We are working on a project to understand the different factors that affect chronic wasting disease (CWD) infection and progression in white-tailed deer. With funding from the CWD Alliance, we are using paired fecal samples from CWD-detected and CWD-non-detected deer across the Eastern and Central U.S., and we are investigating the relationship between deer genetics and deer gut bacteria in the probability that a deer will have a CWD infection.
In CWD-detected animals, we are also looking at whether genetics and microbes interact with prion strain to affect disease. In addition to gaining a better understanding of CWD dynamics on the landscape, this work has enabled us to refine methods for detecting CWD prions in non-invasively collected fecal samples, which can be easily obtained by hunters.
