Six new cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) are being reported in four counties across the state by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
The MWFP released that five CWD-positive cases had been discovered in DeSoto, Benton, and Marshall counties on Wednesday, with a sixth case being found in Claiborne County the next day.
The Claiborne County case was the first positive detection for the county. The buck is considered “suspect positive” through initial testing and will be sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories for a confirmatory test.
Samples from the additional cases, which were submitted by hunters throughout the state, are now expected to be tested at the Mississippi State University’s Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Lab in Pearl.
CWD is a highly contagious and fatal ailment among deer populations that damages portions of the wild animal’s brain and typically causes progressive loss of body condition, behavioral changes, excessive salivation, and ultimately death.
In all, there have been 315 CWD-positive samples recorded in 16 Mississippi counties since 2018, with Marshall and Benton counties totaling the highest number of tests over the past six years.
Additional counties with positive cases for CWD include Warren, Tunica, Issaquena, Panola, Pontotoc, Tallahatchie, Alcorn, Tippah, Claiborne, and Tishomingo.
MDWFP: Harrison County reports first-ever case of CWD in deer
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