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Colorado Bans Elk Transport Due to Disease.
Wednesday, October 3, 2001
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER -- Colorado officials have banned the transport of domestic elk for 30 days and quarantined a fourth commercial herd because of chronic wasting disease, which is fatal to elk and deer.
State veterinarian Wayne Cunningham imposed the ban Monday. Three domestic elk herds in Colorado were quarantined earlier this month because of the disease.
Cunningham said the disease has been found in a fourth herd, on a shooting park in Cowdrey, 100 miles northwest of Denver. It was also quarantined.
Agriculture officials had already announced plans to slaughter and test the first three herds. There is no way to test a live animal for the disease.
Chronic wasting disease is a degenerative disorder that attacks the brains of deer and elk. It causes unsteadiness, excessive slobbering, confusion and death.
There are no documented cases of the disease infecting humans, but it is closely related to mad cow disease, which has killed about 100 Europeans.
Cunningham said one of the ranches where the disease was found had sold elk over the past five years to operations in Idaho, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Mexico and to other sites in Colorado.
It was unclear when the Colorado ranch, near Del Norte about 160 miles southeast of Denver, was first exposed to the sickness.
The disease has also been found in commercial herds in Boulder and Weld counties.
The Colorado Captive Wildlife and Alternative Livestock Board on Monday proposed doubling the period that domestic elk must be monitored before they can be brought to Colorado, to 36 months.
Wednesday, October 3, 2001
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER -- Colorado officials have banned the transport of domestic elk for 30 days and quarantined a fourth commercial herd because of chronic wasting disease, which is fatal to elk and deer.
State veterinarian Wayne Cunningham imposed the ban Monday. Three domestic elk herds in Colorado were quarantined earlier this month because of the disease.
Cunningham said the disease has been found in a fourth herd, on a shooting park in Cowdrey, 100 miles northwest of Denver. It was also quarantined.
Agriculture officials had already announced plans to slaughter and test the first three herds. There is no way to test a live animal for the disease.
Chronic wasting disease is a degenerative disorder that attacks the brains of deer and elk. It causes unsteadiness, excessive slobbering, confusion and death.
There are no documented cases of the disease infecting humans, but it is closely related to mad cow disease, which has killed about 100 Europeans.
Cunningham said one of the ranches where the disease was found had sold elk over the past five years to operations in Idaho, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Mexico and to other sites in Colorado.
It was unclear when the Colorado ranch, near Del Norte about 160 miles southeast of Denver, was first exposed to the sickness.
The disease has also been found in commercial herds in Boulder and Weld counties.
The Colorado Captive Wildlife and Alternative Livestock Board on Monday proposed doubling the period that domestic elk must be monitored before they can be brought to Colorado, to 36 months.
