Deer Found With Chronic Wasting Disease in Southern Arkansas

A white-tailed deer in southern Arkansas has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. It was discovered last week in Union County, near the Louisiana border.

The Arkansas Fish and Game Commission reported on December 2, 2021:

This is the first CWD case in Union County. The source of this infection is unknown as it is more than 70 miles from the closest previous positive case (Issaquena County, Mississippi) and more than 200 miles from the closest known positive CWD case in Arkansas.

This case is so far removed from previous cases that they will start testing more deer in the area to see how infected the area could be.

The deer hunter who tested positive has been notified and informed on how to dispose of the infected venison.

Will there be any changes to the 2021-2022 deer season?

The AGFC stated in the report that from now on they will not change any hunting regulations to the estimated 2021-2022 season, but will re-assess the area of ​​the chronic wasting disease zone at the end of the season to see if it is necessary. change.

What is chronic wasting?

CWD is a deadly neurological disease that affects deer, elk, caribou, and elk. The CDC says there are no known human cases, but they recommend no eat the meat of an infected deer.

According to the AGFC:

Infected animals begin to lose weight, lose their appetite, and develop an insatiable thirst. They may be separated from their herds, walk in repetitive patterns, keep their heads down, salivate, urinate frequently, and grind their teeth.

If you are a hunter and would like to have your deer tested, more information can be found here.

LOOK: History of food from the year you were born

From product innovations to major recalls, Stacker investigated what happened in the history of food every year since 1921, according to government news and sources.

LOOK: Here are the best lake cities to live

Many of the cities included stand out to the casual observer as popular summer rental locations (Branson of the Ozarks, Missouri, or Lake Havasu of Arizona); It might surprise you to dive deeper into some quality-of-life offerings beyond the beach. and vacation homes. You’re likely to learn about a wide variety of American products: one of the last 1950s-style drive-ins in the Midwest; a Florida city that began as a retirement area for Civil War veterans; an island with some of the best public schools and sources of income in the country in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California city that contains much more than Johnny Cash’s prison blues.

.