The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection confirms that an Oneida County deer farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. The result was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
The positive result came from a 4-year-old white-tailed buck. The farm has been placed under quarantine, where it will remain while DATCP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarians and staff conduct the epidemiological investigation.
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. DATCP regulates deer farms for registration, recordkeeping, disease testing, movement, and permit requirements.
More CWD News
Earlier this month, the Wisconsin DNR confirmed two CWD cases in wild deer in Trempealeau and Polk counties. For each county, this was the first confirmed CWD-positive wild deer detected. Learn more: https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2023/11/02/2-counties-have-confirmed-cwd-cases-2/
Jasmine Batten, wildlife health section supervisor for the Wisconsin DNR, says the agency is trying to make it more convenient for hunters to stop the spread with testing locations and carcass disposals. But she says the first line of defense against CWD is to get more hunters out there harvesting more deer.