Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, 4330 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-2153, USA.
City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, 66 South Cherryvale Road, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, USA.
Commun Biol. 2022 Jan 11;5(1):15. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02951-z.
The contagious prion disease "chronic wasting disease" (CWD) infects mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and related species. Unchecked epidemics raise ecological, socioeconomic, and public health concerns. Prion infection shortens a deer's lifespan, and when prevalence (proportion of adults infected) becomes sufficiently high CWD can affect herd dynamics. Understanding population responses over time is key to forecasting long-term impacts. Here we describe unexpected stability in prevalence and abundance in a mule deer herd where CWD has been left unmanaged. High apparent prevalence (~30%) since at least 2005 likely drove observed changes in the proportion and age distribution of wild-type native prion protein (PRNP) gene homozygotes among deer sampled. Predation by mountain lions (Puma concolor) may be helping keep CWD in check. Despite stable appearances, prion disease nonetheless impairs adult survival and likely resilience in this deer herd, limiting its potential for growth despite refuge from hunter harvest and favorable habitat and winter conditions.
传染性朊病毒疾病“慢性消瘦病”（CWD）感染骡鹿（Odocoileus hemionus）和相关物种。不受控制的疫情引发了生态、社会经济和公共卫生方面的担忧。朊病毒感染会缩短鹿的寿命，当患病率（受感染成年人的比例）足够高时，CWD 会影响鹿群的动态。了解随时间推移的种群反应是预测长期影响的关键。在这里，我们描述了在一个未管理的 CWD 骡鹿群中，患病率和数量出人意料地稳定。自 2005 年以来，高的明显患病率（约 30%）可能导致了在被采样的鹿中观察到野生型天然朊病毒蛋白（PRNP）基因纯合子的比例和年龄分布的变化。山狮（Puma concolor）的捕食可能有助于控制 CWD。尽管表面上看起来稳定，但朊病毒疾病仍然会损害鹿群中成年个体的生存能力和恢复力，限制了其生长潜力，尽管它们免受猎人捕杀、有利的栖息地和冬季条件的影响。
