The first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) for a hunter-harvested doe in Tunica County was received by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP).
According to MDWDP, the disease is caused by a “contagious, fatal prion, or abnormal protein, that affects cervids such as white-tailed deer, elk, and mule deer.”
The symptoms, which can include weight loss, stumbling, listlessness, and other neurologic abnormalities, can take up to a year or more to develop.
The doe, which is the first positive detection ever found in Tunica County, was considered “suspect positive” through initial testing and later confirmed by the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Since February 2018, 206 CWD-positive white-tailed deer have been detected across 10 counties throughout the state.
Hunters can submit deer for testing at established freezer locations or participating taxidermists.
Here’s the complete list of counties where CWD has been detected in 2023:
- Alcorn County – 2
- Benton County – 44
- Marshall County – 29
- Tippah County – 1
- Tunica County – 1
- Warren County – 2
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