125,000 cervids tested for Chronic Wasting Disease

Testing such large numbers of cervids was possible thanks to an impressive effort from active hunters, municipal game management, the national wild reindeer board, its municipal wild reindeer committees, the Norwegian Environment Agency, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, local mountain boards and others who submit samples.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Olaug Bollestad (KrF) praises the efforts of the hunters and all others who have supported this national effort.

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- I am impressed by the pace the Veterinary Institute has been able to maintain, and the number of samples they have processed so far. Cervid game is a excellent basis for business development, based on hunting experiences and venison type produce, which is a fantastic food source. Therefore we need to monitor the health of the various cervid species, in order to track the spread of CWD. Quick test results are important to hunters, local processing facilities and the culinary supply business, says Minister Bollestad.

Important to get samples from both the brain and lymph nodes

Senior researcher and CWD coordinator Jørn Våge at the Veterinary Institute, says that the need for monitoring is still present. In September 2020, the Veterinary Institute discovered one case of CWD in one wild reindeer harvested during the regular hunt on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau.

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Våge emphasizes that it is important to get samples from both the brain and lymph nodes, and also to maintain high sample quality in order to obtain swift and certain results.

- Thorough sampling and correct labeling with relevant data is key. The aim is to learn more about the spread of the disease, enabling the authorities to manage the disease and our cervid stock in the best possible way, says Våge.

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Intense lab efforts

Sylvie Benestad, responsible for analysis, diagnostics and research on prion diseases at the Veterinary Institute, says that the special laboratory in 2020 and until March this year, has examined more than 25,000 samples from cervids. She is also responsible for the Veterinary Institute's function as the national reference laboratory for prion diseases in animals in Norway, as well as for the international CWD reference laboratory for the World Animal Health Organization (OIE). The reference function for OIE means that the Veterinary Institute is to collaborate with countries all over the world to confirm CWD diagnoses.

- Every day, all year round, we analyze several samples from different animals for prions.

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The hunting season is always the busiest period, and requires a departmental team effort. At its busiest, we process up to 1600 samples a day. Sample analysis is an extensive process, requiring many steps before arriving at the final test results, says Benestad.

What is prion disease?

CWD is a prion disease, where misfolded protein accumulates in and disrupts normal brain tissue. The disease is one hundred percent fatal for any affected animal. In wild reindeer with classic CWD, it has been observed to be contagious, while the current consensus is that in moose and deer the disease is sporadic.

There has never been an incidence of the disease being transmitted to humans, neither from animals nor from meat, but to be on the safe side, meat from animals that test positive will still not enter the food chain.

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute and the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA) monitor the incidence of CWD in Norway on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency.

• Find facts on CWD at the Veterinary Institute
• Read more about CWD at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (mattilsynet.no) - CWD information for hunters
• Learn how to extract sample material at the Cervid Hunt Portal (Hjorteviltportalen)
• CWD: Unique prion strains confirmed in Norway cervids (vetinst.no)