The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
recently announced it will sample approximately 20 wild deer in the
Town of Arietta, in Hamilton County, in order to test for chronic
wasting disease (CWD).
Recently, CWD was found in two captive white-tailed deer herds in
Oneida County, marking the first incidents of CWD in New York State.
The State Department of Agriculture and Markets (DAM) completed testing
for CWD on the two herds in an effort to control the possible spread of
the disease in New York State. Five of the 22 deer from the two captive
herds tested positive for CWD.
DAM has been investigating other captive deer herds associated with
the index herds. One of those herds that supplied deer in the mid-1990s
to the index herd in Oneida County was located in the Town of Arietta
in Hamilton County. Since the herd no longer exists and the owner of
the herd is now deceased, DEC will sample approximately 20 wild deer in
the area surrounding the former captive herd to determine if there is
any reason to believe the former captive herd may have been infected
with CWD.
The sample tissues will be sent to the New York State Veterinary
Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University to be analyzed for CWD.
Results of the analysis will be made available as soon as they are
confirmed, which is expected to take approximately seven to 10 days.
In addition to Hamilton County, DEC has initiated intensive
monitoring of the wild deer population surrounding both herds in Oneida
County to determine if CWD has spread to wild deer. Extending the
effort to the specified area in Hamilton County will provide essential
information on the health of wild deer and assist DEC and DAM in
possibly identifying the source of the disease in New York State.
CWD is a transmissible disease that affects the brain and central
nervous system of certain deer and elk. There is no evidence that CWD
is linked to disease in humans or domestic livestock other than deer
and elk.
More information on CWD can be found at the State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ website at www.agmkt.state.ny.us, at DEC’s website at www.dec.state.ny.us or the State Department of Health’s website at www.health.state.ny.us. |