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Fish and Game director briefs committee on chronic wasting disease, wolf monitoring and grizzly conflicts
Summary
Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks updated the Senate committee on chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance and results, methods and trends in wolf population monitoring and management, and increasing grizzly bear conflicts and removal actions in the Greater Yellowstone area and other parts of the state.
Jim Fredericks, director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, gave an agency update covering chronic wasting disease, wolves and grizzly bears and took committee questions on each topic.
On chronic wasting disease, Fredericks explained CWD is caused by a misfolded protein (a prion), not a virus or bacteria, and that prions are infectious, untreatable and can persist in the environment for years. He told the committee that, "the only way you can destroy a prion is by extremely caustic chemicals ... or high temperatures to cremate them." He said the Centers for Disease Control recommends people not eat meat from animals known to be infected with CWD.
Fredericks reviewed Idaho surveillance: CWD was first detected in Idaho in 2021 in the Slate Creek area (between Riggins and Whitebird). The department implemented targeted surveillance hunts and required mandatory testing in affected units. Fredericks reported prevalence in the original focal area has remained low (under 3 percent from 2021–2024) and that…
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