A significant advancement in the fight against Chronic Wasting Disease has recently been announced by Illinois-based Dream Genomics Inc, marking a turning point in efforts to detect and manage this devastating disease in deer populations. Historically, reliable CWD could only be done post-mortem. Dream Genomics have developed a test that they claim can detect CWD in live deer through a blood test. Obviously this can have major implications in monitoring CWD in live deer herds, and being able to detect and contain CWD much more quickly and accurately.
The Importance of Early Detection
CWD is a contagious neurological disease affecting cervids such as deer, elk, and moose. It's caused by misfolded proteins known as prions, which spread throughout the body, eventually leading to death. Historically, detecting CWD has been difficult because the disease often remains undetected in deer until after death, as the majority of tests require brain tissue from deceased animals. This means control measures are always lagging.
However, recent advancements have introduced the possibility of live-animal testing for CWD through testing blood instead of tissue. This innovation could allow for early detection before symptoms appear, enabling faster response and containment efforts.
The company's CEO Gary M. Pusateri M.D.Pusateri, who is an avid hunter himself said “This research is based on 14 years of verified human genomics bioprofiling and is focused toward the development of a quick turnaround (24-hour) assay and a rapid (less than one hour) CWD field test.”
Challenges Remain
Despite the breakthrough in testing, challenges remain in implementing this new method at scale. One of the primary obstacles is funding. CWD management and research have been historically underfunded, making it difficult for state wildlife agencies and researchers to ramp up testing efforts. Large-scale deployment of this technology, which has proven effective in controlled trials, would require substantial financial investment to make testing widely available in the field. And per usual, the DNR is proving to be no help. Despite the significant funding they have to implement CWD control measures, they continue to refuse to embrace new ideas and technologies.
Additionally, sampling positive blood from infected animals is still a challenge. Although this testing method has shown promise, collecting enough samples from live animals is both logistically difficult and costly. This creates a bottleneck in efforts to diagnose CWD early and slow its spread. Wildlife agencies are also constrained by the need for cooperation from hunters, landowners, and state policies, which can vary widely in terms of CWD regulations.
Still a Big Step
Despite these obstacles, the progress in CWD testing is encouraging. Early detection through blood tests has the potential to revolutionize the way CWD is managed. Even if it's not ready for use at scale in the wild, this technology will be valuable in captive herds without the same challenges.
So while roadblocks remain, this recent breakthrough in CWD testing is a big step forward in the fight against this devastating disease. By overcoming funding challenges, improving sampling methods, and supporting innovators like Dr. Pusateri - the promise of early detection and more effective disease management could soon become a reality.
If there's anything we can get on board with, it's fellow hunters joining us on our mission to help eliminate Chronic Wasting Disease in deer.
