Research & Publications

The ecology of chronic wasting disease in wildlife

Escobar, L. E., Pritzkow, S., Winter, S. N., Grear, D. A., Kirchgessner, M. S., Dominguez‐Villegas, E., … & Soto, C. (2020). The ecology of chronic wasting disease in wildlife. Biological Reviews95(2), 393-408.

Review of the current status of the knowledge with respect to CWD ecology in wildlife and research gaps:

“Our current understanding of the geographic distribution of CWD lacks spatial and temporal detail, does not consider the biogeography of infectious diseases, and is largely biased by sampling based on hunters’ cooperation and funding available for each region. Limitations of the methods used for data collection suggest that the extent and prevalence of CWD in wildlife is underestimated. If the zoonotic potential of CWD is confirmed in the short term, as suggested by recent results obtained in experimental animal models, there will be limited accurate epidemiological data to inform public health.”