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Smokies elk starved; no CWD present
Daily Times (Maryville, TN)
2002-06-11
Biologists at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have decided that the three elk that died shortly after being released from an acclimation pen died of emaciation. Their conclusion was based upon results of necropsies at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, including a screening for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which came back negative.
According to Dr. John New at UT, who provides the Park with veterinary oversight on the five-year experimental elk release project: ``I have received the results of the microscopic screening of the dead animals' brain tissue from the Colorado State Diagnostic Lab at Ft. Collins and the animals did not die of CWD. The brains of elk infected with CWD show a characteristic spongy appearance, but the brains of these elk were normal.''
The animals were brought into the Cataloochee area of the Park in January from Alberta, Canada, a trip of about 2,500 miles. Prior to being brought into the U.S. the herd was screened for brucelosis and tuberculosis and were negative for both. However, there is still no screening process to detect CWD in live animals, so the Park chose to get its elk from a CWD-free population contained in a 30,000 acre enclosure at Elk Island National Park.
Chronic Wasting Disease is caused by molecule called a ``prion'' which has the ability to cause surrounding brain cells to alter themselves into duplicates of the original prion. Unlike bacteria or a virus, prions can survive the high temperatures of cooking, but there is no record of humans ever developing the disease after eating elk. There is also no record of the disease crossing over into cattle, but it can be transmitted from elk to deer, so several states, including North Carolina, have imposed bans on the importation of elk in order to protect their game populations.
Daily Times (Maryville, TN)
2002-06-11
Biologists at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have decided that the three elk that died shortly after being released from an acclimation pen died of emaciation. Their conclusion was based upon results of necropsies at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, including a screening for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which came back negative.
According to Dr. John New at UT, who provides the Park with veterinary oversight on the five-year experimental elk release project: ``I have received the results of the microscopic screening of the dead animals' brain tissue from the Colorado State Diagnostic Lab at Ft. Collins and the animals did not die of CWD. The brains of elk infected with CWD show a characteristic spongy appearance, but the brains of these elk were normal.''
The animals were brought into the Cataloochee area of the Park in January from Alberta, Canada, a trip of about 2,500 miles. Prior to being brought into the U.S. the herd was screened for brucelosis and tuberculosis and were negative for both. However, there is still no screening process to detect CWD in live animals, so the Park chose to get its elk from a CWD-free population contained in a 30,000 acre enclosure at Elk Island National Park.
Chronic Wasting Disease is caused by molecule called a ``prion'' which has the ability to cause surrounding brain cells to alter themselves into duplicates of the original prion. Unlike bacteria or a virus, prions can survive the high temperatures of cooking, but there is no record of humans ever developing the disease after eating elk. There is also no record of the disease crossing over into cattle, but it can be transmitted from elk to deer, so several states, including North Carolina, have imposed bans on the importation of elk in order to protect their game populations.
