Pennsylvania first detected chronic wasting disease in 2012 at a captive deer facility in Adams County. The disease has since been detected in free-ranging and captive deer in a few, isolated areas of Pennsylvania.
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Pennsylvania first detected chronic wasting disease in 2012 at a captive deer facility in Adams County. The disease has since been detected in free-ranging and captive deer in a few, isolated areas of Pennsylvania.
Submitted Photo
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) — an always fatal and untreatable neurological disease affecting white-tailed deer and elk — continues to expand across Pennsylvania.
But it’s not going unchallenged.
Several research initiatives launching this year aim to increase understanding of CWD and develop tools to confront it.
The first project will look at the impact of CWD on deer in Bedford and Fulton counties, which have produced about 90% of known CWD-positive deer since the disease’s discovery in Pennsylvania in 2012.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission, in cooperation with the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s (Penn Vet) Wildlife Futures Program, will capture and outfit deer with GPS collars over three years starting this winter. Deer will be monitored to examine their fates.
“Although it is unfortunate that CWD is now found in about one of every five hunter-harvested adult deer in these counties, these circumstances do provide a higher probability of capturing, marking and monitoring individual CWD-infected deer,” said Andrea Korman, the Game Commission’s CWD Section Supervisor. “It will give us insight into the effects of CWD on Pennsylvania’s deer population.”
A second project with the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Penn State University will use modeling to investigate how CWD may affect future deer populations and what actions can be taken to reduce any negative effects.
Right now, the ultimate impact of CWD on Pennsylvania’s deer herd is unknown. Research from Wyoming has shown that CWD can negatively impact deer populations, but Pennsylvania’s deer abundance and landscape are much different.
“Pennsylvania’s landscape is ideal for white-tailed deer, so it is important for the Game Commission to have Pennsylvania-specific data when recommending CWD management actions,” said David Walter, Assistant Leader of the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. “This study will provide those needed data.”
Two other research initiatives underway focus on improving CWD detection. Detection of CWD is particularly challenging.
CWD has a long incubation period. Infected animals might not show clinical signs of the disease for up to 18 to 24 months post-infection. In the meantime, they appear normal but continue spreading the disease.
What’s more, there is no approved live-animal test for CWD. Current testing methods can detect it only by examining tissues — such as brainstem and lymph nodes — collected from dead animals.
But the Wildlife Futures Program, a wildlife health partnership between Penn Vet and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, is currently engaged in two projects aimed at improving the Game Commission’s ability to detect CWD.
The first involves using dogs trained to sniff out CWD. Phase one of this initiative, conducted through Penn Vet’s Working Dog Center, validated that dogs can distinguish feces from CWD-infected deer from those of deer that were not infected.
In phase two, the Wildlife Futures Program’s K9 Conservation Team will move dogs into the field to determine their CWD scent detection on the landscape.
The second project involves refining a highly sensitive detection method for prions known as real-time quaking-induced conversion test (RT-QuIC for short) to detect CWD in feces and other tissues. This would expand the Game Commission’s ability to track and monitor CWD.
“The evaluation of dogs’ CWD-detection abilities and new diagnostic tests represent potential additions to the toolbox for managing CWD,” said Lisa Murphy, Co-Director of Penn Vet’s Wildlife Futures Program. “We’re looking forward to assessing the results of these ongoing research programs.”
CWD, classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), is similar to scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or “mad cow disease”) in cattle, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans. It represents a significant threat to deer and elk in Pennsylvania. There is no natural immunity to the disease and there is no cure.
CWD spreads through direct animal-to-animal contact, as well as indirectly through prion-contaminated environments. Prions are misfolded proteins, and evidence supports prions as the infectious agent for CWD. CWD-infected individuals shed prions in saliva, urine and feces, and infected carcasses contribute to environmental contamination. Prions can pass through the digestive tract of scavengers and predators and remain infectious; plants can uptake CWD prions and remain infectious; and soils retain infectious CWD prions for years.
Currently, there is no evidence of CWD infecting humans or other species under natural conditions, but much is still unknown about CWD. Given the uncertainty, limiting exposure of wildlife, livestock and people to CWD prions is essential.
Pennsylvania Tourism Office releases
2023 Happy Traveler state guide
The Pennsylvania Tourism Office this week released the 2023 Happy Traveler — Pennsylvania’s state travel guide dedicated to must-see attractions, exciting events and a resource for planning future getaways.
For travelers looking to visit iconic locations, discover hidden gems, or take part in one-of-a-kind events and cultural experiences, the annual guide provides ideas for how to plan a #PABucketList vacation.
“A new year calls for new adventures in Pennsylvania that allow us to see the world from a new perspective and better connect with ourselves, nature, and community,” said Carrie Fischer Lepore, Department of Community and Economic Development Deputy Secretary of Marketing, Tourism & Film. “Whether planning a getaway to relax and practice a little self-care or checking off a bucket list item, this year’s guide is overflowing with inspiration to explore the unique cities, history, outdoor experiences, food, and culture across the Commonwealth.”
A recent survey shared that more than half of consumers tend to travel two to three times per year, while 24% tend to take four or more annual trips. When asked where they turn for inspiration for their trips and vacations, popular sources included word-of-mouth, tourism websites, and social media platforms.
Free copies of the Happy Traveler are available at — visitPA.com — which also serves as a hub for trip recommendations and ideas to explore the state with articles like 20+ Must-Visit Places in Pennsylvania.
Happy Travelers also can sign up to receive Happy Thoughts, a digital newsletter, in their inbox each month. Additionally, Happy Travelers can always refer to visitPA’s social media channels to discover the latest hot spots and get inspired for their next getaway.
The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, housed within the Department of Community and Economic Development, is dedicated to inspiring travel to Pennsylvania. From iconic attractions to hidden gems, tourism in Pennsylvania helps support the state’s economy and creates jobs for local businesses — all while improving residents’ quality of life.
PFBC Boating Advisory Board urges
life jackets during winter ‘freeze thaw’
During a meeting of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Boating Advisory Board this week, members urged boaters to abide by the cold weather life jacket requirement, especially during the recurring “freeze-thaw” cycle happening across Pennsylvania.
This is the period, common during late winter, where air temperatures become warmer during the day, but water temperatures remain frigid. During these changes in weather conditions, boating activity increases, but many boaters, especially new boaters, do not realize the danger presented by cold water.
In January, the PFBC announced that the annual Mandatory Cold Weather Life Jacket Requirement, which was enacted in 2012, has resulted in fewer boating incidents that resulted in fatalities over its first decade in effect.
Under the requirement, all boaters on boats less than 16 feet in length, or any canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard, must wear a life jacket from Nov. 1 through April 30.
Boating accident data has revealed that while the number of boating accidents during the cold weather months has remained comparable over the 10-year period, fatalities during the cold weather months have been reduced by approximately 50%.
New game wardens
complete training
Following 44 weeks of intensive training, the 34th Class of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Ross Leffler School of Conservation graduated Feb. 4, at the Susquehanna Township Middle School in Harrisburg.
Training School Director Kyle Jury praised graduates for their dedication and demonstrated commitment to our resources.
“The 34th Class, which began their training on March 27, 2022, met all the challenges of their in-class instruction and rigorous field training,” Jury said. “The graduation of our new game wardens marks many individual accomplishments that contribute to the overall success of the agency. I’m proud to say that this new class brings the total number of Ross Leffler School of Conservation graduates to 770 individuals.”
During the graduation ceremony, graduates were recognized for achievements in the areas of academics, marksmanship, physical fitness, driving skills and leadership.
• Graduate Michael Ondik received the class award for academics, with a score of 95.3%.
• Graduate Sheldon Helm was honored with the marksmanship award, achieving the highest overall proficiency in a series of courses firing the handgun, rifle, and shotgun.
• Graduate Peyton Edwards was selected as the fitness award winner for maintaining the highest standard of physical fitness during the training program.
• Graduate Theodore Frumkin captured the EVOC driving award for exhibiting safe and exceptional police driving skills during the training program.
• Graduate Kyle Lubak received the academy torch award for maintaining the highest professional standard of conduct, values, ideals, and demonstrated abilities as judged by his fellow classmates.
• Graduates were commissioned as officers and have been assigned to their new districts.
Members of the 34th Class, their hometowns and their new assignments are:
Drew B. Barger, of Beaver Falls (Butler County); James F. Crown III, of Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Peyton D. Edwards, of State College (Elk County); Gabriel W. Everett, of Effort (Bradford County); Garette T. Fallon, of Phoenixville (Clinton County); Philip C. Ferry, of Greensburg (Westmoreland County); Theodore M. Frumkin, of Indiana (Allegheny County); Griffin R. Gdovin, of Wilkes-Barre (Cameron County); Taylor J. Gunderson, of Lewis Run (Butler County); Brooke A. Hargenrader, of Marysville (Fayette County); Sheldon R. Helm, of Palmyra (Lycoming County); Brian M. Johnston, of Kirkwood (Chester County); Helen A. Karp, of Millheim (McKean County); Kyle B. Lubak, of Kempton (Bucks County); Luke E. Mentzer, of Lebanon (Potter County); Charles K. Onder Jr., of Portage (Bedford County); Michael J. Ondik, of Port Matilda (Venango County); and Ejai P. Rock, of Bedford (Bedford County).
In 1930, Ross Leffler, then president of the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners, proposed the establishment of a training school for game protectors. When the training school opened its doors in 1932, in Brockway, Jefferson County, it was the first such conservation officer training school in the world and served as a model for other states.
From 1932 until 1935, the Ross Leffler School of Conservation offered in-service training for game protectors. The school became a permanent facility until 1986, when it was moved to the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.