There is pretty solid evidence that it started in the CSU deer pens in the 60s and spread to other areas in the continental US. That said, there have been outbreaks in other countries that can't be linked to those first animals here.
Also, I have not heard anyone from CPW department claim it wasn't the CSU experiment gone awry that caused it to start in Colorado. The people that claim that are usually linked to deer breeders that want restrictions lifted. They want you to believe it started "naturally" and so it is everywhere already so travel restrictions should be lifted.
There are only 2 areas where the disease has been detected in Texas: West Texas and the pandhandle where it has migrated naturally from infected herds in New Mexico. And deer farms, where it was carried to Texas in a trailer. There have been thousands of other tests done on deer in Texas and those are the only positive areas so far.
The reason I brought this thread back up was due to the article that I just posted that seems to indicate that the prions are mutating. Where or not they can mutate enough to infect humans, no one knows, but it would be extremely bad if it were ever to make that jump.
txhunter58
venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)