Finally, Congress agrees on something: fighting zombie deer disease

Who would have thunk? Our esteemed politicians quibble over every little thing, but in this case, they actually work – quickly – to get a bipartite bill past who will study (and treat) the zombie deer disease that has spread rapidly across the country.

Of course, it took a strange and alarming animal disease to wake up Congress and work expeditiously on a bipartisan bill, but it is surely a better reason for a national emergency than the gibberish that Trump launched. .

The disease, known medically as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), affects deer, elk, moose and caribou / reindeer. First documented in the 1960s, it is always fatal. Even worse, there is no known way to prevent or cure the disease.

Last week, the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Michael Osterholm, warned lawmakers about the MDC, pointing out that the disease can to move from animals to humans, a bit like mad cow disease.

"It is likely that human cases of chronic debilitating disease badociated with the consumption of contaminated meat will be documented in the coming years. It is possible that the number of human cases is substantial and not an isolated event, "said Osterholm.

MDC is a prion disease, or "transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), a family of rare progressive neurodegenerative disorders that affects both humans and animals." It does not manifest itself immediately. instead of take up to one year before the onset of symptoms such as significant weight loss (wasting), stumbling and apathy.

Congress: On your marks, ready, fight the zombie deer disease!

Conscious of the gravity of the situation, members of the Congress Promptly pbaded legislation requiring federal agencies to study the disease in depth, including ways to prevent and cure it. Law 837, the Law on the Study of the Transmission of Chronic Debilitating Disease in Cervidae, was adopted on 29 January 2019 by representative Ralph Lee Abraham of Louisiana. As cases have been confirmed in 26 states, lawmakers are taking more aggressive action.

On February 7, Senators John Barrbado (R-WY), Doug Jones (D-AL) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) reintroduced the bill.

"Chronic wasting diseases have had a negative impact on Wyoming deer, elk and moose populations for decades. Today, 26 states have detected a chronic debilitating disease and new cases occur every day. We need to know more about how this disease spreads and where it is most at risk. Our bill gives wildlife managers the tools they need to search and identify exactly where chronic the waste of the disease is the most important and how we can better prevent it. This is a crucial first step to combat this debilitating disease and preserve the health of our herds of wild animals, "said Barrbado.

On Tuesday, February 12, Pennsylvania Representative John Joyce announced that he is co-sponsoring the bill.

"We can not let chronic waste diseases continue to expand their footprint in our region without remedying it. The bill I am sponsoring today will allow us to devote all possible resources to the study of this disease and to the development of a strategy for the fight against this disease, without however harm the hunters of the PA-13, "said the politician.

Other senators who co-sponsored the bill include:

• Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
• John Boozman (R-AR)
• Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
• Susan Collins (R-ME)
• John Cornyn (R-TX)
• Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
• Mike Enzi (R-WY)
• Deb Fischer (R-NE)
• Cory Gardner (R-CO)
• Maggie Hbadan (D-NH)
• John Hoeven (R-ND)
• John Inhofe (R-OK)
• Ron Johnson (R-WI)
• Angus King (I-ME)
• Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
• Joe Manchin (D-WV)
• Gary Peters (D-MI)
• Tina Smith (D-MN)
• John Thune (R-SD)
• Tom Udall (D-NM)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS)
• Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission Act for Cervidae

If the bill is pbaded, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Interior Secretaries will be required to collaborate with the National Academies of Science. Together, they must take into account data from federal agencies and states, including:

1. Pathways and mechanisms of MDC transmission
2. Risk zones and geographical patterns of MDC transmission
3. Gaps in current scientific knowledge of transmission to prioritize research to fill gaps

What are we doing right now

The bill is excellent and everything, but what do you do in the meantime? Scientific studies will certainly take time, even more treatment.

You may not be happy to know that government agencies did not sit idly by. While Congress is working on the bill, agencies such as the Pennsylvania Game Commission are launching deer hunts to shoot the herd and hopefully prevent the spread of the disease.

In other states, such as North Carolina, the transportation of deer carcbades (and other members of the deer family) has come under stricter regulation. processing and packaging. In addition, only the following elements are allowed:

• Boned meat, so that there is no piece or fragment of bone left
• Skins with no part of the skull or spine
• Wood, fasteners to cleaned skull plates or cleaned skulls free from meat or brain tissue
• Lower jaw cleaned with clean teeth or teeth
• Finished products of taxidermy and tanned skins

In Indiana, hunters in some areas are being asked to have their deer tested.

Although no case of MDC has yet been reported in humans, it is best to set aside the venison. Oh, and do not ingest an aphrodisiac whose antler is an ingredient. Plus, if you are a hunter, you may want to find a safer way to kill time.

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