Coleman County’s first case of chronic wasting disease ( CWD ) was confirmed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ( TPWD), which made the discovery.
A two-year-old whitetail buck that was hunted on a low-fenced house was tested positive for CWD by voluntary sampling.
A TPWD Wildlife Biologist gathered the test as part of the nationwide tracking work. The samples were initially analyzed by the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, and the CWD diagnosis was confirmed by Iowa’s National Vet Services Laboratory.
The first sign of CWD in a flock is frequently discovered through monitoring testing rather than by observing clinical signs because the disease’s incubation period can last years. First CWD recognition and strategic monitoring speed up the government’s response time and significantly lower the risk of further disease spread.
In the region between Coleman and Cross Plains, TPWD encourages hunting to examine hunter-harvested deer on their own. Call your neighborhood TPWD researcher for more details on voluntary sampling. Although they might not be put into effect until 2024, the Department will set up CWD containment and monitoring regions in the region.
Certain cervids, such as deer, elk, and deer, as well as other members of the family, are affected by the deadly neurological condition known as CWD. In prone species, this slow-moving illness might not manifest itself for several years after infection. Pets with CWD does exhibit altered behavior and appearance as the disease process progresses. Democratic weight loss, uncoordinated stumbling or tremors, tooth grinding, unusual head posture and/or drooping ears, excessive thirst, salivation, and urination are some clinical symptoms.
The illness was first identified in Texas in 2012 in free-ranging mule deer near the Texas-New Mexico borders in a remote region of the Hueco Mountains. Since then, CWD has been found in Texas ‘ captive and free-ranging cervids, such as white-tailed deer, horse, red, and deer.
Visit TPWD’s CWD website for more details on prior Texas alerts and the best management techniques for hunting and landowners.
