#874: Dr Evelyn Merrill: Chronic Wasting Disease

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Dr. Evelyn Merrill is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta.

She’s one of the researchers at the forefront of studying Chronic Wasting Disease in deer, elk and other cervids.

Chronic Wasting Disease was first  detected in Alberta along the Saskatchewan border in the mid 2000’s and it’s slowly moving west.

DR EVELYN MERRILL: It’s what’s called a TSE or a Transmissable Spongiform Encephalopathy.  And basically what that means is a nervous system disorder.  What you will see in the clinical signs is that a deer will essentially lose weight, it’s head will droop down, its ears and eyes will be like you know its sick.  It will salivate quite a bit.  And eventually 100 percent, if they get it, they will die.  It’s transmitted both animal to animal and through the environment.  So there are many routes through which one animal can infect another.  But we really don’t know at this point what the major route is. 

Dr Merrill says prions excreted into the environment can last for decades.

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In March, 2016 the consolidation of Alberta Innovates was announced and on November 1, a single, integrated innovation powerhouse, Alberta Innovates, was formed. Two applied research subsidiaries – Innotech Alberta and C-Fer Technologies –  serve public and private sector interests.

The Alberta Innovates system was first created in January 2010, as part of an overall innovation framework developed within the Alberta Research and Innovation Act. At that time, four corporations were established:

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The Alberta Innovates system has a 90-year legacy. Our expertise is built on the successes of:

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Program Date: 2017-06-06