WEST BRANCH, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reporting that a 4-year-old doe recently tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Ogemaw County.
It is the first CWD-positive wild deer from that county. CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and moose. To date, the disease also has been detected in Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Midland and Montcalm Counties.
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“When we find chronic wasting disease in a brand-new location, where previous intensive surveillance has not yet been done, it becomes extremely important for wildlife disease managers to understand where additional cases might be within that county,” said DNR deer and elk specialist Chad Stewart. “In light of this new detection, we are offering additional opportunities for those interested in getting their deer tested for CWD in Ogemaw County.”
A drop box for CWD testing will be available at the Rifle River Recreation Area headquarters, located at 2550 Rose City Road in Lupton, starting Friday, Nov. 3. The check station typically operated at the DNR field office located at 410 Fairview Road in West Branch will be open Nov. 15-30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Stewart said the hunting community can continue to play a key role in assisting the department in disease-testing efforts.
This year, testing will focus on the northwestern Lower Peninsula and a few counties in other areas where additional herd information is still needed. The focal counties for 2023 CWD testing include Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Hillsdale, Isabella, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Osceola and Wexford. These counties will have CWD testing drop boxes, staffed submission sites, and partner processors and taxidermists to assist with collection efforts.
In the rest of the state, testing is available through direct submission by hunters to a cooperating U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved diagnostic laboratory for a fee or through free self-sample shipping kits in counties where CWD has previously been detected.
Since CWD was first detected in 2015, more than 103,000 deer have been tested for CWD in Michigan. The Ogemaw County deer is the Department’s 251st positive animal.
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To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people. For more information click here.
