Two bull moose legally harvested by hunters last month in northern Colorado tested positive for chronic wasting disease, the Colorado Division of Wildlife said today.
The riflemen harvested the moose near Glendevey and at least one of the animals was from the same herd as a CWD-positive moose that was harvested last year, officials said.
The moose heads were tested at the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic lab in Fort Collins.
Testing for moose was made mandatory in Colorado in 2003 to aid biologists in monitoring the species for evidence of CWD.
Since 2002, 528 moose have been tested, resulting in three positive cases.
“It is believed that CWD in moose is rare because they are a fairly solitary species,” said Kathi Green, manager for northeast region of the Colorado Division of Wildlife. “It hasn’t been in moose long enough for us to draw any conclusions to what is happening.”
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease that has been diagnosed in wild deer and elk in 10 states and two Canadian provinces.
The animals show no apparent signs of illness throughout much of disease course. In terminal stages of CWD, animals typically are emaciated and display abnormal behavior.
The disease has been found in portions of northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming for more than two decades.
State and federal health officials have found no connection between the wasting disease and any human illness.
As a precaution, however, hunters are advised not to eat meat from diseased animals.
Hunters who submit infected animals for testing are contacted and given the choice of having their license fee refunded or receiving a replacement license for the same game management unit. They also receive a refund for the cost of reasonable processing.
Hunters may submit animals for testing at DOW offices around the state and at the offices of some veterinarians. For a complete list of submission sites and for more information about testing and chronic wasting disease, visit the DOW Web site at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/BigGame/CWD/.
