Chronic Wasting Disease confirmed in Herkimer County. What is it and what to look for
Following last week’s confirmation of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) found in a captive deer in Herkimer County, New York State Department of Agriculture continues to investigate the detection to protect New York’s wild deer population.
CWD was detected in one captive red deer in a private deer farm located in Herkimer County during routine agriculture-based surveillance efforts conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
The presence of CWD was confirmed through testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Working with state and federal partners, the captive deer herd were quarantined in accordance with the state’s Interagency CWD Response Plan, found here.
What is Chronic Wasting Disease?
CWD is an infectious, degenerative disease of cervids, such as deer, moose, and elk, that causes brain cells to die, ultimately leading to the death of the affected animal. The incubation period can be lengthy and infected animals may look healthy until the end stages of the disease, making them difficult to distinguish from healthy animals.
Whitetail deer are susceptible to Chronic Wasting Disease
Animals infected with CWD can transmit the disease to other animals during the silent incubation period, so controlling the disease and preventing its spread to the wild deer population is imperative, for both animal welfare and ecological health.
USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services will depopulate and AGM will test all deer on the premises to reduce the potential of disease transmission to other deer.
At this time, there is no evidence that CWD is present in wild deer, officials said.
Although the threat to public health from the captive deer herd detection is low and there is no strong evidence that CWD can infect humans, people should not consume meat from a CWD-positive deer. As with any game, people should not consume meat from animals that appear sick.
Continuing investigation
The state is also continuing to investigate how CWD was introduced into this herd, which is a closed herd with an extensive testing history in a CWD non-detect state. The deer herd owner sourced the deer from a USDA-CWD-free certified herd and routinely submitted animals for CWD testing beyond the state’s minimum requirements. The owner is fully cooperating with the investigation and has provided all necessary information to assist the state with their search for the source of this infection.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is enhancing surveillance of wild deer in the area, which includes working with USDA Wildlife Services and cooperating landowners to collect wild deer on private properties immediately adjacent to the captive facility.
Hunters can help disease surveillance efforts by voluntarily submitting harvested deer heads to drop boxes deployed at several locations in Herkimer and Otsego Counties, including in the Towns of Columbia, German Flatts, Litchfield, Warren, Winfield, and Richfield.
Outside of these townships, hunters who wish to have their deer tested may submit a sample to the Cornell University Wildlife Health lab at https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/hunter-cwd-testing)
Hunters will be notified if there is a positive result. Hunters with a positive result should contact DEC’s Region 6 Wildlife Office at 315-785-2263 or email at [email protected] to dispose of the venison safely and properly.
CWD was first reported in New York in 2005 in Oneida County in captive deer and two wild deer.
It was eradicated through a thorough response operation. In 2014, the state announced its Interagency CWD Response Plan to outline actions to guide eradication efforts following a potential CWD detect.
This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Chronic Wasting Disease confirmed in Herkimer County
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