HILLSDALE COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is reporting a detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a farmed cervid from Hillsdale County, which was identified through the state’s surveillance program.
Farmed cervids are captive members of the deer family, including deer, elk, reindeer, and moose, raised in enclosures for breeding, meat, private hunting ranches, velvet antler production, or exhibition.
“While regular surveillance leads to early detection and is a fundamental piece of the response effort, MDARD’s ongoing collaboration with herd owners, their veterinarians, and our federal partners is crucial to managing the disease for the long-term,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland, DVM, MS, DACVPM. “Ensuring the health of Michigan’s farmed cervid population has been and continues to be a team effort.”
CWD is a progressive, fatal neurological disease that affects different cervid species, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. CWD can be transmitted directly from one animal to another and indirectly through the environment. While an infected animal may appear healthy for months or years, state officials say it will eventually display abnormal behavior, progressive weight loss, and physical debilitation in the later stages of the disease.
The presence of CWD in farmed cervid facilities is not new to Michigan. Prior to this detection, cases have been found across multiple counties, including Calhoun, Kent, Lake, Mackinac, Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo, and Osceola counties.
Currently, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans. However, as a precaution, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that CWD-infected animals should not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals.
More information about CWD can be found at Michigan.gov/CWD or Michigan.gov/MDARD-Cervid.
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