CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE AFFECTING DEER CONTAINED IN TWO WV COUNTIES

(09/13/2011)

State officials say Chronic Wasting Disease that affects deer in West Virginia deer is believed to be contained in Hampshire and Hardy counties. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources continues to be vigilant in its efforts to control the disease. CWD is a neurological, brain and nervous system disease of deer and elk. The first confirmed case of it in the Mountain State was in a road-kill deer found in Hampshire County in 2005. Since then, 99 cases have been confirmed in Hampshire and Hardy counties — one in Hardy and the rest in Hampshire, says DNR. DNR has tested road-kill deer in all 55 counties for CWD since 2002. CWD does not appear to be harmful to humans. It is most commonly spread from animal-to-animal. DNR said the discovery of CWD in Hampshire County represented a significant threat to the state's white-tailed deer. The agency said the disease can be described as a 30-to-50-year epidemic on the deer population. Infected deer and elk may not show any symptoms of the disease.

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