COLUMBUS, Ohio (WLIO) — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reports that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was found in deer harvested during the most recent hunting season.
A total of 23 deer taken by hunters in Allen, Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties tested positive for CWD. Those counties were designated as disease surveillance areas by the Division of Wildlife.
Additionally, one deer in Morrow County tested positive this year, marking the first confirmed case in that county.
During the hunting season, 5,783 deer were tested for the disease.
Chronic Wasting Disease is fatal to white-tailed deer and similar species, including elk and moose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no strong evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans.
CWD was first discovered in Ohio’s wild deer population in 2020.
