
The first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a farmed white-tailed deer in Osceola County, Michigan, has been identified, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) reported today.
The 7-year-old deer tested positive for the fatal neurodegenerative disease as part of the state's CWD surveillance program for deer farms. Osceola County is in the west-central part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
"While regular CWD surveillance testing is central to accomplishing this goal, MDARD's continued partnership with herd owners, hunters, and other state and federal partners is also crucial to effectively managing this disease," State Veterinarian Nora Wineland, DVM, said in the news release. "Ensuring the health of Michigan's farmed cervid population has been and continues to be a team effort."
15 other state deer farms have had cases
The farm joins 15 other CWD-positive deer farms discovered in the state since 2008 in Kent, Lake, Mecosta, Montcalm, and Newaygo counties. CWD was first discovered in free-ranging deer in 2015, with cases detected across 14 counties in Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas.