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Researchers: Wolves Might Slow Spread of CWD
William G. Davis writes "According to this AP article, researchers are now suggesting that wolves might be able to slow the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer. Chronic wasting disease is the name commonly given to spongiform encephalopathy (prion disease) in deer and elk (basically, mad cow disease in deer). The article explains how wolves typically look for weaknesses in their prey, and since prion disease causes that, wolves might target the sick animals. One has to wonder, though, about the potential ramifications of having dangerous predators exposed to this brain-wasting illness, and what type of 'unusual behavior' they'll start to exhibit."
Had the submitter actually read up on CWD, they'd have learned that it's already present in areas where there are wild wolves, and that there's no sign of the wolf population contracting it.
As well, in tests that involved feeding infected brains to live stock, none of the livestock showed any signs of contracting CWD. The only time they've had sucess with transmitting the disease outside of deer and elk is by atricicial means, as in, directly injecting it into the brain.
So the wolves should be safe enough.
Scavengers typically have immune systems thousands of times powerful as humans.
Quote from Here Vultures have long been perceived as loathsome birds because of their feeding habits. We now know the important role these birds play by cleaning up dead animals. The Latin name Cathartes aura means "Golden purifier". Turkey Vultures are immune to botulism, anthrax bacteria, hog cholera virus and many, many more that would kill other animals as well as us. Vultures were once blamed for spreading diseases. Scientific research has shown that their digestive tract and immune system actually destroy all pathogens and help to control these diseases. Ongoing research in the medical field on the Turkey Vulture's amazing immune system may some day yield valuable information that could be applied to humans as well as livestock.
Was just talking about this with a coworker (who keeps track of this kind of thing - he's more of a "commodities geek")on Wednesday.
Sounded like people link these two diseases is that the end result looks the same. Chronic wasting disease is a muscle problem, Mad Cow disease is a deterioration of the brain. Both end up the same with a weak animal that can't walk.
Chronic Wasting disease is probably more of a problem brought on by the overpopulation of deer in the upper midwest than anything. Wolves (and other predators) will benefit until the deer are brought into a more sane population - then they'll turn on people.
A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
-from what I remember reading in some not-so-recent Scientific American, a scavenger's immune system wouldn't help protect against rogue prions, because they're neither virus nor bacteria. A scavenger, if it incorporated these same prions into their own bodies, could possibly also be at risk for mad foo disease.
The book Mad Cow USA is now a free download (PDF). It's the entire book with 245 pages.
No primates are vegetarians.
Well, strictly speaking, you're right. Most primates get a small amount of their protein by eating small animals, mostly insects. But this doesn't make them predators. In general, primates get most of their calories from plants, and have few if any adaptations for predation. They're more properly classified as omnivores.
Similarly, cattle and other grazing animals inevitably eat a small quantity of insect, snails, etc that are mixed in with the herbs. But this doesn't make a cow into a predator.
In addition to humans and chimps, there are a number of other primates that actively hunt prey. Baboons come to mind. There's also the fish-eating monkey in southern Asia. All four of these species get a significant amount of protein and calories by eating small animals. But most primate species get maybe 1% of their calories by predation, so they don't really qualify as predators.
Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
Hear, hear! I also recommend reading Farley Mowatt's "Never Cry Wolf." Don't hold against it that it was made into a Disney movie, please. Farley Mowatt was sent into a section of Northern wilderness by the Canadian government to investigate the "wolf problem," as hunters were complaining to the government about the scarcity of Caribou, and how the wolves were killing them all.
His findings, in short: Human beings were responsible for the enormous drop in Caribou numbers by indiscriminate hunting. The number of myths about wolves and lupine behavior that are still around is absoultely inexcusable.