• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Sunday, August 3, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Science

Deer and elk farmers on the front lines of battle against chronic wasting disease

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
November 2, 2016
in Science
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

The effort to manage a fatal brain disease in deer and elk is taking significant steps forward thanks to a partnership between researchers, government experts, and American deer and elk farmers.

Researchers from Midwestern University, Colorado State University, the Colorado State Department of Agriculture, and the United States Department of Agriculture were part of a unique study aimed at managing chronic wasting disease (CWD) in ranched elk in areas where the disease is common in wild deer and elk.

The project, first reported during the 59th AAVLD/USAHA annual meeting in Greensboro, NC, received a major boost from deer and elk farmers, including the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA), the North American Elk Breeders Association (NAEBA), and Whitetails of Wisconsin (WOW). Over the past few years, the groups have supported research into developing live animal tests – specifically relying on samples collected during herd depopulations. What has been lacking, until recently, is the application of those test developments towards solving real world problems.

The project, headed by Midwestern University's Nicholas Haley, D.V.M., Ph.D., focused on using conventional and experimental tests for CWD to identify and remove infected animals from a large elk herd living on thousands of acres of fenced property. The study provided a substantial body of samples that could provide for more sensitive tests than are currently available, but perhaps more importantly it has allowed insight into the genetic association between infection and disease resistance.

With the help of his collaborators, Dr. Haley been able to examine the links between infection and a number of genetic markers found in elk known as microsatellites, using techniques commonly known as "DNA fingerprinting" which assist in building a family tree for the ranch and may prove useful in any number of other species as well. "I am time and again fascinated with the wealth of genetic data we've been able to collect," Dr. Haley said. "Imagine being able to predict which animals may become infected next year, or identify branches of animals more resistant to disease than others, and ultimately using that information to manage the disease from purely an agricultural perspective."

The project would not be possible without the cooperation of deer and elk farmers and their representatives, Dr. Haley says. "This project has allowed the deer and elk farming industries to take ownership of CWD management and play a critical and prominent role in bringing it under control."

In areas where CWD is common, deer and elk farmers have the very realistic ability to manage their animals by identifying desirable traits and selectively breeding for them – in this case, resistance to CWD. "What would take Mother Nature thousands of years to do, deer and elk farmers can do in our lifetime," Dr. Haley suggests.

Although the concept of managing CWD on-site through live animal testing and selective breeding is a relatively new one in the deer and elk farming arena, Dr. Haley hopes that this project is able to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of such an approach, allowing future work to build off of the novel findings and ultimately stop CWD in its tracks.

###

Midwestern University is a graduate degree-granting institution specializing in the health sciences with eleven colleges and two campuses. The Illinois campus, located on a 105-acre site in Downers Grove, is home to over 2,900 students and five colleges: the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Chicago College of Pharmacy, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Dental Medicine-Illinois, and the Chicago College of Optometry. The Arizona campus, located on a 156-acre site in Glendale, is home to over 3,500 students and six colleges: the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, the College of Pharmacy-Glendale, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Dental Medicine-Arizona, the Arizona College of Optometry, and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit http://www.midwestern.edu or call 623.572.3215.

Media Contact

Tony Johns
[email protected]
623-572-3792

http://www.midwestern.edu

Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Five or more hours of smartphone usage per day may increase obesity

July 25, 2019
IMAGE

NASA’s terra satellite finds tropical storm 07W’s strength on the side

July 25, 2019

NASA finds one burst of energy in weakening Depression Dalila

July 25, 2019

Researcher’s innovative flood mapping helps water and emergency management officials

July 25, 2019
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Blind to the Burn

    Overlooked Dangers: Debunking Common Myths About Skin Cancer Risk in the U.S.

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
  • Neuropsychiatric Risks Linked to COVID-19 Revealed

    51 shares
    Share 20 Tweet 13
  • Dr. Miriam Merad Honored with French Knighthood for Groundbreaking Contributions to Science and Medicine

    46 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 12
  • Study Reveals Beta-HPV Directly Causes Skin Cancer in Immunocompromised Individuals

    38 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 10

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Nano- and Micro-Polystyrene Impact Gut Cells, Neurons

Adolescents Face Cancer’s Impact on Identity, Sexuality

Critical 70% CO2 Threshold for Viable Geological Storage

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.