AUTHORS: [presenting] Elizabeth Rasmussen, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; 5463 W Broadway Ave, Forest Lake, MN 55025; elizabeth.rasmussen@state.mn.us; 651-302-5042
Kelsie LaSharr, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 5463 W Broadway Ave, Forest Lake, MN 55025; kelsie.lasharr@state.mn.us
Michelle Carstensen, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; 5463 W Broadway Ave, Forest Lake, MN 55025; michelle.carstensen@state.mn.us;
Erik Hildebrand, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; 5463 W Broadway Ave, Forest Lake, MN 55025; erik.hildebrand@state.mn.us
ABSTRACT: The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has conducted Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) since 2002. Since 2016 different surveillance approaches have been implemented, each with varying costs, benefits, trade-offs, and lessons learned. In this presentation I will detail how we calculate a Cost Per Sample for both voluntary and mandatory sampling frameworks, and how this has factored into determining the “sweet spot” of our current surveillance approach. As the disease continues to affect more areas and resources are stretched, having a Cost Per Sample metric gives us the ability to assess staffing, management, and confidence in disease detection against the bottom line.
