On March 8, 2018 it was announced by Wisconsin State Veterinarian Dr. Paul McGraw, that a white-tailed deer from a breeding farm in Washington County had tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the test results.
The buck was born on the 15-acre farm in May 2015. It was part of a herd of 58 whitetails, along with 13 elk, according to the owner’s most recent registration. The owner found it dead from injuries apparently sustained in a fight. The deer had previously appeared healthy. It was sampled in accordance with Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) rules, which require testing of farm-raised deer and elk when they die or are killed.
The farm has been enrolled in the CWD Herd Status Program since 2003. All deer from herds enrolled in the CWD Herd Status Program must be tested for CWD if they die or are killed on the farm.
The farm has been quarantined, an automatic action upon a positive CWD test, which stops movement of deer off the premises. DATCP’s Animal Health Division will investigate the animal’s history and trace movements of deer onto and off the farm to determine whether other herds may have been exposed to the CWD-positive deer.
For more information on DATCP’s Animal Health Division and the services it provides visit, https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Homepage.aspx
