Monday is the first day of rifle deer hunting season in Pennsylvania, but in Adams and York Counties some hunters are doing something that's never been done in our state, having their deer tested for Chronic Wasting Disease.
The entire situation is an alarming one for the PA Game Commission. Because of it, they have established a CWD testing site in New Berlin.
Just to give you an idea of how seriously the state is taking this, Monday is the busiest day of the year for the Game Commission. They have 50 of their 600 state-wide employees on site to help stop the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease.
They check every deer, including dozens at a time trying to find what might not even be there. In the past few weeks, two captive deer in Adams County have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, a first for our state.
CWD is a fatal brain disease that affects only the deer. It is spread through urine, saliva and feces.
As of now it has not been found in the wild. But since it is here, the Game Commission set up the testing station to look for more of it.
“There's a certain amount of risk,” explained PA Game Commission’s Joe Neville. “Even though it hasn't gone from deer to humans at this point, anywhere, anytime, there's still a level of risk.”
The Game Commission will spend $500,000 this year alone testing for CWD. A 600 square mile Disease Management Area has been established in York and Adams Counties.
Starting today, every deer harvested in this area must be tested at the site. In the next two weeks, more than 1000 deer are expected to come through the site, where samples of brain tissue are collected and tested.
“Where the biggest risk is though, the affect it could have on the deer population,” Neville told us. “So if it gets out in the population at a certain level, it could have devastating impact on the population.”
If no CWD is found, the station will be there for the next five years. That is how long it takes to be considered CWD free.
But it CWD is found in more deer, the site could be there for a long-time. PA is the 23rd state in the nation to have CWD.
The entire situation is an alarming one for the PA Game Commission. Because of it, they have established a CWD testing site in New Berlin.
Just to give you an idea of how seriously the state is taking this, Monday is the busiest day of the year for the Game Commission. They have 50 of their 600 state-wide employees on site to help stop the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease.
They check every deer, including dozens at a time trying to find what might not even be there. In the past few weeks, two captive deer in Adams County have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, a first for our state.
CWD is a fatal brain disease that affects only the deer. It is spread through urine, saliva and feces.
As of now it has not been found in the wild. But since it is here, the Game Commission set up the testing station to look for more of it.
“There's a certain amount of risk,” explained PA Game Commission’s Joe Neville. “Even though it hasn't gone from deer to humans at this point, anywhere, anytime, there's still a level of risk.”
The Game Commission will spend $500,000 this year alone testing for CWD. A 600 square mile Disease Management Area has been established in York and Adams Counties.
Starting today, every deer harvested in this area must be tested at the site. In the next two weeks, more than 1000 deer are expected to come through the site, where samples of brain tissue are collected and tested.
“Where the biggest risk is though, the affect it could have on the deer population,” Neville told us. “So if it gets out in the population at a certain level, it could have devastating impact on the population.”
If no CWD is found, the station will be there for the next five years. That is how long it takes to be considered CWD free.
But it CWD is found in more deer, the site could be there for a long-time. PA is the 23rd state in the nation to have CWD.