Strange Illnes Kill Deers
Kent County(United States):
About three weeks ago, several residents of Kent County began seeing deer that were staggering around near their homes in the Townsend Park area near Grand Rapids. The animals were drooling and thin, and some had lost hair. They also appeared to be addled, walking into trees and fences and ignoring people who walked up to them.
The strange malady still seems to be killing deer in parts of Kent County, but the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) doesn't know what it is.
DNR veterinarian Steve Schmitt said he has ruled out chronic wasting disease, but "there's something out there, and I can't put an 'itis' on it."
"It has us concerned," Schmitt said. "If it was only one or two deer, you'd shrug it off. But we've had a total of seven that we investigated, and we know that (the news media) have received other reports that didn't come to us."
The DNR is continuing its investigation.
The DNR sent police departments a notice that said the symptoms were similar to those in chronic wasting disease, which originated in Colorado and since has been found in Wisconsin, Illinois, New York and West Virginia.
Like mad cow disease, chronic wasting disease appears to be caused by a misshapen protein called a prion. Though it is contagious and fatal in deer, the disease hasn't been transmitted to people.
"We got the test results back from three deer, and they were negative for CWD, which was what we expected," Schmitt said. "It doesn't appear to be blue tongue or another hemorrhagic disease.
"The hot, dry weather we've had is known to be responsible for an increase in the mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus, but that has never been known to affect a cluster of animals like this."
ERIC SHARP
FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER
September 15, 2005
http://www.freep.com/sports/outdoors/deer15e_20050915.htm
Kent County(United States):
About three weeks ago, several residents of Kent County began seeing deer that were staggering around near their homes in the Townsend Park area near Grand Rapids. The animals were drooling and thin, and some had lost hair. They also appeared to be addled, walking into trees and fences and ignoring people who walked up to them.
The strange malady still seems to be killing deer in parts of Kent County, but the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) doesn't know what it is.
DNR veterinarian Steve Schmitt said he has ruled out chronic wasting disease, but "there's something out there, and I can't put an 'itis' on it."
"It has us concerned," Schmitt said. "If it was only one or two deer, you'd shrug it off. But we've had a total of seven that we investigated, and we know that (the news media) have received other reports that didn't come to us."
The DNR is continuing its investigation.
The DNR sent police departments a notice that said the symptoms were similar to those in chronic wasting disease, which originated in Colorado and since has been found in Wisconsin, Illinois, New York and West Virginia.
Like mad cow disease, chronic wasting disease appears to be caused by a misshapen protein called a prion. Though it is contagious and fatal in deer, the disease hasn't been transmitted to people.
"We got the test results back from three deer, and they were negative for CWD, which was what we expected," Schmitt said. "It doesn't appear to be blue tongue or another hemorrhagic disease.
"The hot, dry weather we've had is known to be responsible for an increase in the mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus, but that has never been known to affect a cluster of animals like this."
ERIC SHARP
FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER
September 15, 2005
http://www.freep.com/sports/outdoors/deer15e_20050915.htm
