Chronic Wasting Disease: Iowa Deer Tests Face Delay

DES MOINES, IA — Iowa's efforts to document the spread of chronic wasting disease in deer is likely to be delayed the rest of this month due to a national shortage of test kits. Chronic wasting is a form of encephalopathy that is fatal to deer and last year the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported 12 deer tested positive among 4,879 samples collected.

The DNR uses samples to monitor the spread of chronic wasting disease among the deer population in the state to follow whether it is spreading.

Iowa State University’s Veterinary Lab has been the primary laboratory for testing Iowa samples for CWD, but it has not been able to conduct tests on submitted samples since Nov. 17 due to the national test kit shortage.

Instead, the DNR turned to Colorado State University, which it had worked with to process samples in 2015. But officials at that school notified the DNR this week that the shortage of test kits in many places has caused an unexpected increase in the testing requests there.

CSU initially agreed to process 1,200 samples from the 2017-18 deer season, but that number is expected to increase. The Iowa DNR will seek approval from the Natural Resource Commission at its meeting Thursday to increase the number of samples for testing at CSU.

Staff with the Iowa DNR wildlife bureau in the meantime will continue collecting deer tissue samples from specific areas within target Iowa counties.

Photo via Erik Olsen/Pixabay