A deer from a Jeff Davis Parish farm has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, and officials are asking deer hunters to help with surveillance.
On November 7, the CWD test was confirmed and was announced by the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The farm involved participates in a voluntary CWD program. There's a quarantine restricting movement in or out of the facility, including live deer or deer products, and there's a 25-mile surveillance zone around the farm.
Chronic Wasting Disease is a neurological disease that fatally infects white-tailed deer, elk, and moose and poses a serious threat to wild populations. While CWD is not known to infect people, the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend against eating meat from infected animals.
The Office of the State Veterinarian has established the surveillance zone for herds near the affected deer farm and is diligently reviewing recent movement records, officials say. All deer farms in the surveillance zone are under restricted movement until further notice.
Louisiana deer hunters in Jefferson Davis Parish are encouraged to assist in surveillance by submitting samples. A deer head with 4 to 5 inches of neck is needed for diagnostic testing. The LDWF Field Office located at 1025 Tom Watson Road, Lake Charles, LA 70615 is the closest option for submitting samples at this time.
CWD surveillance of harvested deer from the area will be critical in understanding whether or not the native herd has been exposed. Early detection is crucial to slowing the spread of the disease. LDWF has conducted statewide surveillance of free-ranging deer since 2002. To date, the only CWD detections in the wild have been collected in Tensas Parish.
CWD is a neurodegenerative disease of white-tailed deer and other members of the family Cervidae. It is caused by a prion, an infectious, misfolded protein particle, and is 100% fatal in affected deer after an indeterminate incubation period. There is no treatment or preventative vaccine for CWD.
CWD-infected deer may exhibit signs of weight loss and emaciation, excessive salivation, frequent drinking and urination, incoordination, circling and lack of fear of people and always results in death of the animal.
Although CWD has not been shown to be contagious to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend against the human consumption of deer known to be infected with CWD. Also, it is recommended that people hunting in areas known to harbor CWD-infected deer have their deer tested for the disease prior to consuming the animals.
For more information on CWD, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/cwd
CWD cases have been identified in 34 US states, 5 Canadian provinces, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and South Korea. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has conducted statewide surveillance of free-ranging deer since 2002. To date, the only CWD detections in the wild have been collected in Tensas Parish.
