(NAFB.com) – USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service this week announced the availability of more than $12 million to control and prevent chronic wasting disease in wild and farmed deer and elk. CWD is an infectious, degenerative disease of cervids that causes brain cells to die, ultimately leading to the death of the affected animal. The incubation period can be lengthy, and infected animals may look healthy until the end stages of the disease, making it difficult to distinguish them from healthy animals. Animals infected with CWD can transmit the disease to other animals during the “silent” incubation period. The disease has spread widely, and the limited number of tools and their efficacy impact the ability to control the disease effectively. Eligible applicants may submit multiple proposals for each funding opportunity, requesting up to the maximum amount for that funding opportunity in each proposal. The funding opportunity announcements are posted on Grants.gov. Applications are due on June 10, 2024.