CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Officials with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) confirmed a positive detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Claiborne County.
The Natchez Democrat reported five other positives were also reported on Wednesday in DeSoto, Benton and Marshall counties.
The CWD samples, which are submitted by Mississippi hunters, are tested for the disease at Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Lab in Pearl.
CWD is a 100% fatal, transmissible, neurogenerative disease. One challenge of detecting the disease is that until deer enter the last stages of CWD, they often appear completely healthy.
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MDWFP officials said the disease is transmitted through deer by their saliva, feces, urine, or contaminated environment.
Hunter participation in efforts to control CWD includes submitting harvested deer for testing, harvesting younger bucks, and discontinuing the use of supplemental feeding and baiting to help keep deer from congregating.