October 15, 2003
October 15, 2003
LANSING – A state task force dedicated to studying the problem of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer and elk is calling on the state to conduct a complete audit of Michigan’s captive deer and elk industry and establish a centralized database and record-keeping system to track animal movement in the industry.
The Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force, established by Governor Granholm earlier this year, presented its findings and recommendations in a report delivered to the Governor today. The report can be found at www.michigan.gov/cwd.
“After the extensive testing of over 6,000 animals, there is no evidence that Chronic Wasting Disease has found its way into Michigan,” said Dr. Howard Tanner, former director of the Department of Natural Resources and Task Force co-chair. “However, in our effort to reduce Michigan’s vulnerability and to keep CWD out of the deer and elk population, we must be vigilant and need to conduct a complete audit and maintain all of the continuous data in one, real-time database.”
Chronic Wasting Disease is a neurological disease of deer and elk that can be spread from animal to animal or indirectly from soil or surface to animal. Once considered to be a disease limited to small endemic areas, CWD has recently been found in more than 15 states and in Canada.
In addition to the call for a complete audit and creation of a new database, the recommendations include:
• develop a risk assessment to ascertain both the critical feature of a prevention/control strategy and the key priorities from which to direct and allocate resources;
• maintain and enforce a moratorium on animal movements until the risk assessment is complete in Michigan and any exporting state;
• transfer the license application, registration and fence inspection for the captive deer and elk herds to Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR);
• encourage the deer and elk industry to adopt an individual animal ID system and conduct frequent inspections.
“I want to thank the Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force members for their thorough report and strong recommendations on what we should be doing to reduce Michigan’s vulnerability to CWD,” said Granholm. “While our state has already taken substantial steps to ward off the potential for CWD, these recommendations have laid the groundwork for our vigilance to continue.”
“I am particularly pleased that Dr. Tanner was willing to devote so much of his time and talent to this project,” Granholm added. “His expertise and commitment was instrumental in the task force’s success, and I am grateful for his leadership.”
Granholm noted that the Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture have been implementing the recommendations of the “Michigan Surveillance & Response Plan for Chronic Wasting Disease” plan adopted in 2002. She noted that because of the role the hunting industry plays in Michigan’s economy, particularly in northern Michigan, her administration will give serious consideration to the recommendations despite the state’s budget crisis.
The DNR has tested 4,585 free-ranging white-tailed deer and elk for CWD and plans to test approximately 3,720 white-tailed deer and 125 elk this fall. The Natural Resources Commission has adopted a wildlife conservation order that restricts importation of deer and elk carcasses by hunters (allows boned meat, hides, clean skull caps).
The Department of Agriculture adopted a moratorium banning deer and elk importation from other states and countries. It also oversees the licensing, registration, and inspection of the state’s privately owned, or farmed, deer and elk operations and tested more than 1,450 deer and elk for the disease from death losses from 159 deer and elk herds in 69 counties. All have been negative to date.
“Chronic Wasting Disease is an opportunity disguised as a problem,” said Tanner. “This disease has the potential to devastate the deer and elk population, but due to the cooperation of many Michigan departments and private industries, we can work to prevent this and many other potential problems to ensure a healthy, safe future for Michigan’s wildlife.”
In addition to Tanner, the task force included Dr. William W. Taylor, chair of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University; Dr. George R. Anderson, executive manager, Michigan Association of Public Health and Preventative Medicine Physicians; Dr. Rosina M. Bierbaum, dean and professor, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment; and, Dr. Lonnie J. King, dean and professor, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Representatives of the departments of Agriculture, Community Health, Environmental Quality, Natural Resources, State Police, and Transportation served as nonvoting members.
