Overview of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy in Cervids in the United States

An insidious chronic wasting disease in deer held in captivity at wildlife research facilities in Colorado and Wyoming, recognized since 1967, was first identified as a spontaneous occurring spongiform encephalopathy in 1980 (1). The first reported cases of spongiform encephalopathy in elk occurred in 1979 and were reported in 1982 (2).