Russ Mason: Privatization of CWD testing could help minimize human exposure, save money

From a wildlife perspective, management of chronic wasting disease (CWD) boils down to prevention, surveillance, and suppression. Eradication is unrealistic, just as it is for other wildlife diseases.
Most likely, CWD eventually will spread to most (if not all) cervid populations and drive changes to the size and age composition of herds. Said another way, the disease is going to do whatever it “wants” to do regardless of natural resource agency interventions. Luckily, minimizing human exposures to CWD is more manageable.