Deer Wasting Disease Confirmed in Michigan USA (wgvu) - LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan's first case of chronic wasting
disease was confirmed Monday in a white-tailed deer from a
privately owned facility in Kent County.
Michigan officials have quarantined all privately owned cervid
facilities and banned the movement of all privately owned deer, elk
and moose.
Officials say they don't yet know how the deer may have gotten
the disease.
The disease has been found in other states, mostly in the West
and Midwest. It's a fatal neurological disease causing animals to
display abnormal behavior and lose weight.
There is no evidence that people have ever caught chronic
wasting disease from infected animals.
There is no evidence that the disease exists in free-ranging
deer in Michigan. But as a precautionary measure, the state will
increase its testing of herds and place some restrictions on
hunters in some areas.
"This will trigger a number of actions," said Rebecca
Humphries, director of the state's Department of Natural Resources.
The state's natural resources and agriculture departments are
reviewing records from the Kent County facility and five others to
trace deer and elk that have been bought, sold or moved in the last
several years. Any deer that may have come in contact with a herd
that has tested positive for chronic wasting disease has been
traced and quarantined.
Officials would not identify the Kent County facility involved © Copyright 2009, wgvu