For the Tomahawk Leader
VILAS COUNTY – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) on Wednesday, Sept. 29 announced that a deer farm in Vilas County tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
The results were confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL).
According to a release, the sample was taken during routine surveillance and came from an adult doe that was born on the farm and showed no signs of disease at the time of death. DATCP said it had quarantined the approximately 250 white-tailed deer at the 600-acre farm.
“The herd will remain under quarantine, and DATCP and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarians and staff will conduct an epidemiological investigation,” the release stated.
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, and testing for CWD is typically only performed after the animal’s death.
DATCP regulates deer farms for registration, recordkeeping, disease testing, movement and permit requirements.
For more information about CWD, visit www.bit.ly/3t8ziso.
To learn more about DATCP’s farm-raised deer program, visit www.bit.ly/38EaGxT.