Figures & data
Table 1. Historical postmortem testing for CWD in harvested animals on the ranch, including estimated prevalence and 95% confidence intervals.
Table 2. Summary of antemortem and postmortem testing by antemortem test result and sex. Chronic wasting disease infection status in elk was categorized based on immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) results from rectal biopsies. Postmortem samples were collected either following euthanasia or when available from animals harvested in the field, to confirm CWD status of animals identified antemortem. Animals from the first year of sapling which did not return for the second year of the study were presumed to have died in the field, with no postmortem data available for testing. Postmortem test results are not yet available from the year two study period. NA: postmortem results were not available from bull elk which were released and did not return for sampling in the second year of the study.
Table 3. Yearly summary of antemortem and postmortem testing by PRNP genotype. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) were used to evaluate rectal biopsies from ranched elk for evidence of chronic wasting disease infection. Postmortem samples were collected either following euthanasia or when available from animals harvested in the field, to confirm CWD status of animals identified antemortem. Animals from the first year of sampling which did not return for the second year of the study were presumed to have died in the field, with no postmortem data available for testing.
Table 4a. Antemortem test results among various age classes of elk with different PRNP alleles in the 2016 study period. Chronic wasting disease was more prevalent among 132MM homozygous animals, and the disease was more commonly detected in younger age classes of animals than was observed in 132 M/L heterozygous animals – though this latter finding was not statistically significant. 132LL homozygous animals were not found to be CWD positive in the first year of sampling, and were found to be significantly younger than 132 MM and 132 M/L groups.
Table 4b. Antemortem test results among various age classes of elk with different PRNP alleles in the 2017 study period. Chronic wasting disease was once again more prevalent among 132MM homozygous animals, and again was more commonly detected in younger age classes among the 132MM animals compared to 132 ML heterozygotes. A single 132 LL animal was found to be positive in the second year of sampling.