Testing of deer shows no new cases of chronic wasting disease

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Following testing of 3,666 deer harvested during and after the 2013 deer-hunting season, the Missouri Department of Conservation has detected no additional cases of chronic wasting disease in Missouri free-ranging deer, the department said in a news release.

The total number of confirmed cases in Missouri deer remains limited to 10 found in 2012 and early 2013. All were from a small area of northwest Macon County near the area the disease was confirmed in 10 captive deer in 2012 at a private hunting preserve. Missouri's first case of CWD was discovered in 2010 in a captive deer at private hunting facility in southeast Linn County owned by the same private hunting preserve.

"While I am cautiously optimistic that these latest test results suggest our efforts to limit the spread of CWD may be working, the threat of this infectious disease remains significant," Kelly Straka, MDC state wildlife veterinarian Kelly Straka, said in the release, adding, "Continued surveillance is important."

Of the 3,666 deer tested, 1,520 were from the disease-containment zone of Chariton, Randolph, Macon, Linn, Sullivan, and Adair counties. Of the 1,520, 206 were from the 30-square-mile around the private hunting preserve in Macon County where cases were discovered in captive deer.

The remaining 2,146 test samples were gathered from deer harvested outside of the six-county containment zone.

As it has done the last two years, MDC again worked with landowners during January and February to harvest and test 147 free-ranging deer as part of 206 samples collected in the core area; this was done to monitor infection rates and help limit the spread of the disease from deer to deer by reducing local deer numbers.

Chronic wasting disease infects only deer and other members of the deer family by causing degeneration of the brain. The disease has no vaccine or cure and is 100 percent fatal. It is spread both directly from deer to deer and indirectly to deer from infected soil and other surfaces. Deer and other cervids can have the disease for several years without showing any symptoms. Once symptoms are visible, infected animals typically die within two months.

More information visit mdc.mo.gov/node/16478.