Wednesday, May 14, 2025 – Troubling rise in persistent diseases in animals and humans

Native America Calling

Tribal wildlife officials are trying to get a handle on the seemingly unstoppable increase in chronic wasting disease among large game animals. Now in at least three dozen states, the disease is always fatal for the deer, elk, and moose that contract it. Some public health officials are also cautioning about the potential for it to make the jump to humans. At the same time, measles cases have jumped over 1,000 in the United States. Decades after the highly contagious and easily preventable disease was all but eradicated, measles comes at at time when skepticism of scientifically proven vaccines is at an all time high. We’ll find out what wildlife managers and public health officials say about the threats from these two illnesses.

GUESTS

Dean Seneca (Seneca), CEO of Seneca Scientific Solutions+ and adjunct professor at the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Buffalo and Adjunct Instructor at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Kari Kingery (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), tribal wildlife program manager for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

Tiffany Wolf, associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and co-director of Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach at the University of Minnesota

Erin Larson, deer herd specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Break 1 Music: Prayer Song (song) Salish Spirit Canoe Family (artist) Keep Singing, Keep Dancing (album)

Break 2 Music: Crow Push Dance Song (song) Authentic Native American Music (artist) Authentic Native American Music (album)