Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): Background

Perhaps the most concerning wildlife disease is Chronic Wasting Disease, also known as CWD. First detected in captive deer in Colorado in 1967, CWD has now been found in at least 24 states in the continental U.S., including New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, all of which border Arizona. CWD has also been found in Canada, Norway, Finland, Sweden and South Korea. CWD has NOT been found in cervids native to Arizona.

• Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a prion disease that is found in deer, elk, moose, caribou and reindeer, collectively referred to as “cervids.” For more information on prion diseases, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/prions/index.html.
• CWD affects the brain and nervous system of cervids and is 100% fatal.
• Prions are abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of normal cellular proteins. Prions are extremely stable and cannot be destroyed by UVA or UVB radiation and must be heated to >1000℉. Therefore, prions are not destroyed during the cooking process and have even been shown to bind to certain common soil types, remaining infectious in the environment for decades.
• To date, there is no evidence that humans can contract CWD. However, recent studies raise concern that there may be a risk to people. Public health officials do not recommend consuming meat products from CWD-positive animals.
• CWD does not appear to naturally infect cattle or other domesticated animals.