Burnett County Deer Farm Tests Positive for CWD

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirms that a whitetail deer at a Burnett County deer farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The result was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

The positive sample came from a 4-year-old whitetail buck. DATCP has quarantined all 19 deer at the 5-acre farm, meaning that no live animals or whole carcasses are permitted to leave the property. The herd will remain under quarantine while an epidemiological investigation is conducted by DATCP and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarians and staff.

CWD is a fatal, neurological disease of deer, elk and moose caused by an infectious protein called a prion that affects the animal’s brain, and testing for CWD is typically only performed after the animal’s death. DATCP regulates deer farms for registration, recordkeeping, disease testing, movement and permit requirements.