The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) confirmed on December 19 that a domestic bull elk in Madison County tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), marking the first detection of the disease in a captive elk facility in the state.
According to an official release from the ISDA, the elk, which had been housed at a facility in Madison County, died, prompting routine tissue testing. Samples were sent to the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL), which confirmed the presence of CWD. This marks a significant development in the ongoing efforts to monitor and control CWD in Idaho.
What Is Chronic Wasting Disease?
CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects the brains of several wildlife species, including mule deer, black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, and reindeer. The disease belongs to a family of illnesses known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Symptoms of CWD in affected animals include weight loss, behavioral changes, and lack of coordination.
CWD was first detected in wild deer in Idaho in 2021, and a year later, it was found in wild elk. There is currently no cure for the disease, and it is always fatal to the affected animals. While CWD has not been shown to infect humans, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that people avoid consuming meat from animals infected with CWD.
A Look at the Infected Elk’s Journey
The infected elk in Madison County was part of a group transported to the Idaho ranch in March 2023 from a facility in Alberta, Canada. The elk had been imported under approved conditions following international guidelines. However, upon arrival, officials from the Alberta ranch reported a positive CWD case in one of the elk that had been shipped to Idaho. As a result, the entire shipment was placed under quarantine to prevent the spread of the disease.
Currently, all elk from that shipment remain alive and are still under state-imposed quarantine. The Idaho Department of Agriculture continues to monitor the situation closely.
Impact on Hunting and Public Health
Although this is the first confirmed case of CWD in a captive elk in Idaho, it will not affect the state’s elk hunting activities in the southeastern region. According to Roger Phillips, Public Information Specialist for Idaho Fish and Game, the infected elk was a domestic animal, and there have been no CWD cases reported in the wild elk population of eastern Idaho.
“We’ve been testing for CWD across Idaho for over 20 years, and we have not detected it in wild elk in this area,” Phillips said. “We urge hunters to continue helping us monitor the disease by submitting tissue samples for testing.”
Phillips also emphasized the importance of hunters reporting any sick or abnormal animals they encounter to Idaho Fish and Game.
Continued Surveillance and Public Awareness
The discovery of CWD in a captive elk facility underscores the ongoing need for vigilance in managing wildlife health. While CWD poses no immediate threat to human health, its potential impact on Idaho’s wildlife and ecosystems remains a concern for state officials.
Idaho Fish and Game and the ISDA will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as new information becomes available. Residents are encouraged to report any sightings of sick or unusual wildlife and to avoid consuming meat from animals suspected of being infected with CWD.
For more information or to report a sick animal, hunters can contact their regional Idaho Fish and Game office.
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