There is a lot of concern surrounding deer having chronic wasting disease, you may know it from photos and talk of “zombie deer” in the wild. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources has helped clear the air surrounding the disease, and provide you with all the information you need.
- Caused by infectious prions, similar to mad cow, scrapie, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases
- No known cure or treatment
- Transmitted via deer saliva, feces, decomposed carcasses, and other bodily fluids
- Common symptoms include
- Loss of fear of humans
- Confusion
- Drooling
- Drooped ears and head
- Wide-based stance
- The disease can take over 1.5 years to develop
- The deer may look healthy to the average person
- Discovered in Virginia in 2009, predominantly in Northern portions of the state
- Currently no known cases of CWD being transmitted to humans, but:
- Possibility of transmission not ruled out
- Other prion disease, such as mad cow, were able to infect humans
- Get deer tested if harvested from a known CWD-positive area
- Do not eat CWD-infected meat, or meat that is possibly infected
- Wear gloves when handling deer
- Virginia’s Hunters for the Hungry requires all donated deer harvested in a county to have found CWD to be tested before donation (Frederick County does not accept donations)
- Do not feed any deer!
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If you find a deer with CWD, it is recommended you do one of the following:
- Double-bag and place in a landfill
- Bury close to the harvest site
- Left on the landscape as close as possible to the site of harvest
Also, be sure to never dump the carcass near bodies of water or roadways, and try not to move it long distances.
For more information on Chronic Wasting Disease, and where to get deer tested, check here.