Be aware of disease

Hunters in Idaho and Washington will be keeping a sharp eye out for wildlife this season, and they need to watch out for some potential wildlife diseases, too.

State regulations pamphlets have warnings about the potential for chronic wasting disease in deer, elk and moose, West Nile virus and, new this year, avian bird flu.

Chronic wasting disease: “No cases of CWD have been found in Washington since we began testing for it in 1995 – and we want to keep it that way,” said Kristin Mansfield, department wildlife veterinarian. Hunters can help by stopping at voluntary check stations so their game can be sampled.

Hunters can also help by reporting deer and elk that are acting sick or behaving strangely, Mansfield said. Infected animals lose weight and coordination, become lethargic, hang their heads, droop their ears, and salivate more than normal.

CWD causes animals’ brain tissue to deteriorate similar to mad cow disease and is always fatal to the animal. Although it has not been found to transmit to humans, the meat of sickly big game should be avoided as a precaution, officials say.

Hunters can take extra precautions by not eating the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, pancreas or lymph nodes of deer and elk.

West Nile virus can affect many birds, especially crows, magpies and ravens, but also some game birds such as prairie grouse. Because West Nile is a mosquito-borne disease, the risk of handling a potentially infected grouse is minimal. Cooking to over 170 degrees kills all viruses in all meat, including game birds.

Avian bird flu has been found recently in birds in other parts of the world, but extensive testing this year has not found the virulent strain in North America. Nationwide, officials plan to sample 100,000 birds this fall. Idaho and Washington already have been sampling hundreds of birds before the fall hunting seasons.

There’s no evidence that properly cooked waterfowl or poultry can sicken people, Fish and Wildlife experts say.