KIMBLE COUNTY, Texas — A case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been confirmed in a deer-breeding facility in Kimble County, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
The case is the second CWD detection in a Kimble County deer-breeding facility.
A six-year-old doe tested positive through an antemortem (live animal) test conducted to meet annual CWD surveillance requirements for the facility. Testing after the doe's death confirmed the result.
Texas A&M's Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station analyzed the samples initially, and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the CWD detection.
The disease has an incubation period that can span years, meaning the first sign in a herd could come through surveillance testing rather than observed clinical signs. Early detection and proactive monitoring improve the state’s response time to the detection of CWD and can greatly reduce the risk of further disease spread.
Before all deer hunting seasons begin, TPWD establishs a surveillance zone (two-mile radius) from the recent detection. All hunter harvested deer from the new zone must be presented at a check station (TBA), within 48 hours of harvesting the deer.
All affected landowners within the zone will be contacted by the department after the zone boundaries are established.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease found in certain cervids including deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. This slow, progressive disease may not have visible signs in susceptible species for several years after infection. As the irreversible disease process continues, animals with CWD may show changes in behavior and appearance. Clinical signs may include progressive weight loss, stumbling or tremors with a lack of coordination, loss of appetite, teeth grinding, abnormal head posture and/or drooping ears, and excessive thirst, salivation or urination.
In Texas, the disease was first discovered in 2012 in free-ranging mule deer along a remote area of the Hueco Mountains near the Texas-New Mexico border. CWD has since been detected in Texas captive and free-ranging cervids, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, red deer and elk.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people.
For more information about the disease, go to tpwd.texas.gov.
