Chronic wasting disease is a transmissible, fatal disease affecting cervids (deer, elk, moose, caribou). There is no treatment option for this disease and it is endemic in North America. Our team of researchers are trying to develop better surveillance methods to track disease spread, investigate what the potential host-range is for this deadly disease, and understand the best approach to disease management that is acceptable to all stakeholders.
Detection and surveillance
Development of new methods for rapid, and sensitive disease detection using transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, combined with the potential to survey the environment for CWD contamination, will improve monitoring, and surveillance. |
defining the potential Host range
Deer, elk, moose, and caribou are susceptible to CWD, but are they equally at-risk? Using molecular simulations, DNA sequences, and advanced molecular biology we will investigate genotype/strain interaction and better define the potential host-range of CWD. |
The human side of managementUnderstanding how various stakeholders perceive the risk of CWD will help to develop best practices for interacting, and communicating with policy makers, hunters, and First Nations/Metis regarding the management and control of CWD. |
Funding for this project is provided by:
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Learn more
Many of the team presented at Prion 2019 in Edmonton, AB this past May. View the abstracts and learn about all things prion! |
Listen in
Learn more about how our team is using First Nations experiences for the management of chronic wasting disease. |
Read up
Some soil compounds may help to degrade CWD prions based on recent research in the Aiken & McKenzie labs. |