Chronic debilitating disease confirmed in deer harvested in 2 counties in Montana



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Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Park announced in a press release Thursday that testing of tissue samples taken from a white deer harvested in southern Liberty County and a deer mullet harvested in the county area. of Carbon, positive for the MDC, were positive. chronic debilitating disease.

A laboratory at Colorado State University has confirmed the tests.

The Liberty County cakes were harvested in Hunting District 400, but outside the area currently infected with CWD and the 2018 priority surveillance area, which includes the northern half of Liberty County. As a result, FWP has expanded the positive area of ​​the MDC to include all of Liberty County. The entire HD 400 is now included in the 2018 MDC surveillance effort.

The suspect HD 575 deer was harvested northeast of Joliet in an area currently infected with CWD, which includes Carbon County, east of US Highway 212 and Roberts-Cooney Road.

Information for hunters

With the PW establishing Liberty County as a positive area of ​​CWD, hunters who capture deer, elk or moose in the county must comply with the established TRZ rules (TRZ ), which means that hunters can not TRZ. Hunters capturing a deer in the wider area of ​​Liberty County are also encouraged to have their animals tested before eating the meat.

The TRZ Zone for the Liberty County MDC Positive Zone includes all Liberty, Hill and Toole counties.

Hunters should also be aware that by expanding priority surveillance efforts across the HD 400, TFP is relying on the collection of more samples in the region to determine the prevalence of MDC among the deer population and the potential distribution of the disease. This information is essential for the ETP to develop a disease management plan.

The HD 400 and the neighboring HD 401 are unique in that they both have a three-week deer season, unlike the standard five-week standard state season.

The CFP would like hunters who harvest deer, elk or moose in the priority monitoring area, which includes the high-voltage line from the Blackfeet Reserve to the North Dakota border and the HD 210s. , 212 and 217 in western Montana, subject animals to MDC testing. This can be done by visiting the surveillance zone checkpoints, which are open on weekends, or by contacting or visiting the EFP regional office at Great Falls, at 406-454-5840, Glasgow, 406-228-3700, in Le Havre, at 406-265. 6177, Missoula at 406-542-5500 or Billings at 406-247-2940 during the week.

Check the stations that will be sampling for the MDC:

  • Scobey (first half of the season)
  • Glasgow (second half of season)
  • Highway 223 to Teton River (November 3, 7 and 11)
  • Malta
    • Hunters can also bring animals to the offices in Havre and Glasgow during the week.
  • Laurel
  • Chester
  • Shelby
  • Great Falls Office during the week
  • South of the hall
  • South of Phillipsburg

There is currently no convincing evidence that the agent of the MDC affects humans. However, public health officials recommend avoiding human exposure to the DOC agent as they continue to assess any potential risk. Research indicates that it is unlikely that the direct transmission of MDC by infected animals to humans will occur. However, the similarities between CWD, mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are of concern and appropriate precautions should be taken with the captured animals. Hunters should not harvest animals that look sick or eat the meat of suspicious animals.

Animals suspected of having a MDC should not be eaten. If you are harvesting an animal and you do not know if it is safe to eat it, contact your local FWP staff for advice soon after harvesting the animal.

By David Sherman – MTN News

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