A white-tailed deer near Optima, Oklahoma, tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, according to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. CWD is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting deer. It is a family of diseases thought to be caused by misfolded proteins called prions and similar bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease. CWD is always fatal. So far, the transmission of CWD from wild animals to people or livestock has not been documented.
The deer was reported when a landowner in Texas County, Oklahoma, noticed a deer behaving abnormally. This is the first known case of CWD in a wild deer in Oklahoma.
“While this is unfortunate news, it is not unexpected since CWD has already been detected in every state that borders Oklahoma,” said Jerry Shaw, Wildlife Programs Supervisor at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “We will be working through our response plan to ensure we can monitor potential spread and keep our state’s deer herd healthy.”
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
