current studies
In 2008, Morris Animal Foundation will fund about 120 new and continuing studies for dogs, cats, horses, llamas/alpacas, and wildlife as well as 30 veterinary student projects.
We also have numerous studies nearing completion. You can search our current study database by species and/or disease to learn more about the studies we are funding in the areas you care most about. The results will also show you whether a study is available for sponsorship.
INSTRUCTIONS - Select a division from the left column, a disease or disorder from the middle column, and a study ID number from the right column.
D07ZO-425: “Epidemiology of Chronic Wasting Disease in White-tailed Deer in the Endemic Area of Wyoming”
principal investigator: Fellow: Dr. Dave Edmunds; Mentor: Dr. Todd Cornish, University of Wyoming
needs sponsorship
Co-sponsor: Neil & Sylvia Van Sloun, The Van Sloun Foundation
year: 1 of 2: $23,557.00
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first detected in 1967 in captive mule deer and then in Rocky Mountain elk in 1978. Since the initial discovery, it has been diagnosed in white-tailed deer and moose. The prevalence of CWD in free-ranging deer populations varies but may reach or exceed 35 percent in some areas. The disease causes central nervous system problems and emaciation leading to death. Currently, there is a lack of information on how deer infected with CWD behave and spread the disease in the wild and whether deer populations are declining in CWD endemic areas. Researchers will determine how the behavior of CWD-positive white-tailed deer differs from that of CWD-negative deer. They will also examine how CWD spreads, what role genetics play in the possibility that a deer acquires CWD, and determine impacts of CWD on the health of deer populations. This is a companion grant to D07ZO-159 and will provide training to a student working on his Ph.D.
