The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 766: The Truth About Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
Sep 22, 2025
Michael Chamberlain, a wildlife biologist and director of the Wild Turkey Lab, and Mark Rudd, a veterinary scientist at the University of Georgia, dive deep into chronic wasting disease (CWD). They tackle the realities of CWD, dispelling myths and addressing public skepticism. The slow, cryptic nature of the disease is explored, along with its effects on deer populations and the challenges of live testing. Their discussion emphasizes the importance of preventive measures, given the high prevalence rates and environmental transmission risks.
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What CWD Is And Why It Hides
- Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disorder where a misfolded protein accumulates in the brain and causes fatal neurological decline.
- The disease is cryptic and slow at population scales, often taking decades to show large impacts.
Two Timescales Of CWD
- CWD works on two timescales: months-to-years for individuals and years-to-decades for populations.
- That slow, cryptic pace explains why the disease often appears to “hide in plain sight.”
Limit Feeders And Carcass Movement
- Avoid practices that concentrate deer repeatedly on one spot, like feeding and baiting, because they raise local transmission risk.
- Follow agency bans on baiting and carcass movement to reduce prion deposition on the landscape.
