With deer season off to a start, Chronic Wasting Disease continues to be a concern for many, including wildlife managers, hunters and others.
The disease, commonly referred to as CWD, eventually kills all deer it infects and can spread throughout the environment. CWD was first found in Missouri’s free-ranging deer population in 2012 and has been found in 18 counties, according to Missouri Department of Conservation. The disease remains “relatively rare in the state,” being detected in 206 deer out of more than 152,300 tested by MDC since 2012.
The contagious disease is fatal to whitetail deer, said Wildlife Biologist Jasmine Batten, who is also the Wildlife Health Program Supervisor for MDC.