Concern spread among reindeer herders on both the Swedish and Norwegian sides after the announcement last week. The last time there was a major outbreak of CWD on the Norwegian side, it was decided that 2200 wild reindeer would be euthanized.
But this time it turned out to be a false alarm.
When further tests were taken over the weekend, it turned out that the reindeer did not carry the infection.
– This shows that the system works and also why some diagnoses require several steps to be determined with the highest possible certainty, says Anna Karin Germundsson Hauge.
“May show incorrect result”
According to the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, it is not surprising that the initial test could indicate CWD. Already when they alerted the Norwegian food authority Mattilsyne, they said that more tests needed to be done over the weekend.
– Biological tests can easily react to something else in the tests than what they are supposed to show and therefore show an incorrect result. Therefore, alternative methods are often used to examine a sample. This ensures that you get a correct analysis answer, says Anna Karin Germundsson Hauge.