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Louisiana Officials Call on Hunters to Aid Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Efforts in Deer

Healthcare

Louisiana, Hunters, Chronic Wasting Disease, Deer

Business Honor
19 November, 2024

Deer hunters in Jefferson Davis Parish urged to submit samples for critical CWD testing in local herd.

Louisiana wildlife officials are ramping up efforts to monitor the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in local deer populations following a confirmed case in Jeff Davis Parish. On November 7, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry announced that a deer from a private farm had tested positive for the disease. As a precautionary measure, the farm has been placed under quarantine, and a 25-mile surveillance zone has been established around the facility to monitor the potential spread.

CWD is a prion disease affecting cervids like white-tailed deer, elk, and moose. It is a neurodegenerative illness that manifests with clinical signs such as weight loss, excessive salivation, incoordination, and eventual death of the animal. There has been no evidence linking these animals to the diseases that spread in humans. Despite this, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization advise against consuming meat from infected animals.

Since surveillance of wild deer populations by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries began in 2002, this is a new confirmed case of the deadly chronic wasting disease, CWD, in the southwest quadrant of Louisiana. Area officials are now advising local hunters in Jefferson Davis Parish that they may be able to support the efforts to detect CWD if they will submit head samples for testing. The samples, which should include 4 to 5 inches of neck tissue, can be dropped by at the LDWF Field Office in Lake Charles for diagnostic testing.

Expanding surveillance through this data will be very critical to the evaluation of the potential impact that CWD may have on the local deer herd and to determine any further measures needed to protect the state's wildlife. Early detection is fundamental to preventing the spread of the disease.

For more information, including how to submit samples and details on CWD, visit the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website.