By STEVE BINDER

Illinois Correspondent

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois officials will conduct the final informational meetings regarding chronic waste disease (CWD) in white-tail deer beginning Sept. 27 and running through Oct. 12.

Since the fatal neurological disease was diagnosed in the first deer in Illinois in November 2002, a total of 685 animals have been diagnosed as having the disease in 17 of Illinois’ 102 counties, all located mostly in the northern part of the state.

Unlike some other states such as Wyoming and Colorado, where CWD was first discovered in the 1970s, and now Wisconsin, which is seeing the disease spread quickly in recent years, Illinois has seen its numbers of CWD infections steadily climb, but not at an alarming rate. The disease in deer has been found in 24 states.

“We like to think we’ve had some success in limiting the population of mule deer overall in areas where the disease has been detected, and we believe that has helped keep the spread of CWD at a slower rate,” said Doug Dufford, the state’s Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) wildlife disease program manager.

So far Dufford and IDNR have conducted three meetings, with about 50 people attending each. They are free, begin at 7 p.m. and offer everyone the chance to ask questions after a short 30-minute video.

“There are a lot of people who care about the long-term health of the state’s mule deer population, and if you do care about it, it is important to learn a little about this disease, help track it by having deer tested and stay informed,” Dufford said. “There are a lot of rumors that still float around about the disease, and it’s important to get the facts.”

Dufford said the state intends to continue not only monitoring the status of the disease – which so far has not been determined to infect any other animals except members of the Cervidae family, such as elk, moose or caribou – but to continue a population control program for deer by allowing special deer hunting permits in CWD-infected counties.

He added that deer hunters, particularly in northern Illinois, should have their catch tested at one of numerous check stations manned by IDNR personnel in affected counties or to have an IDNR-approved meat processor do the testing at no cost.

While the World Health Organization states that no evidence exists that CDW is transferable to humans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control maintains that if a deer tests positive for CDW, people should not consume any of the animal’s meat, Dufford said.

The disease is caused by proteins called prions, which are found in all vertebrates, but the prions that cause CWD has an abnormal shape. When it is introduced to deer and other members of the Cervidae family, it causes the production of more rogue prions that eat away at the brain. Once infected, the disease is fatal, but could take up to three or so years before death. It is spread by bodily fluids, such as a doe’s saliva on her fawn, or through urine or feces deposits.