Chronic Wasting Disease
The tree line shudders, leaves dancing to life just a moment before a small black nose pokes through. After the nose comes a softly sloped snout, followed by two pointed, elegant ears. Two large eyes list side to side as the rest of the body emerges: sinewy legs, muscles that are visible as they shift beneath light brown fur, a white-under-sided tail that twitches.
But this isn’t an ordinary deer, and the signs of sickness quickly become apparent. The doe stumbles as she clears the trees and moves into open grass, her ears drooped down toward her drunken steps. The muscles are there, but not as they should be; they almost look hollow, as if someone had stuck a vacuum into her side and suctioned away several layers. A stream of drool drips down from her mouth.
She has chronic wasting disease, and she is dying.
But this isn’t an ordinary deer, and the signs of sickness quickly become apparent. The doe stumbles as she clears the trees and moves into open grass, her ears drooped down toward her drunken steps. The muscles are there, but not as they should be; they almost look hollow, as if someone had stuck a vacuum into her side and suctioned away several layers. A stream of drool drips down from her mouth.
She has chronic wasting disease, and she is dying.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects certain species of deer, elk, reindeer, and moose. It belongs to a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which also includes the mad cow disease that led to global panic in the 1990s. Like mad cow disease, CWD is caused by a misfolded form of a protein called a prion. Prions are normal proteins that can become misshapen and convert other normal proteins into the abnormal, infectious form, spreading through the body like ink through water. The misfolded prions accumulate in the brain, spinal cord, lymph nodes, and other tissues, leading to the characteristic degeneration of neural tissue and the formation of microscopic holes in the brain, giving it a sponge-like appearance.
CWD is characterized by a long incubation period, typically lasting several months to several years, during which infected animals may not show any symptoms. As the disease progresses, affected animals may display a range of symptoms, including weight loss, abnormal behavior (such as lack of fear of humans), excessive salivation, stumbling, lack of coordination, drooping ears, and a vacant facial expression. The disease leads to severe neurological impairment and, ultimately, death.
While the exact origin of CWD is still uncertain, it’s believed to be caused by the transmission of prions through direct contact with infected animals or exposure to contaminated environments, and we do know the disease spreads primarily through the saliva, urine, feces, and carcasses of infected animals, and can also be transmitted indirectly through contaminated soil, food, or water.
To put it simply: infection plus proximity equals bad. It’s a concept we’re all intimately familiar with after COVID.
For this reason, Michigan lawmakers have tried to mitigate the spread of CWD by banning backyard wildlife feeding. At the moment, feeding birds remains legal across the state, but scattering any food that could attract deer is prohibited throughout the Lower Peninsula and in certain counties of the UP. Anyone caught breaking these laws is subject to a $500 fine and 90-day misdemeanor.
Like any political action, some have been fighting to overturn these feeding bans ever since they were first introduced in 2018. Most recently, on May 17, state Rep. Ken Borton (R-Gaylord) introduced House Bill 4593, which would allow individuals to engage in wildlife and bird feeding if both of the following two conditions are met: (1) The feed is located within 300 feet of a residence, and (2) The quantity of feed placed, scattered, or distributed within 300 feet of that residence is not more than 2 gallons.
Wildlife feeding, Borton argues, does not contribute to the spread of CWD, though experts disagree with this point.
“This legislation would’ve increased the chance of spreading wildlife disease within populations and the beef and dairy industries, which are vital to Michigan’s economy,” Gov. Whitmer said of a similar bill she vetoed in 2019. “That’s not a risk we can afford to take. … Leaving the [feeding] ban in place will allow the state to continue working to curb the spread of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease.”
Other efforts to manage and control CWD include surveillance programs to detect and monitor the disease, culling of infected animals, movement restrictions, and regulations on hunting and game farming practices. Research is ongoing to better understand the disease, develop diagnostic tools, and explore potential treatments or preventive measures.
The doe twitches her ears. Lists to one side. Blinks, slow and dazed, before retreating in a stupor. The trees swallow her once more.
Her fate has already been sealed. But for others, there is still a chance.
CWD is characterized by a long incubation period, typically lasting several months to several years, during which infected animals may not show any symptoms. As the disease progresses, affected animals may display a range of symptoms, including weight loss, abnormal behavior (such as lack of fear of humans), excessive salivation, stumbling, lack of coordination, drooping ears, and a vacant facial expression. The disease leads to severe neurological impairment and, ultimately, death.
While the exact origin of CWD is still uncertain, it’s believed to be caused by the transmission of prions through direct contact with infected animals or exposure to contaminated environments, and we do know the disease spreads primarily through the saliva, urine, feces, and carcasses of infected animals, and can also be transmitted indirectly through contaminated soil, food, or water.
To put it simply: infection plus proximity equals bad. It’s a concept we’re all intimately familiar with after COVID.
For this reason, Michigan lawmakers have tried to mitigate the spread of CWD by banning backyard wildlife feeding. At the moment, feeding birds remains legal across the state, but scattering any food that could attract deer is prohibited throughout the Lower Peninsula and in certain counties of the UP. Anyone caught breaking these laws is subject to a $500 fine and 90-day misdemeanor.
Like any political action, some have been fighting to overturn these feeding bans ever since they were first introduced in 2018. Most recently, on May 17, state Rep. Ken Borton (R-Gaylord) introduced House Bill 4593, which would allow individuals to engage in wildlife and bird feeding if both of the following two conditions are met: (1) The feed is located within 300 feet of a residence, and (2) The quantity of feed placed, scattered, or distributed within 300 feet of that residence is not more than 2 gallons.
Wildlife feeding, Borton argues, does not contribute to the spread of CWD, though experts disagree with this point.
“This legislation would’ve increased the chance of spreading wildlife disease within populations and the beef and dairy industries, which are vital to Michigan’s economy,” Gov. Whitmer said of a similar bill she vetoed in 2019. “That’s not a risk we can afford to take. … Leaving the [feeding] ban in place will allow the state to continue working to curb the spread of diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease.”
Other efforts to manage and control CWD include surveillance programs to detect and monitor the disease, culling of infected animals, movement restrictions, and regulations on hunting and game farming practices. Research is ongoing to better understand the disease, develop diagnostic tools, and explore potential treatments or preventive measures.
The doe twitches her ears. Lists to one side. Blinks, slow and dazed, before retreating in a stupor. The trees swallow her once more.
Her fate has already been sealed. But for others, there is still a chance.