LINCOLN, Neb. – A sick deer in Lancaster County tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease, in early March. This is the first known case of CWD in Lancaster County.
CWD is a degenerative disease that attacks the brain of an infected deer or elk, eventually causing emaciation, listlessness and death. It is generally thought that CWD is transmitted from animal to animal through the exchange of bodily fluids, but other modes of transmission may exist. CWD has been found in 35 Nebraska counties, but no population declines attributable to the disease have yet occurred.
Help limit the spread of CWD by refraining from feeding deer and elk. This practice is not recommended and increases the risk of disease transmission.
Hunters are advised to dress animals at the place of kill, avoid spreading spinal cord or brain tissue to meat, and dispose of the head (brain), spinal column and other bones at a licensed landfill.
Learn more about CWD at OutdoorNebraska.gov/cwd. Please direct any reports of sick deer to the nearest Game and Parks office.
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