Wyoming confirms new chronic wasting disease case

Wyoming Game and Fish has confirmed another case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a buck mule deer.

The deer was harvested in Deer Hunt Area 5, south of Sundance, Wyoming. CWD has been previously documented in neighboring hunt areas and in one overlapping elk hunt area.

The Department is concerned about CWD and how it might affect the future of Wyoming’s deer. It is fatal to deer, elk, and moose.

Recent Wyoming research shows it could pose a threat to deer populations in areas with a high prevalence of the disease.

An endemic area map indicates it has become widespread across Wyoming.

Last year, the department tested 3,882 CWD samples throughout the state, which was a significant increase from past years.

Although CWD has not shown to be transmittable to humans, the Centers for Disease Control instructs hunters not to consume any animal that is obviously ill or tests positive for CWD.