Second case of Chronic Wasting Disease confirmed in Lauderdale County

LAUDERDALE CO., Ala. (WAFF) - Another case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was detected in a white-tailed deer in Lauderdale County.

According to the Alabama Department of Conversation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), all Lauderdale and Colbert counties were designated as a CWD Management Zone (CWZ) after the first case was detected in January.

The area west of U.S. Highway 43 in Lauderdale County to the Mississippi and Tennessee state lines and south to the Tennessee River is designated as a High-Risk Zone and the remainder of those counties were designated as a buffer zone.

After analyzing the results from the prevalence detection testing for CWD in Lauderdale and Colbert counties, ADCNR is suspending the use of supplemental wildlife feeding and baiting privileges within the CMZ. The suspension of supplemental feeding will not apply to bird feeders within 100 feet of a building or occupied dwelling or feed inside an active feral hog trap. Supplemental feeding and baiting privileges will still be allowed outside of the CMZ.

“The suspension of supplemental feeding and baiting privileges in Lauderdale and Colbert counties is an attempt to slow the spread of CWD in the affected area,” said Chris Blankenship, ADCNR Commissioner. “We take the presence of this disease very seriously and are utilizing our CWD Strategic Surveillance and Response Plan to manage it. Our staff is prepared, and the Department will do whatever is prudent and reasonable to protect the state’s deer resources and our hunting culture.”

Among cervids, CWD is a progressive, fatal disease that commonly results in altered behavior due to microscopic changes made to the brain of affected animals. An animal may carry the disease for years without outward indication. In latter stages of the disease, signs may include listlessness, lowering of the head, weight loss, repetitive walking in set patterns and a lack of responsiveness.

“I would like to thank hunters for their overwhelming support by providing a robust number of samples submitted for CWD testing after the first positive case was made public in January,” Commissioner Blankenship said. “As we move forward with future deer seasons, hunters will be our most important partners in the management of this disease.”

For more information about CWD visit outdooralabama.com/cwd-info.