample taken during the 2015 Arkansas elk hunt. The sample was sent to Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory as part of the AGFC’s annual CWD testing protocol. The same sample was sent to the USDA APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa for confirmation. A positive result was confirmed Feb. __, 2016.

Where did the positive case come from?The sample was taken from a 2.5-year-old female elk taken during the 2015 public land elk hunt on the Buffalo River National Park near Pruitt, Arkansas. The AGFC currently is conducting DNA analysis on remains from that animal to determine if it originated from the same bloodline as the elk in that area or if it is from a captive facility.

Chronic Wasting Disease Questions and Answers

Captive elk photo courtesy of Dr. Elizabeth Williams, University of Wyoming.

Could CWD have been in Arkansas’s elk herd when it was established?It is nearly impossible for CWD to have been present in Arkansas’s elk herd and not have been detected until now. The AGFC imported 112 elk between 1981 and 1985 from Colorado and Nebraska. The AGFC has tested annually for chronic wasting disease in Arkansas’s elk since 1998. To date, more than 200 samples have been tested. The AGFC also has tested more than 7,000 deer for CWD since 2003. If this disease had been in the original elk herd, it would have been detected in these samples.

What has the AGFC done to prevent CWD in Arkansas?The AGFC has been very proactive in preventing CWD’s spread. The most likely method of transmission is through importation of live cervids and carcasses of cervids originating from CWD-positive states. The following list outlines some of the precautions the AGFC has implemented in recent decades: • 1998 – Testing of elk harvested during Arkansas’s elk hunts began. • 2002 – Importation of live cervids banned. • 2003 – Annual testing of deer for chronic wasting disease began. • 2005 – Importation of cervid carcasses from CWD- positive states restricted to deboned meat, skins and cleaned skulls to reduce prion transmission. • 2006 – Moratorium enacted on breeder/dealer permits and commercial hunting resort permits for new cervid facilities. • 2012 – Cervid carcass importation restriction expanded to include any cervid from outside of Arkansas. • 2012 – Obtaining hand-captured white-tailed deer prohibited. Origin of such deer was extremely difficult to confirm.

What is the AGFC going to do now that CWD has been found in Arkansas?The AGFC has had a response plan in placesince 2006 in the event a deer or elk from Arkansas tested positive for the disease. According to that plan, the first step is to sample deer and elk from within 5 miles of the site where the infected animal was taken. From there we will be able to assess the prevalence of CWD in the wild herd and take steps to prevent its spread.

Will the AGFC eliminate the elk herd?The current plan that has been approved by the Commission is to take a sample from deer and elk within a 5-mile radius of the kill site of the infected animal and set up a CWD containment zone with special regulations to slow additional spread of the disease. No assessment of Arkansas’s elk herd can be made until the true extent of the disease’s prevalence in Arkansas can be determined.

What precautions should hunters take in preventing the spread of CWD?The most likely transmission of CWD is through live animals and animals transported after harvest. The best way to help prevent its spread is to not transport any parts of deer or elk taken in from areas where Arkansas’s elk herd is found to other parts of the state. AGFC staff are working to define a CWD containment zone with special hunting regulations for the 2016-17 season. We do ask that landowners near Arkansas’s elk range not place any feed or bait as this concentrates deer and elk and can help spread the disease. If you have taken a deer or elk in this area in the last year, you can contact the AGFC at cwdinfo@agfc.ar.gov.

Can I get my deer from this year tested?No. The only USDA APHIS-approved test for CWD analyzes lymph nodes and a portion of the animal’s brain stem. It cannot be positively detected in muscle tissue such as processed meat. The AGFC is preparing to sample the elk and deer herd near the site of the infected animal and will continue to monitor throughout the state. However, this is the only area in the state where CWD has been confirmed.

White-tailed deer photo courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

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Appendix G-------Arkansas Department of Health Fact Sheet

CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE Is CWD dangerous to humans?

Researchers with the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia along with the World Health Organization (WHO), have studied CWD and have found no evidence that CWD poses a serious risk to humans or domestic animals. Years of monitoring in affected areas has found no similar disease in people or cattle living there. However, as a precaution, CDC and the Arkansas Department of Health advise that no part of a deer or elk with evidence of CWD should be consumed by people or other animals.

Why shouldn't I eat certain parts of my deer and elk?

While research has shown that prions may be present in a wide variety of tissues and body fluids, including blood and muscle, they are most prevalent in the brain, eyes, spinal cord, lymph nodes, tonsils and spleen. Thus, it is recommended that hunters bone out harvested cervids in the field, and take extra precautions when handling organs where prions are most likely to accumulate. If you wish to have your animal tested for CWD, contact the local wildlife agency for information regarding appropriate procedures and submission locations. Remember, while disease testing is an important tool for detecting CWD, it is not a food safety test.

Simple Precautions Advised for Hunters

Health officials advise hunters not to consume meat from animals known to be, or believed to be, infected with CWD or any other disease. Since it’s not always apparent that a deer may be carrying a disease, hunters should take simple precautions.

• Avoid consuming the meat from any animal that tests positive for the disease.

• Do not shoot, handle or consume any animal that is acting abnormally or appears to be sick.

• Contact your state game and fish department if you see or harvest an animal that appears sick.

• Wear latex or rubber gloves when field dressing your deer or elk.

Arkansas Department of Health

4815 West Markham Street ● Little Rock, Arkansas 72205-3867 ● Telephone (501) 661-2000 Governor Asa Hutchinson

Nathaniel Smith, MD, MPH, Director and State Health Officer

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• Bone out the meat from your animal. Don't saw through bone, and avoid cutting through the brain or spinal cord (backbone).

• Minimize the handling of brain and spinal tissues.

• Wash hands and instruments thoroughly after field dressing is completed. The best recommendation for hunters wishing to disinfect home butchering equipment is to clean all surfaces with a 50/50 solution of chlorine bleach and water.

• Avoid consuming brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes of harvested animals. (Normal field dressing coupled with boning out a carcass will remove most, if not all, of these body parts. Cutting away all fatty tissue will remove remaining lymph nodes.)

• If you have your deer or elk commercially processed, request that your animal is processed individually, without meat from other animals being added to meat from your animal.

Disposal of carcass

Little is known about how infected cervid parts may or may not contaminate the environment. Researchers have discovered, however, that prions readily adhere to various soil elements and remain infectious for many years. Therefore, it is recommended that bones and other carcass parts be double bagged in strong garbage bags and disposed of at a landfill with an approved dead animal disposal area.

In 2005, the AGFC adopted regulations to help prevent chronic wasting disease from entering the state through infected cervid carcasses.

A cervid is any member of the Cervidae family, which includes white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, red deer, sika deer, fallow deer and caribou.

The following items are the only portions allowed to be imported, transported or possessed in Arkansas from any cervid harvested outside Arkansas (exception: deer harvested from within the Mississippi River levee system in Mississippi or Tennessee):

Then you need to fully understand the cervid carcass importation regulations of Arkansas, as well as all other states you travel through with your harvest.

• Antlers and/or antlers attached to clean skull plate or cleaned skulls;• Meat with all bones removed;• Cleaned teeth;• Finished taxidermy products, and• Hides or tanned products.

Questions? Call 501-223-6359. For more CWD information visit: cwd-info.org

c=85 m=19 y=0 k=0 c=57 m=80 y=100 k=45 c=20 m=0 y=40 k=6

c=15 m=29 y=33 k=0 c=100 m=0 y=91 k=42 c=30 m=0 y=5 k=0

Do you hunt big game outside Arkansas?

Know Before You Go

Chronic Wasting Disease

c=85 m=19 y=0 k=0 c=57 m=80 y=100 k=45 c=20 m=0 y=40 k=6

c=15 m=29 y=33 k=0 c=100 m=0 y=91 k=42 c=30 m=0 y=5 k=0

In 2005, the AGFC adopted regulations to help prevent chronic wasting disease from entering the state through infected cervid carcasses.

A cervid is any member of the Cervidae family, which includes white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, red deer, sika deer, fallow deer and caribou.

The following items are the only portions allowed to be imported, transported or possessed in Arkansas from any cervid harvested outside Arkansas (exception: deer harvested from within the Mississippi River levee system in Mississippi or Tennessee): • Antlers and/or antlers attached to clean skull plates or cleaned skulls (where no meat or tissues are attached to skull) • Meat with bones removed • Cleaned teeth • Finished taxidermy products • Hides and tanned products

For more information visit www.cwd-info.org or www.agfc.com

Attention hunters heading outside Arkansas

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT DIVISIONARKANSAS GAME AND FISH COMMISSION2 NATURAL RESOURCES DRLITTLE ROCK, AR 72205-9718

ATTENTIONHunters heading outside Arkansas