United States: State governmental authorities confirmed that the neurological disease spreads throughout all deer populations throughout Washtenaw County.
A Department of Natural Resources scientist verified that the sick adult buck from Salem Township carried the chronic wasting disease.
More about the news
The process of chemical-altered substances causes weight reduction in white-tailed deer along with elk and moose populations before leading to organ dysfunction and eventually death, as noted by state wildlife experts.
The detection of Chronic Wasting Disease in wild deer expanded into the 15th Michigan county by encompassing Washtenaw County.
According to DNR’s official statement, “The disease is chronic, slow developing, and spreads slowly across the landscape,” mlive.com reported.
The disease detection in wild deer has now occurred in Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, and Ogemaw counties.
The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, together with the US Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory, established through tests that an infectious case occurred in Salem Township.
What more are the experts stating?
According to Chad Fedewa, the DNR’s acting deer, elk, and moose management specialist, “The expansion of chronic wasting disease to Washtenaw County is consistent with the slow spread we’ve seen throughout Michigan,” mlive.com reported.
A local resident reported to the DNR about an unwell deer, which he observed.
Residents need to report sick wild animals by using the Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField website and find several CWD testing facilities across Michigan.
The DNR carries out disease testing of deer through its state-based surveillance initiative.
Chronic wasting disease has not caused illness in humans, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against human consumption of infected deer or eating them by domestic animals.
Furthermore, “Hunters should take precautions when field-dressing or processing a deer,” officials stated.
“This includes wearing rubber gloves, minimizing contact with the deer’s brain and spinal tissue, and washing hands with soap and warm water after handling any parts of the carcass,” they continued.
The proper management of deer carcasses serves as an important measure to stop disease transmission.
The disposal method contains two options: immediate landfill entry or standard trash collection with proper bagging.
The statement declares that any deer arising from CWD-afflicted regions must always be discarded through appropriate methods aside from landscape disposal.