Chronic wasting disease (CWD) results for deer tissue samples may be delayed for nearly a month due to a nationwide shortage of test kits. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was notified by the Colorado State University (CSU) testing laboratory that the unavailability has increased the number of samples being sent to Fort Collins, Colo. The DNR originally had an agreement with CSU to test 1,200 samples from the 2017-18 deer season, but they sought approval from the Natural Resource Commission Thursday to increase that number. The Iowa State University (ISU) Veterinary Laboratory is generally the primary CWD testing location for Iowa samples, but has been unable to perform tests on samples submitted after Nov. 17 due to the shortage. CWD is a degenerative disease similar to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, and has been found in deer populations in northeast Iowa and along the state’s western border.
