Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal brain disease found in North American deer, moose and elk. It belongs to a group of infectious diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, also referred to as prion diseases. CWD is caused by an abnormally shaped protein, called a prion, which affects the animal’s brain.
In early 2011, the first case of CWD in a wild deer was identified in Minnesota. The deer was hunter-harvested in November 2010 near Pine Island in southeastern Minnesota. The disease has been found in wild and captive cervids in13 other states and two Canadian provinces, including Wisconsin, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota. The disease has been known and studied for decades and to date there is no scientific evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans under natural conditions.
- About Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
Information for the public, deer hunters and consumers about CWD, including occurrence, transmission, prevention, processing, and consuming venison. Includes a brochure for hunters.
- CWD News
News and initiatives on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).