The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is carefully monitoring the deer population for signs of CWD.
All of the samples from wild deer taken last fall by hunters in southeastern Minnesota that were tested for the presence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) have come back negative for the disease.
“This is good news for Minnesota,” said Dr. Erika Butler, wildlife veterinarian for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “Extensive tests on wild deer in southeastern Minnesota and additional targeted tests of sick animals statewide all have been CWD negative.”
DNR conducted tests on 2,685 deer that hunters harvested last fall in southeastern Minnesota. An additional 28 deer from other parts of the state were sampled because they displayed clinical signs of an illness. None tested positive for CWD.
CWD naturally occurs in cervids, which include North American deer, Rocky Mountain elk and moose. Thedisease belongs to a group of infectious diseases known as “transmissible spongiform encephalopathies” (TSEs). It is caused by an abnormal protein called a prion, which affects the animal’s brain and is invariably fatal. Usually, months to years pass from the time an animal is infected to when it shows signs of the disease.
The 2010 deer season begins with the opening of archery season on September 18, followed by firearm season opening on November 6 and muzzle loading season on November 27.
Leave a Reply