Pennsylvania to Employ New CWD Testing Initiative

By Vanessa Torres

Pennsylvania -(Ammoland.com)- The Pennsylvania Game Commission will be increasing efforts to sample white-tailed deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD) during the upcoming general firearms deer season.

In addition to continuing with established CWD monitoring statewide, biologists will focus on collecting as many brain and lymph node samples as possible from adult deer harvested in 11 townships in Bedford and Blair counties.

Townships being targeted are: Bedford, Bloomfield, East St. Clair, Kimmel, King and South Woodbury in Bedford County, and Blair, Frankstown, Freedom, Greenfield, and Taylor in Blair County.

These townships are within the larger area designated as Disease Management Area 2 (DMA 2), and are at the center of the area within which some wild deer are currently infected with CWD. Three road-killed deer have tested positive for CWD in this area during the past few months.

This fall’s enhanced sampling effort is aimed at determining the CWD prevalence rate within deer in this region. This information will be used to plan next steps toward controlling the spread of the disease.

“To believe that we can’t control or eradicate this disease, is to ensure that we …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand