By Kaleigh Fish
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal deer disease. The disease effects members of the deer family, such as; moose, deer, elk, and reindeer. CWD is a transmissible disease that causes brain degeneration, which is caused by misshapen cell proteins called prions. Humans can not get this disease, it is recommended to not eat any animals that have CWD or are sickly in any way.
In the United States 25% of deer have CWD. In Missouri the disease has been detected in only 18 of the 114 counties. The majority of these cases are in the southern part of the state. Testing in Missouri is reliable but needs the lymph nodes of dead deer to perform the test. As new testing is developed the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is hopeful for easier testing across the state. If any hunters hunt in one of the effected counties they need to have their deer tested.
Note: Information for this article was obtained from the October 2021 issue of the Missouri Conservationist magazine.
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