Cooperative Agreement AP25VSSPRS00C136

THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO PROVIDE CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE (CWD) PREVENTION BY ASSISTING CERVID HERD OWNERS IN REDUCING THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THEIR HERDS THROUGH GENOMICALLY ESTIMATED BREEDING VALUE (GEBV) TESTING, REMOVAL OF HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE ANIMALS FROM THE BREEDING POPULATION, AND SELECTIVE BREEDING FOR REDUCED SUSCEPTIBLY. IT ALSO PROVIDES A CWD HERD MANAGEMENT OPTION FOR CWD-POSITIVE, -EXPOSED, AND TRACE HERDS WHEN INDEMNITY IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR WHOLE HERD DEPOPULATION, OR AN OWNER DOES NOT WISH TO DEPOPULATE THEIR HERD. THIS OPTION REMOVES CWD-POSITIVE ANIMALS IDENTIFIED BY ANTE MORTEM RECTAL BIOPSY TESTING AND IDENTIFIES CERVIDS THAT ARE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO CWD AS IDENTIFIED USING THEIR GEBV SCORES. REMOVING HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE EXPOSED AND POSITIVE ANIMALS HELPS REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND MAY LIMIT THE SPREAD OF CWD WHEN COUPLED WITH SELECTIVE BREEDING BASED ON PREDICTIVE GENETICS. DECREASING SUSCEPTIBILITY IN UNAFFECTED HERDS MAY REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF INTRODUCTION OF CWD AND REDUCE OR ELIMINATE SPREAD TO OR FROM WILD DEER ACROSS THE FENCE LINE. AS A RESULT, THIS PROJECT WILL BENEFIT CERVID PRODUCERS IN THE STATE AND POSSIBLY WILD CERVID POPULATIONS. THIS APPROACH PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE TO WHOLE HERD DEPOPULATION TO HELP MANAGE CWD IN FARMED DEER. THIS PROJECT ALSO INTENDS TO AID IN THE MANAGEMENT OF INDIANA'S HERD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM (HCP). THE HCP REDUCES THE RISK OF INTERSTATE CWD SPREAD AND INCREASES TRADE CONFIDENCE OF CERVID ANIMALS AND PRODUCTS. THIS PROPOSAL DOES NOT INCLUDE SUBAWARDS.