The Michigan Department of Natural Resource (DNR) yesterday reported the first detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a deer in Ogemaw County, which is in the north central part of the lower peninsula.

The deer was a 4-year-old doe that was skinny, drooled, and showed no fear of people. The University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison confirmed the findings. CWD has now been found in 13 of Michigan’s 83 counties.
Chad Stewart, MS, the DNR’s deer and elk specialist, said intensive surveillance had been done. "In light of this new detection, we are offering additional opportunities for those interested in getting their deer tested for CWD in Ogemaw County," he said. Officials said a drop box for CWD testing will be available in the area starting November 3.
Rotational approach to testing
Stewart said CWD isn’t common in Michigan deer, and the hunting community continues to play a key role in helping with testing efforts. The DNR said it regularly tests around areas where CWD is detected as a way to detect the disease early. In 2021, it started a rotational approach, selecting a group of counties for testing each year with a longer-term goal of testing all Michigan counties.
The focus this year is counties in the northwestern lower peninsula and a few counties where more herd information is needed.
Michigan’s first CWD detection occurred in 2015, and, since then, more than 137,000 wild deer have been tested. The deer in Ogemaw County is the 251st to test positive.
CWD is a prion disease that causes neurodegeneration, similar to "mad cow disease," in several cervid species, or members of the deer family. The disease hasn’t been shown to jump to people, but health officials urge people to avoid eating infected animals and to use precautions, such as wearing rubber gloves and minimizing contact with brain and spinal tissues, when processing deer.