CWD Detected in Dodge Co.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirms that a Dodge County deer farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The result was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

The positive sample was taken from a 9-year-old doe. The 8-acre farm has been placed under quarantine, meaning no live animals or whole carcasses are permitted to leave the property. The herd will remain under quarantine while an epidemiological investigation is conducted by DATCP and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarians and staff.

CWD is a fatal, neurological disease of deer, elk and moose caused by an infectious protein called a prion that affects the animal’s brain, and official testing for CWD is typically only performed after the animal’s death. DATCP regulates deer farms for registration, recordkeeping, disease testing, movement and permit requirements.