The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission confirmed on Friday that a hunter-harvested white tailed deer taken in Union County had tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
A prion disease, CWD is transmitted between animals through urine, feces and saliva. Deer that contract CWD are known to lose weight, lose their appetite and develop an insatiable thirst; they may also separate from their herds, walk in repetitive patterns, carry their head low, salivate, urinate frequently and grind their teeth.
The case found in the Union County deer is the first to be detected in the area. It is unknown where the source of this infection occurred, as it is more than 120 miles from the nearest previous positive case (Issaquena County, Mississippi) and more than 200 miles from the nearest known positive case of CWD in Arkansas.
According to AJ Riggs, wildlife health biologist for the AGFC, 307 CWD samples were submitted in Union County before this first positive case, including 107 that have been submitted since July 2021.
"While we didn't want to find CWD outside of the current CWD Zone, this positive case confirms that we need to remain vigilant on a statewide level to look for the disease," Riggs said.
The deer with CWD was harvested in Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge during the permit-based annual modern gun deer hunt. A CWD sample was collected at the check station for that hunt. That sample tested positive for CWD and was confirmed by the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison.
According to Cory Gray, chief of the AGFC's Research Division, the hunter who harvested the deer has been notified and arrangements are being made to dispose of the meat from the deer.
"With this positive case being so far from any previously known source, we've already begun working on ways to gather more samples from the surrounding area to determine the extent of the infection in this part of the state," Gray said. "We have already begun making plans to place more CWD drop-off containers near the refuge for voluntary testing and are talking with local deer clubs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to get help in gathering additional samples while deer season is still open. We're also reaching out to our counterparts at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to coordinate with them and share data to get a better understanding of how far this may have spread."
Hunters who wish to have their deer tested for CWD can take the head of the deer, with 6 inches of neck still attached, to one of the AGFC's network of participating taxidermists to have a sample tested for free, or drop it at one of the CWD-testing collection stations located throughout the state.
The Union County Sheriff's Office, 250 American Rd. in El Dorado, has a CWD-testing collection box available to drop deer off at.
A list of CWD-testing facilities is available at www.agfc.com/cwd.
In keeping with the AGFC's CWD Management and Response Plan, there will be no changes to deer-hunting regulations for the remainder of the 2021-22 deer hunting season.
AGFC Director Austin Booth says the agency will evaluate the need for any expansion of the CWD Management Zone and regulations concerning deer hunting during the hunting regulations-setting process once the season is over.
"We intend to hold public meetings about our findings at the conclusion of deer season, but the best way local hunters can help us is to take advantage of the free testing facilities and get their deer tested for CWD," Booth said. "More samples means more chances to find any new concentrations of the disease and gives our staff a better picture of the landscape so they can make better-informed decisions moving forward."
Felsenthal NWR Manager Michael Stroeh said, "We are working very closely with AGFC to provide any assistance needed."
Local landowners near Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge may contact the AGFC to participate in surveillance efforts in the area. For more information, call 501-412-5434.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, caribou and moose. It was first detected in Arkansas on Feb. 23, 2016.
Since the first detection, AGFC has tested more than 37,877 deer and elk from across the state and to date, 1,182 deer and 35 elk have tested positive for the disease in Arkansas.
Prions can survive for years in soil and plants. CWD can have an incubation period of at least 16 months, which means infected animals may not show immediate signs of disease. CWD prions accumulate throughout the body and affect an animal's nervous system.
The diseased prions cause normal cellular proteins to misfold into abnormal shapes, which accumulate until neural cells cease to function.
According to the AGFC, there is currently no evidence of CWD transmission to humans, pets or livestock. However, feeding diseased venison to domestic animals is not recommended and the United States Centers for Disease Control recommends having deer tested if they're harvested in areas where CWD is known to be present.
Caitlan Butler contributed reporting.