A buck harvested in Mecosta County has been diagnosed with chronic wasting disease, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, marking the county’s first positive case as the always-fatal disease spreads.
“The expansion of CWD to Mecosta County is consistent with the slow spread we’ve seen throughout Michigan, especially since the CWD-positive animal was harvested near confirmed cases in adjacent Montcalm County,” said Chad Fedewa, acting DNR deer, elk, and moose management specialist.
“We appreciate the hunting community for the crucial role they continue to play in disease-testing efforts.”
Mecosta County is now the 14th in Michigan where CED has been detected in the wild deer population, according to officials, after a buck harvested in Millbrook Township tested positive.
The case was confirmed by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which collaborates with the DNR to detect CWD in Michigan’s wild deer herd.
According to the news release, the test results were also confirmed by the US Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
According to the DNR, CWD tested more than 5,600 deer in Mecosta County between 2017 and 2019, with no positives found.
Millbrook Township, on the other hand, borders Montcalm County, where 167 deer tested positive for CWD after being collected by the DNR and submitted directly to the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory by hunters.
What is Chronic Waste Disease?
CWD is a fatal neurological disease affecting white-tailed deer, elk, and moose. There is currently no cure for chronic wasting disease in deer.
How does CWD spread among animals?
According to the CDC, scientists believe that CWD spreads between animals through contact with saliva, blood, urine, or feces from a CWD-positive animal. When an animal becomes ill, the disease spreads through the brain and spine, eventually killing the animal.
Signs to look for in deer
According to the CDC harvesters should look out for:
Drastic weight loss (called wasting)
Stumbling or lack of coordination
Drooling
Listlessness (appearing “out of it”)
Excessive thirst or peeing
Drooping ears
Lack of fear of people
Can humans get CWD?
CWD prions, which cause normal proteins in the brain to fold abnormally, do not infect human brain tissue, according to Science News.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is the most common human prion disease. Another prion disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), has a similar name but is a much rarer disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
There have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans. As a precaution, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against eating infected animals.
Where has CWD been found in Michigan?
The disease has been found in the following Michigan counties: Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, and Ogemaw, according to the DNR.
How the DNR finds cases?
Following initial testing near the sites of the state’s first CWD detections, the DNR began a rotational testing strategy in 2021, selecting a group of counties each year with the goal of testing enough deer in every Michigan county to detect the disease early.
In 2021 and 2022, the rotational approach targeted testing in both the southwestern and southeastern Lower Peninsulas. In 2023, the emphasis shifted to the northern Lower Peninsula, and in 2024, testing concentrated on portions of both the northern Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula.
Since chronic wasting disease was first discovered in wild deer in 2015, Michigan has tested over 109,000 deer for CWD. More than 143,000 wild deer have been tested since DNR surveillance efforts began in 2002, with 260 CWD-positive deer identified.
Furthermore, since direct hunter submissions of deer to the MSU laboratory began in 2020, more than 2,500 samples have yielded 47 additional confirmed positive results.
How can I submit deer for testing?
Deer for testing can be submitted via drop boxes at staffed check stations, as well as participating deer processors and taxidermists in the targeted areas.
Hunters can submit samples directly through free self-sample shipping kits in counties where CWD has previously been detected.
All deer donated to the Hunters Feeding Michigan program from counties with previously confirmed cases of CWD or bovine tuberculosis are tested directly at the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
How can I prevent myself from getting CWD?
Hunters should exercise caution when field dressing or processing deer, including wearing rubber gloves and avoiding contact with the deer’s brain and spinal tissue. Wash your hands with warm water after handling any parts of the carcass.
Deer carcasses and parts should be disposed of at a landfill or through regular bagged trash pickup. Deer harvested from known CWD areas should never be discarded in the field.
The DNR reports that samples for 2024 are still being processed. Once completed, the analyses will assist in determining which counties require additional CWD testing in 2025.
For more information on chronic wasting disease, go to Michigan.gov/CWD.
