USGS Fact Sheet 2007-3070
By Bryan Richards
U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2007-3070, 2 pages (Published August 2007)
This report is available online in PDF format: FS 2007-3070 (
) (1.7 MB)
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an always-fatal, neurological illness occurring in North American cervids (members of the deer family), including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. Since its discovery in 1967, CWD has spread geographically and increased in prevalence locally. CWD is contagious; it can be transmitted freely within and among free-ranging populations. It is likely that diseased animals can transmit CWD to healthy animals long before they become clinically ill. Managing CWD in free-ranging populations is extremely difficult, therefore preventative measures designed to reduce the chance for disease spread are critically important.
This report is available online in PDF format: FS 2007-3070 (
) (1.7 MB)
For more information, please contact Bryan Richards.