WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced the availability of more than $12 million for states and tribal governments, research institutions and universities to control and prevent chronic wasting disease in wild and farmed cervids (e.g., deer, elk).
State departments of agriculture, state animal health agencies, state departments of wildlife or natural resources, research institutions and universities and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments and organizations are eligible to submit funding proposals to control and prevent CWD in farmed and wild cervids. This would be through the development and/or implementation of CWD surveillance, testing, management and response activities including the indemnification of farmed cervids.
Funding opportunities are available beginning April 9: one for farmed cervids and one for wild cervids.
CWD is an infectious, degenerative disease of cervids that causes brain cells to die, ultimately leading to the death of the affected animal. The incubation period can be lengthy and infected animals may look healthy until the end stages of the disease, making them difficult to distinguish from healthy animals. Animals infected with CWD can transmit the disease to other animals during the “silent” incubation period.
The disease has spread widely and the limited number of tools, as well as their efficacy, impacts the ability to effectively control the disease.
Funding opportunity announcements are post at Grants.gov. Applications are due on June 10.
