MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirms that a Washburn County deer farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The samples were confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
The positive result came from a 3-year-old doe. The 150-acre farm has been placed under quarantine, where it will remain while DATCP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarians and staff conduct the epidemiological investigation.
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. DATCP regulates deer farms for registration, recordkeeping, disease testing, movement, and permit requirements.
More information
- About CWD: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/
Programs_Services/ ChronicWastingDisease.aspx - About DATCP’s farm-raised deer program: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/
Programs_Services/ FarmRaisedDeer.aspx
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