The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) held a regularly scheduled commission meeting by live audio and teleconference call on June 23. The Commission proposed to amend TAHC rules regarding chronic wasting disease (CWD).
TAHC will accept public comments on the following proposed rules now through Aug. 10.
TAHC proposed amendments to Title 4, Texas Administrative Code §40.6, concerning CWD Movement Restriction Zones.
The amendments are intended to replace the Executive Director Order Declaring a Chronic Wasting Disease High Risk Area Containment Zone for Portions of Val Verde County dated Dec. 20, 2019, and to establish surveillance and containment zones in response to CWD confirmations in Kimble, Medina and Val Verde counties.
Click here to view the full proposal on the TAHC website.
The deadline to submit comments on the proposed regulation changes is August 10, 2020. Comments must be submitted in writing to Amanda Bernhard, Texas Animal Health Commission, 2105 Kramer Lane, Austin, Texas 78758, by fax at (512) 719-0719, or by email to comments@tahc.texas.gov.
For more information on the rule proposal and comment submissions visit https://www.tahc.texas.gov/regs/proposals.html.
CWD is a neurological disease in deer, elk, moose and other cervids.
CWD among cervids is a progressive, fatal disease that commonly results in altered behavior as a result of microscopic changes made to the brain of affected animals. An animal may carry the disease for years without outward indication, but in the latter stages, signs may include listlessness, lowering of the head, weight loss, repetitive walking in set patterns and a lack of responsiveness. To date, there is no evidence that CWD poses a risk to humans or non-cervids. As a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend not to consume meat from infected animals.
Click here for more information about CWD from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.