Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been confirmed in a farmed white-tailed deer in Newaygo County, Michigan, according to a statement from the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.
The disease was detected during routine surveillance for CWD among Michigan's farmed deer population. CWD was first detected in farmed deer in Michigan in 2008, and has since been found on 11 cervid farms, including this latest case, in four counties: Kent (2 detections), Mecosta (4), Montcalm (3), and Newaygo (2). Cervids are members of the deer family, including moose and elk.
CWD was first detected in free-ranging deer in the state in 2015 and has now been confirmed in 11 Michigan counties, but no free-ranging white-tailed deer have tested positive for CWD in Newaygo County, which is in the western part of the Lower Peninsula.
"Limiting the spread and impact of CWD on Michigan's farmed cervid herds hinges on the ability to detect the disease early and respond promptly," said State Veterinarian Nora Wineland, DVM.
Limiting the spread and impact of CWD on Michigan's farmed cervid herds hinges on the ability to detect the disease early and respond promptly.
CWD is a fatal prion disease widely detected in cervids in North America, several Nordic countries, and South Korea. Though CWD has yet to be found in humans, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization recommend against consuming CWD-infected venison.
