Wildlife officials in Montgomery County have recently alerted people to a chronic wasting disease-stricken deer killed there.
A WSLS report said, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources announced on Wednesday that a deer killed in Montgomery and brought to a taxidermist in late November last year has tested for the said disease.
The same report also specified that the DWR said, at the time of the deer's kill, the hunter did not notice any noticeable indications of disease, and the deer seemed to be in good condition.
Not Linked with Prior Chronic Wasting Disease Cases
The department does not believe this recent occurrence is linked to any prior chronic wasting disease cases, as the closest recorded case was over 160 miles far in Madison County.
A report from The Roanoke Times said, during the deer hunting season for 2020 to 2021, participating taxidermists submitted samples from more than 2,600 deer and the only CWD detection, as a result of this statewide initiative, was this Montgomery County deer, DWR said.
As part of the CWD Management plan of the department, a new disease management site has been developed, including Montgomery, Pulaski, and Floyd counties.
Initiatives to prevent the spread of CWD are now taking effect, and they include banning the rehabilitation of white-tailed deer fawn in the counties mentioned.
Recommendations
Feeding of deer the whole year is also banned in 11 counties, including Franklin, Bland, Floyd, Carroll, Montgomery, Craig, Patrick, Whyte, Giles, Pulaski, and Roanoke, as well as in the cities of Roanoke, Salem, and Radford.
In the said three counties mentioned earlier, DWR will be making recommendations as well, during a Board of Wildlife Resources meeting on May 27, which include the addition of both "early and late alertness-only deer seasons" in a roughly 40 square-mile Disease Focus Zone, situated within the vicinity of the CWD identification.
Another recommendation is prolonging the general firearms deer season in Montgomery and Pulaski counties from two to four weeks, matching the existing general firearms season of Floyd county.
The department also recommends the removal of antler point restrictions from the Fairystone quality deer management site.
Disease Confirmed in Over 20 States, 3 Canadian Provinces, and Virginia
Chronic Wasting Disease has been verified in more than 20 states and in three Canadian provinces, and in Virginia. In relation to this, DWR reported that 109 deer in all have tested positive for CWD since 2009.
This incurable illness found in certain animals like elk, moose, and deer in North America is a low-acting and progressive neurological disorder that eventually leads to death. It can be transmitted through the infected animal's saliva, urine, and feces.
While there is no evidence found yet, that the disease can be naturally transmitted to humans, livestock, or pets, except pigs, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention recommends that hunters test all deer collected from identified CWD-positive sites, wait until results of tests are received before consumption of the meat, and not to eat any meat from animals that had been tested for the chronic wasting disease.
A related report is shown on Lakeland PBS's YouTube video below:
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