Work

Statewide agent-based model for management of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: PAOvCWD

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an always-fatal disease infecting wild cervids globally. Ecologically and economically important, CWD presents a challenge for managing white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ). We built an agent-based model to simulate CWD transmission and assess potential management actions that could slow disease spread: PAOvCWD . We developed PAOvCWD using contact rates and other behavioral and ecological metrics estimated from deer monitored in Pennsylvania, USA. We programmed potential management responses (e.g., culling, altered hunter harvest) for all 22 Pennsylvania wildlife management units and validated the efficacy of PAOvCWD using a deer population in south-central Pennsylvania infected with CWD for > 10 years. To support applications of our model, we developed a user-friendly R pipeline that allows implementation with relatively minor modifications. Our pipeline includes four steps: • Steps 1 and 2 are the generation of regional percent forest cover rasters and curation of population-level demographics. • Step 3 is the initialization of NetLogo landscapes and agents using our PAOvPOP model. • Step 4 is the assessment of CWD transmission and management responses using our PAOvCWD model.

Source: MethodsX

DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2026.103823

Authors: Nathaniel H. Wehr, Christopher S. Rosenberry, David Stainbrook, Maureen Staats, Andrea L. Korman, W. David Walter

Institutions: Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania Game Commission, United States Geological Survey

Language: English

Topic: Prion Diseases and Protein Misfolding

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,260