DEM ASKS HUNTERS TO ASSIST IN CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE SURVEILLANCE IN DEER

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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462

For Release:	November 26, 2003
Contact:	Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402 Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

DEM ASKS HUNTERS TO ASSIST IN CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE SURVEILLANCE IN DEER

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has been awarded a $44,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture to conduct surveillance for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Rhode Island's white-tailed deer herd. DEM is asking Rhode Island hunters for their continued cooperation, as the majority of the samples will again be collected from hunter-harvested deer. Last year, when surveillance for CWD was first conducted in Rhode Island, all samples tested negative, as expected, as the disease has not been confirmed in any state east of Wisconsin.

This year, Rhode Island has joined with Connecticut and Massachusetts to form a tri-state region for CWD surveillance. Staff from DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife will collect 40 deer heads for sampling from hunters across the state. Hunters will be asked to provide their name, address, and location and date of harvest. Deer must be at least 18 months old in order to be tested. Most of the samples will be acquired from heads collected at the state's check stations during the shotgun deer season and from deer taken under damage permits. Deer killed by autos may also be used. Additional samples will be taken in areas adjacent to deer farms and from deer appearing to be sick and emaciated.

Hunters will be notified of the test results next spring. The Division is not advising hunters to wait for test results prior to consuming their deer. However, deer taken in CWD endemic areas and transported into Rhode Island must comply with all CWD regulations, which include prohibiting the importation of certain tissues. Packaged, labeled, boned-out meat is permitted. A complete set of the regulations is available on line at www.dem.ri.gov, at the various check stations, and Fish and Wildlife offices, or on request.

Hunters wishing to participate in this program, or with questions about it, may contact Lori Gibson, DEM supervising wildlife biologist, at 789-0281. Anyone spotting sick, emaciated deer should contact DEM's 24-hour dispatch at 222-3070.

Although there is currently no evidence that Chronic Wasting Disease is naturally transmissible to humans or to animals other than deer and elk, DEM continues to recommend that hunters follow simple precautions when dressing and preparing venison:

Wear rubber gloves when dressing carcasses;

Bone out meat from the animal;

Minimize the handling of brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, and lymph nodes (and avoid consuming these tissues);

Wash hands and instruments thoroughly after field dressing is completed.

For more information, visit the DEM website at www.dem.ri.gov and click on "Publications" to view a brochure on Chronic Wasting Disease, or visit the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance website at www.cwd-info.org.

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