According to a release from Fairfax County Police and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Conservation, a legally harvested adult male deer has been diagnosed with a progressive and fatal disease known as chronic wasting disease, or CWD.
A progressive and fatal disease known as chronic wasting diseaseor CWD, was found in a legally harvested adult male deer, according to the liberation from Fairfax County Police and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
According to DWR, this is the county’s first positive detection of CWD and prompted an extensive forensic investigation to confirm the harvest location.
The deer, brought to the taxidermist in October 2022, initially appeared to be in good condition. DWR received the sample shortly thereafter as part of its nationwide CWD surveillance efforts.
CWD is known to affect deer, elk, and moose; to date it has not affected humans. DWR strongly encourages hunters to have their deer tested at one of several locations in Loudoun and Fairfax County.
According to the DWR, more than 750 deer have been tested in Fairfax County since 2019, with only one positive result. In the period from 2009 to 2022, the department detected a total of 134 cases of VHU.
CWD has been confirmed in at least 29 states, Canada, northern Europe, and South Korea. Until the end of the deer hunting season, no changes will be made to the regulations.
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