Statewide agent-based model for management of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: PAOvCWD

Nathaniel H. Wehr; Christopher S. Rosenberry; David Stainbrook; Maureen Staats; Andrea L. Korman; W. David Walter

doi:10.1016/j.mex.2026.103823

Statewide agent-based model for management of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: PAOvCWD

MethodsX

By: Nathaniel H. Wehr, Christopher S. Rosenberry, David Stainbrook, Maureen Staats, Andrea L. Korman, and W. David Walter

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2026.103823

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Abstract

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an always-fatal disease infecting wild cervids globally. Ecologically and economically important, CWD presents a challenge for managing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We built an agent-based model to simulate CWD transmission and assess potential management actions that could slow disease spread: PAOvCWD. We developed PAOvCWD using contact rates and other behavioral and ecological metrics estimated from deer monitored in Pennsylvania, USA. We programmed potential management responses (e.g., culling, altered hunter harvest) for all 22 Pennsylvania wildlife management units and validated the efficacy of PAOvCWD using a deer population in south-central Pennsylvania infected with CWD for > 10 years. To support applications of our model, we developed a user-friendly R pipeline that allows implementation with relatively minor modifications. Our pipeline includes four steps:

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Steps 1 and 2 generate regional percent forest cover rasters and curate population-level demographics.
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Step 3 initializes landscapes and agents using our PAOvPOP model.
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Step 4 assesses CWD transmission and management responses using our PAOvCWD model.

Suggested Citation

Wehr, N.H., Rosenberry, C.S., Stainbrook, D., Staats, M., Korman, A.L., and Walter, W., 2026, Statewide agent-based model for management of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: PAOvCWD: MethodsX, v. 16, 103823, 16 p., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2026.103823.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Statewide agent-based model for management of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: PAOvCWD
Series title	MethodsX
DOI	10.1016/j.mex.2026.103823
Volume	16
Year Published	2026
Language	English
Publisher	Elsevier
Contributing office(s)	Coop Res Unit Leetown
Description	103823, 16 p.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania