The Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirms an 8-year-old white-tailed doe tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) after its white-tailed buck pen-mate killed it in a small, two-deer, hobbyist herd in Douglas County. The USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the doe’s brain and lymph node tissues were positive for the disease. The site is under quarantine, and this is the first time CWD has been confirmed in Douglas County.

Following the release State Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen, Chair of the Senate’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee (R-Alexandria), issued the following statement:

“Chronic Wasting Disease is a potential issue for deer populations across Minnesota, and adequately addressing it has been at the forefront of our environmental priorities in my committee. In a state with such an extensive and deeply-rooted hunting tradition, we take this new development very seriously. This past session, we dedicated $1.8 million to the University of Minnesota to develop a live test to detect Chronic Wasting Disease. On top of that, we implemented new rules on farms, including stricter fencing regulations and the requirement of double gates.”

“As we wait for additional testing, we remain hopeful that this recent incident is an isolated situation contained within this pen. With that said, whitetail hunting is an amazing economic driver for our state, and it is essential that we continue to dedicate the resources and make additional necessary changes needed to stop CWD before it gets out of hand.  The Board of Animal Health is investigating the incident further and we look forward to their findings.”

CWD is a disease of the deer and elk family caused by prions, which can damage brain and nerve tissue. The disease is most likely transmitted when infected deer and elk shed prions in saliva, feces, urine, and other fluids or tissues. CWD is not known to naturally occur in other animals. The disease is fatal in deer and elk, and there are no known treatments or vaccines.