A deer killed by a hunter in Clinton County has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
The hunter took the one-and-a-half-year-old buck in Eagle Township on Wednesday, November 16. It was taken to a DNR check station as required where preliminary tests came back positive for CWD. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lab in Iowa will make a final determination. Testing could take 2 weeks or more.
Chronic wasting disease affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. Sick animals will lose weight and gradually become more debilitated. The disease is always fatal. There is no evidence that it can be transmitted to humans.
As a precaution the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization recommend people and domestic animals do not eat the meat of infected animals.
So far there have been 8 confirmed cases of CWD in Michigan, all in Ingham and Clinton Counties. The DNR has tested 9,000 deer since the first case was reported in May of 2015.
All deer killed in the following communities must be taken to a check station for testing within 72 hours:
Lansing
Lansing Township
Meridian Township
Williamstown Township
Delhi Township
Alaiedon Township
Wheatfield Township
DeWitt
DeWitt Township
Bath Township
Watertown Township
Eagle Township
Westphalia Township
Riley Township
Olive Township
Victor Township
Woodhull Township
Oneida Township
Delta Township
