Completed Projects

Project 1401 - Live CWD Research on Elk herds in Saskatchewan
Project 1401 was a two part project in Saskatchewan for research to support development of a live test for Chronic Wasting Disease. The Elk Research Council executed the project with the help of the Saskatchewan Cervid Alliance. Dr. Nicolas Haley, of Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, conducted the ante-mortem sampling and research for Kansas State and shared samples with Colorado State University. Learn More

Project 1503: CWD Test & Cull Study
A promising project started in 2016 to help illustrate alternative solutions for managing CWD positive herds. The current approach for many states and provinces when handling a case of CWD in a captive herd is to quarantine and ultimately depopulate the entire herd. In some areas, specific management plans are developed while the herd remains under quarantine to keep the post-mortem prevalence of CWD on a premise site to a minimum. Learn More

Project 1601: Anthrax Study in Farmed Elk
ERF Project 1601 specifically aimed to better identify anthrax risk in captive elk herds in states and provinces of the United States and Canada with and without a known anthrax history by performing serological testing for antibodies to B. anthracis. Hundreds of elk ranchers live in or near the documented risk zone. The ERF partnered with the University of Florida on this project. Learn More

Project 1602 - Characterization of Hemorrhagic Disease and Vaccine Efficacy in Captive Elk
Though uncommon, outbreaks of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (EHDV) have been regularly observed in both captive and free-ranging herds of elk since 2009. ERF Project 1602's goal was to understand the strains of HD that are causing mortality in captive elk herds and the efficacy of commERFially available autogenous vaccines for HD. Learn More

ERF Project 1604 - Chronic Wasting Disease Sampling Statistics
A new study reviewing Chronic Wasting Disease sampling reveals possible gaps in understanding where the disease exists across North America. The Elk Research Foundation (also known as the Elk Research Council) announced it is working to gain a better understanding on Chronic Wasting Disease sampling data performed in free-ranging and farmed deer herds. Learn More

Project 1801: Identifying Current Scientific Knowledge about CWD Resistance in North American Elk, Whitetail Deer & Mule Deer
While the origins of CWD are uncertain, the disease has been present in wild cervid populations for nearly 50 years and has now been reported in farmed and free-ranging populations in 23 American states, 2 Canadian provinces, Norway, Finland and the Republic of Korea. Susceptibility in deer and elk is often linked to specific alleles of the normal cellular prion protein, encoded by the PRNP genes, including the 96, 95, 116 and 226 codons in white-tailed deer and the 132 codon in North American elk. Learn More

Project 1902- Elk DNA Genomic Sequencing Collection
The Elk Research Foundation is collecting DNA samples from farmed elk across the United States and Canada in hopes of learning more about elk sequencing technologies. The ERF is working with Dr. Chris Seabury of Texas A&M University, who is developing a whitetail and mule deer genome. Learn More

Project 1904 - CWD Research for Skin Testing on Farmed Elk
In April 2019, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry shared the news that a farmed elk bull had tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. The bull was two years old and was injured during routine herd maintenance, which resulted in the animal's death. Learn More

Project 1905 - CWD Research for Rectal Biopsy on Farmed Elk
In April 2019, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry shared the news that a farmed elk bull had tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. The bull was two years old and was injured during routine herd maintenance, which resulted in the animal's death. Learn More