A second Mississippi deer has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in as many months.
After a case was confirmed in Pontotoc in October, officials with the Department of Wildlife have confirmed that a 2.5-year-old white-tailed deer in Issaquena has tested positive for CWD.
Now that the deer has initially tested positive, a sample will be sent to the National Veterinary Services Lab for official confirmation. If the sample is confirmed by the NVSL, a 25-mile containment zone will be created around the area where the infected deer was found.
As the department aims to prevent the spread of the disease, they’re asking hunters to be on the lookout for sick deer. William T. McKinley, the director of the deer program for the MDWFP, stated that you’ll most likely be able to notice certain behavioral issues in a deer that is infected.
“The deer may appear emaciated, it may be walking in circles, it may be unresponsive and unafraid. People may mistake that for it appearing to domesticated. The deer should see you and try to run away. If it doesn’t, that would be considered abnormal and we’d like to know about it,” he said.
Infected animals will begin to lose weight, lose their appetite, and develop an insatiable thirst. They tend to stay away from herds, walk in patterns, carry their head low, salivate, and grind their teeth.
The MDWFP is asking that you have your deer tested at any of their 20 drop-off locations across the state after they are killed. Click here to find your nearest test site. – CWD Drop-Off Locations
Mississippi’s first-ever case of CWD was confirmed in Issaquena back in February.
