1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov May 17, 2019Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Government ResponseChronic wasting disease (CWD) is a degenerative neurological disorder that affects cervids, including multiple species of deer, elk, and moose. Infected cervids may exhibit many symptoms including weight
2、 loss or wasting, poor balance, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, and others. CWD has a 100% mortality rate. The spread of CWD has impacted both wild and captive animals, including farm-raised cervids (e.g., for venison production), across the United States. CWD has caused economic losses
3、 for U.S. farm-raised cervid operations and may affect wild cervids. As a result, Congress is taking an active interest in the incidence and management of CWD. CWD was first discovered in 1967 in Colorado, and since that time, it has spread across the United States. It may be transmitted by direct a
4、nimal-to-animal contact or indirectly when animals come in contact with infected substances, such as soil, dust, or forage. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), CWD has spread to 26 U.S. states (as of May 2019; Figure 1) and to Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and South Korea. CWD is a ty