34,000 cervids tested so far for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute has tested over 34,000 cervids for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) during the last 18 months.

"The results so far indicate that the prevalence in wild reindeer in the Nordfjella mountain area, where the disease was first detected, is low. This leads to increased conviction and hope that we will be able to control the infection by eradicating the reindeer in Nordfjella and thereby preserving healthy Norwegian cervid populations in the future," says Jørn Våge, CWD co-ordinator at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI).

CWD is a prion disease that causes suffering and death to the affected individuals. When CWD was discovered by the NVI in 2016, it was the first case in Europe, and as a consequence, an extensive sampling of Norwegian cervids was initiated.

"It is important to have a highly professional preparedness to handle animal diseases. The NVI has proven that they have high professional competence in their work with CWD. I am also impressed how the Institute has managed to examine a great number of samples during the last couple of years," says Jon Georg Dale, Minister of Agriculture and Food.

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