Scientists work on math model to better predict spread of CWD

A new, more accurate way to forecast the growth and expansion of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in whitetail deer also could help predict the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels or the Ebola and Zika viruses, according to researchers. The forecasting tool presents the probability of CWD infection in a heat map-like format, with darker “hot spots” showing where the disease is growing at a faster rate in a study area in southern Wisconsin, said Daniel Walsh, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist based in Madison, Wis., and an author of a paper describing the newly developed method. Read more…