The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed a second case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a deer harvested in Berrien County, South Georgia. The infected deer, a 4.5-year-old male, was located approximately 400 yards from the site of the first CWD-positive deer found in the area. The sample was collected from a landowner permittee assisting with ongoing sampling efforts as part of the DNR’s CWD response plan. This discovery underscores the importance of continued monitoring and management strategies in the region. “Our staff continues to work in collaboration with landowners and hunters in the CWD Management Area to sample for the disease. These collaborative efforts will help us manage CWD and ensure Georgia maintains healthy deer herds,” said DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon. 

The CWD Management Area, which encompasses the county where positive samples are found and all counties within a 5-mile radius, will remain the same, including Lanier and Berrien counties. DNR officials are actively working with landowners and hunters to pinpoint the extent and prevalence of the disease within the designated area. This includes harvesting additional deer in the vicinity of CWD detections to minimize further spread.  CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, and moose, caused by infectious, misfolded proteins known as prions. There are currently no known treatments or vaccines for the disease. It was first discovered in 1967 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The disease has been reported in 36 states and 5 Canadian provinces.

For updated information on the geographic distribution of CWD, visit cwd-info.org.

While there is no known transmission of CWD to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that hunters harvesting deer, elk, or moose in areas known to have CWD should have their animals tested before consuming the meat. Consumption of meat from CWD-positive animals is not advised.

For more detailed information on Chronic Wasting Disease and Georgia’s management efforts, please visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/CWD.