Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Research to target wasting disease

A researcher at the University of Manitoba is spearheading a first-of-its-kind study into how people are affected by chronic wasting disease.

It is a highly contagious, environmentally transmitted prion disease found in wild animals, particularly deer and elk in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Prof. Stéphane McLachlan of the Environmental Conservation Lab, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources at U of M, has been awarded $400,000 to research the implications of CWD for people most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of the disease, especially aboriginal communities.

The funding is being provided by PrioNet Canada in an effort to address the health-related risks posed by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease), CWD and other prion diseases, and to accelerate discoveries in these areas.

The research, co-funded by the Alberta Prion Research Institute, is part of a total infusion of $1.6 million to support three projects, including two additional Alberta-based projects.

"Although no evidence indicates whether or not CWD is transmissible to humans, it may still have severe socioeconomic consequences for hunters, for those in the tourism and nature industries, and especially for aboriginal communities," said McLachlan.

For example, he explained that many aboriginal communities are concerned about contamination and diseases of wildlife and therefore distrust the safety of wild food, which may undermine traditional livelihoods and lead to stress and compromised health.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 18, 2009 B2

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