Chronic wasting disease found in white-tailed deer in Louisiana

CATAHOULA PARISH, La. (KLFY) — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is reporting a confirmed case of Chronic Wasting Disease in a hunter-harvested white-tailed buck in Catahoula Parish. LDWF said this is the first case of CWD confirmed positive in a wild deer outside of Tensas Parish.

CWD was first detected in Louisiana in 2022. LDWF said this latest positive brings the total number of detections for Louisiana to 34. CWD is a neurodegenerative disease of white-tailed deer and other members of the Cervidae family. It is caused by a prion, an infectious, misfolded protein particle, and is 100% fatal in affected deer after an indeterminate incubation period. There is no treatment or preventative vaccine for CWD.

CWD-infected deer may exhibit signs of weight loss and emaciation, salivation, frequent drinking and urination, incoordination, circling, lack of fear of people, and always results in the death of the animal.

Officials said the confirmation was made for a sample submitted by LDWF staff from a hunter-harvested adult buck taken on private land in Catahoula Parish. Initial testing by the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory indicated a possible positive diagnosis. LADDL sent the sample to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa for confirmatory testing where it was confirmed to be positive.

LDWF said they are currently working to implement the LDWF CWD response plan, with more information regarding the plan forthcoming.

Although CWD has not been shown to be contagious to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend against the human consumption of deer known to be infected with CWD. Also, it is recommended that people hunting in areas known to harbor CWD-infected deer have their deer tested for the disease prior to consuming the animals. LDWF said they will provide testing for hunter-harvested deer free of charge.

LDWF Acting Secretary Tyler Bosworth said, “We will continue to count on our hunters, property owners, deer processors and taxidermists for their assistance in monitoring CWD as their continued partnership with our department will help to control the spread of CWD in the state and keep our deer population healthy.”

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