House Ag Committee Passes Chronic Wasting Disease Bill to Hinder the Spread of Prions

On Thursday, the House Agriculture Committee passed the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act with a unanimous vote, allotting $70 million annually to chronic wasting disease (CWD) control.

Chronic wasting disease, also known as “zombie deer disease”, is a contagious, neurological disease found in deer, elk and moose. Misfolded proteins, or prions, produce behavioral changes, lack of coordination, drooling, drooping ears and drastic weight loss, among other symptoms, that eventually lead to death.

Since the first identified case of CWD in Colorado in 1967, the disease has spread to free-ranging and captive animals in at least 26 states.

In 2004, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released a study detailing the possibility of CWD being a zoonotic disease. Although their initial evidence was inconclusive, they later released a statement alerting hunters to avoid consuming deer and elk tissues that appear to be stricken by CWD.

Little research has been carried out since the CDC’s findings in the early 2000s. With CWD cases on the rise in the U.S. and other regions of the world, the House Agriculture Committee found merit in funding research in the disease.

With the help of Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin, Republican Leader Glenn Thompson introduced the bill backed by numerous conservation groups, citing “outdoorsmen” as the people to thank for this legislation.

“I am proud of this bipartisan work and the extensive stakeholder input we sought along the way to craft a bill that will protect our cervid populations and provide the necessary support to better research and prevent chronic wasting disease,” Thompson says.

The CWD research will be centered around detection, testing, genetic resistance, harvest management and emergence factors.

If passed through the House floor, the $70 million in annual funding will stem from fiscal year 2022 into fiscal year 2028.