Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in Australia: update to 31 December 2021.

Nationwide surveillance of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and other human prion diseases is performed by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR). National surveillance encompasses the period since 1 January 1970, with prospective surveillance occurring from 1 October 1993. Over this prospective surveillance period, considerable developments have occurred in pre-mortem diagnostics; in the delineation of new disease subtypes; and in a heightened awareness of prion diseases in healthcare settings. Surveillance practices of the ANCJDR have evolved and adapted accordingly. This report summarises the activities of the ANCJDR during 2021. Since the ANCJDR began offering diagnostic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 14-3-3 protein testing in Australia in September 1997, the annual number of referrals has steadily increased. In 2021, a total of 548 domestic CSF specimens were referred for 14-3-3 protein testing; 73 persons with suspected human prion disease were formally added to the national register. As of 31 December 2021, just over half of the 73 suspect case notifications (37/73) remain classified as 'incomplete'; 17 cases were classified as 'definite' and 13 as 'probable' prion disease; six cases were excluded through either detailed clinical follow-up (two cases) or neuropathological examination (four cases). For 2021, sixty-four percent of all suspected human-prion-disease-related deaths in Australia underwent neuropathological examination. No cases of variant or iatrogenic CJD were identified. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic did not affect prion disease surveillance outcomes in Australia.

Upper Midwest tribal natural resource managers' perspectives on chronic wasting disease outreach, surveillance, and management

Management strategies for chronic wasting disease (CWD) across tribal lands have varied in response to changing dynamics of CWD risk. As CWD continues to spread across the United States, concerns associated with the disease are increasing. We interviewed 19 natural resource managers representing Anishinaabe and Dakota tribes in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin with goals of understanding needs and opportunities for CWD engagement, surveillance, and outreach on tribal lands;the implementation of natural resources policy and management across tribal nations;and opportunities for tribal partnership‐development to control CWD. Qualitative data analyses of interview responses revealed substantial variation in the number of tribal hunters, hunter regulation, and huntable tribal lands across our study area. Proximity of tribal lands in relation to CWD detections impacted tribal agency management strategies for CWD. Our results indicate a desire for CWD outreach and surveillance, mutually beneficial collaborations, and a need for incorporating cultural knowledge into CWD management strategies. We conclude that tribal CWD management and surveillance plans will be enhanced through strategic and thoughtful CWD outreach methods. Moreover, partnerships must recognize tribal sovereignty and respectfully integrate tribal values, knowledge, and worldview.