White-Tailed Deer at Walworth County Hobby Farm Tests Positive for Chronic Wasting Disease

According to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture - Trade and Consumer Protection, a white-tailed deer at a Walworth County hobby farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). Samples were confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. 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. 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. The farm and its herd are under quarantine while an epidemiological investigation is conducted by DATCP and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarians and staff.