The Sportsman's Corner: A Word of Caution

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the research Dr. Frank Bastian of Louisiana State University (LSU) is doing regarding Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). In the column I included an address where you can send money to help fund his research. Even though I, along with the Unified Sportsmen of PA (USP), believe Dr. Bastian offers the brightest ray of hope in combatting CWD, I must offer up a word of caution.

Dr. Bastian believes he can develop a kit that hunters can use in the field to test their deer for CWD within a year. In another year, he thinks he can develop an injection to prevent deer on deer farms from contracting CWD. In three years his goal is to develop a vaccine that can be placed in the woods to prevent wild deer from contracting CWD. This sounds hopeful and ambitious.

In fact, the USP held a press conference on February 4 supporting Dr. Bastian's research. The USP announced at the press conference that Bastian had discovered the real cause of CWD. Spokesmen also presented the information about Bastian's development of test kits and vaccines.

However, we sportsmen have to remember that Bastian's research is based on a theory that is one that most mainstream CWD researchers do not accept. Bastian believes that Spiroplasma bacteria cause CWD and that prions are markers of the disease. Most other researchers believe that the prions are the cause.

In an article by Mark Nale in the February 15 issue of "Pennsylvania Outdoor News," Nale quotes Dave Putnam, a wildlife biologist and former member of the Board of Commissioners of the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) as saying, "...no one else has been able to duplicate the results he [Bastian] found.

"I [Putman] found a UPI article about CWD, dated 2003. In it, Bastian claimed to be just months away from a breakthrough [regarding CWD]. 15 years later he [Bastian] is still on the verge of a breakthrough."

Knowing this has taken some of the wind out of my sails regarding Bastian's CWD research. I, along with the USP and others, had high hopes that Dr. Bastian was close to being able to develop test kits and anti-CWD vaccines. Now I have had to temper my hope, even though Bastian's research still seems to offer the best chance for helping to combat CWD.

Anyhow, I hope the thousands of dollars that the USP is putting into Dr. Bastian's research help him to be successful. But, I am now only cautiously optimistic about his chances for success.