How is CWD transmitted?
Scientists believe that CWD is transmitted through animal-to-animal contact and through food and soil contaminated with bodily excretions including saliva. Contaminated carcasses or high-risk carcass parts may also spread disease indirectly through environmental contamination.

What are the signs of CWD?
Animals infected with CWD show a general loss of body condition, most notably weight loss. Excessive drinking, urination, salivation, and drooling are common in the late stages of the disease. Behavioral changes such as repetitive walking patterns, droopy ears, incoordination, a wide-based stance, and listlessness also accompany CWD infection. Some animals lose their fear of humans and predators. The onset of these signs may not become evident for years. There is no known cure and this disease is always fatal.

What actions have been taken to prevent the spread of CWD?
The movement of high-risk carcass parts (brain, spinal cord, lymph tissues) is a potential avenue through which CWD could be spread from infected areas. Investigations in New York indicate that in that state the infection could have been spread by a taxidermist who accepted specimens from CWD-positive states, allowed rehabilitated fawns access to the taxidermy workshop and spread potentially infections curing salt waste as a fence line week killer on his deer farm. Several states, including Pennsylvania, have developed regulations to prohibit the importation of high-risk carcass parts from CWD endemic states. As of April 1, 2006 Pennsylvania’s importation ban prohibits the importation of high-risk carcass parts from Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York (CWD containment area only), South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia (Hampshire County only), Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Pennsylvanians hunting in CWD-positive areas should get their animals tested and should leave high-risk carcass parts in the area where the animal was hunted.

     Specific carcass parts where the CWD prion (causative substance) concentrates are: head (including brain, tonsils, eyes and retropharyngeal lymph nodes); spinal cord and smaller nerves; spleen; upper canine teeth, if root structure is present; any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord material; unfinished taxidermy mounts or brain-tanned hides.

     Pennsylvania's high-risk carcass parts ban does not limit the importation of: meat, without the backbone; skull plate with attached antlers, if no visible brain or spinal cord material is present; tanned hide or raw hide with no visible brain or spinal cord material present; cape, if no visible brain or spinal cord material is present; upper canine teeth, if no root structure is present; or finished taxidermy mounts.

What can you do as a taxidermist to prevent the spread of CWD?

1. Determine if the specimen presented to you is from a CWD-positive state or area.
2. If from a CWD-positive state or area, and if no high-risk parts are present, ask if tissues were submitted for testing, and if test results are known. If high-risk parts are present, such as a whole head with cape and antlers or a whole carcass, contact your local PGC region office to report it. After receiving authorization from the PGC, the taxidermist may cape out the head and remove the antlers being careful to remove all visible brain and spinal cord material from the skull cap and cape. Retain the brain, spinal cord material and any other high-risk parts for collection by the PGC.
3. Wear latex or rubber gloves when working on specimens.
4. Thoroughly clean hands and taxidermy tools with soap and water and then sanitize tools in a solution of 50 percent household chlorine bleach and 50 percent water for one hour.
5. Proper disposal methods of carcass parts from states where CWD has not occurred include delivery to a regulated landfill through the trash or in food waste dumpsters. CWD-positive or suspect waste should not be rendered, burned in burn barrels, deposited in bone piles or spread in areas where it can come in contact with other animals.
6. Do not allow animals to have access to your taxidermy area or taxidermy waste.
7. Please call you local PGC office with questions or to obtain guidance.