With Delaware reporting its first detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD) yesterday, the fatal neurodegenerative disease has now been found in 37 US states.

The case was detected in a wild white-tailed deer harvested in Sussex County as part of routine surveillance efforts, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) said in a news release. The infection was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL).

A second deer sampled in the same county during the hunting season has tested positive at the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System, and the result is awaiting confirmation by the NVSL, the DNREC said.

Sussex is Delaware’s southernmost county. Since 2003, the DNREC has conducted annual CWD surveillance, testing a total of 12,938 samples. The positive samples were two out of more than 600 samples from across the state tested during the most recent hunting season.

Immediately after the CWD-positive confirmation, DNREC activated its CWD response plan. “DNREC established a CWD Management Zone based on Wildlife Management Zones within a 5-mile radius around where the deer was harvested and will begin cluster sampling in that area to look for any additional cases nearby,” the release said. “The CWD Management Area encompasses wildlife management zones 14 and 16.” 

DNREC established a CWD Management Zone based on Wildlife Management Zones within a 5-mile radius around where the deer was harvested and will begin cluster sampling in that area to look for any additional cases nearby.

Next hunting season, the DNREC will require deer check-in at wildlife health-check stations for testing within the management area and may pass legislation aimed at limiting CWD spread in wild deer.

CWD, which is caused by infectious misfolded proteins called prions, affects cervids such as deer, moose, and elk. It spreads via direct contact, environmental contamination, and vertical transmission from doe to fawn in utero or during birth. 

No treatments or vaccines are available. While CWD isn’t known to infect humans, health authorities warn hunters against consuming meat from sick or infected deer and urge cervid testing in CWD-endemic areas.