The first detected case of Chronic Wasting Disease found in a deer in Washington state has triggered a plan that’s been in place for years, though where it was found has the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife changing its strategy.
The dead deer that tested positive was found in a neighborhood in Fairwood, just outside of Spokane, the agency announced Monday. The suburban environment isn’t exactly what the protocols laid out in the management plan created by WDFW in 2021.
Because of the location, WDFW will be expanding the testing radius wider than the ten miles described in the plan, in order to get a more complete view of how animals in more wild environments will be conducted.
While there are some signs of CWD in the late stages of living dear, Dr. Meilia DeVivo says the only way to find out the prevalence of the disease in a herd, is by testing dead animals. For that reason, they expect to get a much clearer picture in the fall.
“The Hunting season will be key to collecting samples to understand [what the] extent of this outbreak is,” DeVivo said.