CWD found in deer in North Idaho

Idaho Fish and Game officials announced Wednesday that a whitetail deer has been detected with chronic wasting disease near Bonners Ferry in the state’s panhandle.

The fatal deer disease has now been found in three areas of the state. It was first detected in Idaho three years ago at Hunting Unit 14 near White Bird and last year in Unit 32A near New Meadows.

Last week, wildlife officials in Washington announced a deer north of Spokane was found to have the disease, the first detection for the Evergreen State. The disease has now been found in 35 states and four Canadian provinces.

Idaho Fish and Game managers are working to put together a sampling plan that may include a special hunt, to determine the scope of the disease near the new detection site in Boundary County.

“While we are disappointed by the detection of CWD in north Idaho, the department is well-prepared to respond to the situation thanks to having a comprehensive Chronic Wasting Disease Strategy, a history of sampling for CWD in deer throughout the area, and experience dealing with affected populations in other parts of the state,” said Panhandle Regional Supervisor Carson Watkins in a news release. “Going forward we’ll be working closely with the Boundary County community to chart a course for long-term management of CWD on the landscape.”

The department is asking deer and elk hunters in the Panhandle Region to participate in a voluntary sampling process this fall by submitting any animals they shoot for testing. Hunters can take the heads of animals they harvest to any of the department’s regional offices in the state for testing or they can collect the lymph nodes from their animals and send them in for testing. Instructions for collecting samples are available at idfg.idaho.gov/cwd. The department also plans to have drop-off sites throughout the Panhandle Region where hunters can leave heads or collected samples.

There is no cure for the neurological disease that is spread when infected animals shed malformed proteins known as prions. Scientists believe that most often occurs from nose-to-nose contact between animals. But the prions persist for years on the landscape and can serve as an infection source.

While it has never been detected in humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people not eat the meat of animals known to have the disease.

In an effort to control its spread, Idaho has carried out two deer culls at the lower end of Slate Creek in Unit 14 that has been identified as a CWD hot spot. According to the latest information, about 10% of the deer in the hotspot have the disease.