quote:

It is my understanding that deer farmers in the state of Louisiana are under a quarantine. If this is so, why and for how long? And is there any danger to the public?

Officials, worried about cases of chronic wasting disease in deer from other states, suspended importation of deer into Louisiana on Nov. 19, said Veronica Mosgrove, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

“The suspension will remain in place until the export states can confirm that their farms are not at risk of CWD infection,” Mosgrove wrote in an email. “This disease is very infectious to deer and can live in the environment for many years, creating a great risk to the deer population in Louisiana. Only deer, elk and moose are susceptible to CWD.”

She said officials know of no cases of CWD in deer — either farmed or native — in Louisiana and that federal health officials have found no link between human illness and CWD, which like mad cow disease is transmitted by an infectious protein called a prion.

“Specific studies have begun that focus on identifying human prion disease in a population that is at increased risk for exposure to potentially CWD-infected deer or elk meat,” reads the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Because of the long time between exposure to CWD and the development of disease, many years of continued follow-up are required to be able to say what the risk, if any, of CWD is to humans.”

According to the CDC, more than 120 counties in 17 states — including two west Texas counties — had reported cases of CWD in free-ranging deer and related animals by last August.
The states most affected are Nebraska, with 24 disease-positive counties; Colorado, 20; Wyoming, 16; Kansas, 14; Wisconsin, 13; and Illinois, 10.

“Because the disease has a long incubation period, deer, elk, and moose infected with CWD may not produce any visible signs of the disease for a number of years after they become infected,” reads the website of the U.S Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

“As the disease progresses, deer, elk, and moose with CWD show changes in behavior and appearance. These clinical signs may include progressive weight loss, stumbling, tremors, lack of coordination, depression, blank facial expressions, excessive salivation and drooling, loss of appetite, excessive thirst and urination, listlessness, teeth grinding, abnormal head posture, and drooping ears.

“Unfortunately, these signs are not specific to CWD and can occur with other diseases or malnutrition.”

LINK

Colorado
Boulder County
Douglas County
Eagle County
El Paso County
Grand County
Jackson County
Jefferson County
Larimer County
Logan County
Mesa County
Moffatt County
Morgan County
Phillips County
Pueblo County
Rio Blanco County
Routt County
Sedgwick County
Summit County
Weld County
Yuma County

Illinois
Boone County
Dekalb County
Grundy County
Jo Daviess County
Kane County
LaSalle County
McHenry County
Ogle County
Stephenson County
Winnebago County

Kansas
Cheyenne County
Decatur County
Ford County
Graham County
Logan County
Norton County
Rawlins County
Sheridan County
Sherman County
Smith County
Stafford County
Thomas County
Trego County
Wallace County

Maryland
Allegany County

Minnesota
Olmsted County

Missouri
Macon County

Nebraska
Arthur County
Banner County
Box Butte County
Buffalo County
Cherry County
Cheyenne County
Custer County
Dawes County
Deuel County
Garden County
Grant County
Hall County
Hitchcock County
Holt County
Hooker County
Keith County
Kimball County
Lincoln County
Loup County
Morrill County
Red Willow County
Scotts Bluff County
Sheridan County
Sioux County

New Mexico
Dona Ana County
Otero County
Socorro County

New York
Oneida County
North Dakota
Grant County
Sioux County
South Dakota
Custer County
Fall River County
Lawrence County
Pennington County

Texas
El Paso County
Hudspeth County

Utah
Daggett County
Grand County
San Juan County
Sanpete County
Uintah County
Utah County

Virginia
Frederick County

West Virginia
Hampshire County
Hardy County

Wisconsin
Columbia County
Dane County
Grant County
Green County
Iowa County
Jefferson County
Kenosha County
Lafayette County
Richland County
Rock County
Sauk County
Walworth County
Washburn County

Wyoming
Albany County
Big Horn County
Carbon County
Converse County
Crook County
Goshen County
Hot Springs County
Johnson County
Laramie County
Lincoln County
Natrona County
Niobrara County
Platte County
Sheridan County
Washakie County
Weston County

Thus by July 19, 2012, we have had 121 counties in 17 states with reported CWD in free-ranging cervids.