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Mo. deer positive for Chronic Wasting Disease

A captive white-tailed deer in Macon County, Missouri has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. That’s according to a news release issued late Wednesday by the Missouri Departments of Agriculture, Conservation and Health and Senior Services as well as the USDA. Chronic Wasting Disease is a neurological disease found in deer, elk and moose. In the release, State Veterinarian Dr. Linda Hickam says there’s a plan in place and the situation is being addressed. She says there is no evidence that Chronic Wasting Disease poses a risk to humans, non cervid livestock, household pets or food safety.

The animal that tested positive was inspected as part of the State’s Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance and testing program. Preliminary tests were conducted by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

There was another case in early 2010 confirmed in Linn County on a captive hunting preserve operated by the same entity, Heartland Wildlife Ranches. That facility was depopulated and no further infection was identified there. The current case was found through increased surveillance resulting from the previous Chronic Wasting Disease incident.

Chronic Wasting Disease is transmitted by live animal to animal contact or soil to animal contact. There’s no evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans.

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