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Chronic Wasting Disease found in farm-raised white-tailed deer in Jefferson Davis Parish

Press release

For immediate release: November 15, 2024

On November 7, LSU Diagnostics (Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory), in coordination with the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL), confirmed to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Office of the State Veterinarian a positive Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) test from a deceased deer at a deer farm in Jefferson Davis Parish. The farm, a participant in the USDA CWD Voluntary Herd Certification Program administered by LDAF, has been issued a quarantine restricting movement into or out of the facility, including live deer or deer products, and a 25-mile radius surveillance zone has been activated.

Chronic Wasting Disease is a neurological disease that fatally infects white-tailed deer, elk, and moose and poses a serious threat to wild populations.   

While CWD is not known to infect people, the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend against eating meat from infected animals. 

The Office of the State Veterinarian has established a surveillance zone for herds near the affected deer farm and is diligently reviewing recent movement records.  All deer farms in the surveillance zone are under restricted movement until further notice. 

CWD cases have been identified in 34 US states, 5 Canadian provinces, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and South Korea.  Signs of the disease include weight loss, uncoordinated movement, listlessness, excessive thirst or urination, drooling, drooping ears, and behavioral changes. 

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has conducted statewide surveillance of free-ranging deer since 2002. To date, the only CWD detections in the wild have been collected in Tensas Parish .

For more information, contact Jennifer Finley at PressSecretary@ldaf.state.la.us or visit www.ldaf.la.gov. 

Contact info

Jennifer Finley, Press Secretary

Related links

Chronic Wasting Disease Chronic Wasting Disease: What You Need To Know