A federal laboratory has confirmed that a deer has tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Montcalm County.
This is second hunter-harvested CWD-positive deer in Montcalm County; three additional deer are awaiting confirmation.
The DNR announced that a 1 1/2 year-old buck, shot last month in Sidney Township, was confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
This is the 11th case of CWD to be confirmed in free-ranging deer in Michigan.
“Thank you to these hunters for checking their deer, which is required for these areas. Hunter assistance is critical in the ongoing fight against the spread of CWD,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer specialist. “The response from hunters so far shows a strong willingness to help, and it’s clear that more hunters are committed to getting their deer tested.”
To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. It is caused by the transmission of infectious, self-multiplying proteins contained in saliva and other body fluids of infected animals.
For more information on CWD, click here.
