(The Center Square) – There were 1,786 deer that tested positive for chronic wasting disease from the fall hunt in Wisconsin, according to a new summary report from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Most of those came from what the DNR calls the Southern Farmland Zone, with 89% of the positive tests in that area, which includes Madison and the surrounding counties.
Overall, the DNR tested 17,399 deer for the disease after stating its goal was to test 19,200 deer during the year.
Chronic wasting disease is a contagious and fatal neurological disease that can infect deer, elk, moose and caribou.
The infection can spread through direct animal-to-animal contact or through bodily substances or the carcass of infected deer. Deer can have the disease for a year and a half without showing outward signs.
The DNR had 242 sampling across the state, including 166 self-sampling kiosks and 76 staffed sites.
Waushara and Fond du Lac saw several new positive tests after having just one apiece before this year. Waupaca had its third positive test while Shawano detected three additional CWD positives, two of which were in different areas of the county from past detections.
There were also detections in Adams, Buffalo, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, Marathon, Monroe, Portage and Trempealeau counties.
“Although we have detected CWD in new areas of the state in recent years, many of these areas are at a low prevalence rate, and opportunities still remain to slow the spread and growth of the disease statewide,” DNR deer herd health specialist Erin Larson said in a statement.
In all, there were 7,680 samples from the Southern Farmland Zone tested with 1,583 positive for the disease.
