It takes the NDG&F awhile to collect samples. They are then sent to the University of Michigan. If a suspect is found they forward to Aimes Iowa who then notify NDG&F who in turn inform the sportsmen he has a positive in his/her freezer. This process can take 3 months. Much of a deer can be consumed by then. Some hunters elect to throw the remainder out while some choose to eat it.
However, if said hunter takes his/her positive deer to a processor to have sausage made, that positive may be co-mingled or go through the same grinder with many other deer during a days work/shift. There is no way of going back 3 months to see who's deer were co-mingled with what on any givin' day.
Bobkat, investors with waaaaay more money than you and I made the decision to fund research into finding a live animal test and/or a cure. The profit potential would be HUGE. So far the answer eludes. Government research facilities are also competing furiously for funding. It's a race.
Yes, an instant test, like the do it yourself pregnancy tests nowadays, would be nice to have. Modern tests definitely beat stuff like the ancient original “ female rabbit tests”.The odds so far of an affected animal are so low in ND so far, that you’d likey have better odds of “ winning” with the Powerball, though at least one of our members here did take an affected animal. Hope he wins the powerball, too!
I researched Scrapie and the history of Haggis, which has been consumed in Scotland for centuries and there seems to be no written records or references to any diseases resembling CWD variants over the centuries. No written records might be just the ancient culture and lack of much written stuff, though most of the run of 5he mill diseases were mentioned someplace or other. This suggests but doesn’t PROVE the scrapie just appeared in the last century or so. Sometimes old ancient moldy historical records can be helpful in tracking disease history.
when I donate blood they ask about living in the British Isles and France during some years. They’ve never asked if I eat brain or spinal cord or ground up bones or spleen or lymph nodes from Colorado elk! LOL