Wild Deer in Sparta, New York, Confirmed With Chronic Wasting Disease in State's First Wild Case Since 2005
SPARTA, N.Y. — A wild deer in the town of Sparta, Livingston County, has tested positive for chronic wasting disease, the first such case in a wild deer in New York State since 2005, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced on November 6. The deer, an adult female white-tailed deer harvested in Sparta in southern Livingston County, was sampled under the department's annual statewide wild deer surveillance program; the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University confirmed the result, and the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory is conducting further testing.
Chronic wasting disease is an always-fatal contagious disease that attacks the brain and central nervous system of deer, moose and elk. With the archery season under way and the regular firearms season starting later this month, the department said it will first rely on hunter-submitted samples to determine the scope and prevalence of the disease before deciding on further sampling and management measures. A collection station is set to open on November 12 for hunters in the containment area who harvest deer to submit samples for testing.
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 白尾鹿（Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0）
