Fourth Case of Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer Found

A fourth case of chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in southern Michigan deer.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, a hunter from Clinton County’s Dewitt Township brought in the year-and-a-half-old buck last month. Preliminary tests suggest the deer may have had the neurological disease.

Three other infected free-ranging deer in Ingham County had tested positive for CWD earlier this year.

DNR spokesman Chad Stewart says this new case was found eight miles away from where the other deer were found.

He says the concern is that it spread to a larger area than the department had anticipated, but the infection rate is still very small. Stewart says they will continue to treat it aggressively to try to eradicate CWD in Michigan.

The DNR has designated a core chronic wasting disease area consisting of nine townships in Ingham, Clinton and Shiawassee counties. Hunters that kill deer in that area have to have it tested.