# Minnesota CWD Plan



## Tom Morang (Aug 14, 2001)

If you click on the link you can view the Minnesota CWD plan. There are several other plans mentioned in the document including Michigan's. You will need Adobe Reader installed on your pc to view it. It's lengthy but worth the read...............tm



Click on the link to go to MNDNR web site then click on: 

Report: Understanding Chronic Wasting Disease.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/


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## Tom Morang (Aug 14, 2001)

For those without an Adobe Reader this is what the Minnesota CWD report had to say about efforts in Michigan that deal with CWD.


Michigan


There are approximately 900 captive cervid operations with 1-100s of deer and/or elk per
facility. Doug Hoort (DVM, Department of Agriculture) estimates that there are about 200 elk
operations with a total of 3,000-4,000 elk. According to Hoort, their records are not very
organized, and consequently, much of the information is not readily accessible. Approximately,
2 years ago, a number of management responsibilities (e.g., disease monitoring, inspections) for
all captive cervids were transferred to the Department of Agriculture. The Michigan Department
of Natural Resources (DNR) had retained regulatory authority over the facilities of the captive
operations. However, as of June 2000, all regulatory responsibility has been turned over to the
Department of Agriculture. The transition is based on the 3-year permit period for the captive
operations, so that by June 2003, all operations registered (or renewed) after June 2000, will be
under the regulatory authority of the Department of Agriculture. The Departments of Natural
Resources and Environmental Quality are still responsible for assessing the impact of new
facilities on wildlife and their habitat and for assuring that no free-ranging animals are enclosed
within the fenced pastures of new operations. If a captive cervid escapes, the official response
may involve a joint effort of the Department of Agriculture and the DNR to capture the animal.
If free-ranging animals are directly involved, then the DNR assumes primary enforcement
responsibility. Hoort recognizes that there is some concern in the DNR regarding Agriculture's
enforcement abilities relative to the captive operations; however, he anticipates that as their TB
program winds down, greater attention will be refocused on CWD-monitoring efforts.


CWD Surveillance Program and Management Policy


To date, all tests for CWD in captive cervids have been negative. The Department of
Agriculture is developing their state CWD Surveillance Program, and they are planning to
participate in the National CWD Surveillance Program. Michigan is modeling their CWD
program after the federal program; however, they are considering strengthening certain aspects
of their plan that they believe might be too weak in the federal program.
Currently, the Michigan DNR does not have an official CWD management policy.
However, the agency has been conducting a targeted surveillance program, so that brain stems
are collected from all free-ranging suspect deer and elk and are tested for CWD. Further, the
DNR collected about 450 brain stems from hunter-harvested deer in 1998-1999 and had them
examined for CWD. However, there may be a flaw in their testing procedure. Initially, they
have the brain samples examined at a nearby university pathology laboratory for lesions
commonly associated with CWD infection, then if lesions are present, they have the samples
IHC-tested for PrPres at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. The
problem is that the IHC test is the more sensitive and definitive test, and brain lesions do not
always accompany CWD infection or IHC(+) results. Thus far, all samples tested by their
procedure have been determined to be negative; however, it is possible that some of the samples
which did not exhibit lesions, might have been IHC(+) had they been tested.
While the Michigan DNR continued targeted surveillance and CWD-testing for suspect
deer and elk, it did not continue random surveys (i.e., brain samples from hunter-harvested deer)
during 2000 or 2001. Further, unless an infection is detected in a captive facility, the DNR will
probably refrain from additional CWD surveys. If CWD is detected in a captive herd, then the
DNR would probably resume brain stem collection from hunter-harvested free-ranging deer and
elk focusing the survey efforts within a pre-determined radius of the operation with the infected
herd. Generally, if CWD is detected in free-ranging deer or elk, the DNR plans to ?implement
strategies aimed at preventing spread of the disease and reducing its occurrence in affected deer
and elk herds. Since announcement of the 3 CWD-infected free-ranging male white-tailed deer
in Wisconsin, Michigan's Department of Agriculture instituted a ban on all cervid (deer and elk)
imports from Wisconsin, which will remain in effect until more is known about the scope and
range of the disease in Wisconsin (Dr. Joan Arnoldi, Michigan State Veterinarian and Director
of the Department of Agriculture's Animal Industry Division).


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