The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection confirms that a Washburn County deer farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease or CWD. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the samples.
The positive result came from a 3-year-old doe. The 150-acre farm is 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. It comes from 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.
According to DATCP, research suggests that humans, cattle and other domestic livestock are resistant to natural transmission. To date there has been no documented transmission of CWD to humans.
