Eleven deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the 2022-23 hunting season in Tensas Parish, Louisiana, raising the state's total to 12 cases since the prion disease was first detected in the parish in January 2022, according to a notice from Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries (LDWF).
A total of 2,370 hunter-harvested deer in Louisiana were tested for CWD during the 2022-23 hunting season.
Deer in affected areas should be tested before eating
CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting cervids such as white-tailed deer. The causative prion, a misfolded protein particle, is transmitted among deer via urine, feces, and carcasses. Infected deer may lose weight, drink water and urinate more than usual, salivate excessively, and display circling and a lack of coordination and fear of people.
CWD hasn't been found to spread to humans, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend against consuming CWD-infected venison. Hunters in areas with a history of CWD should submit their deer for testing for the disease before eating the meat.