Results are in for more than half of approximately 19,200 tissue samples being tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD) collected during Missouri’s mandatory sampling of deer harvested Nov. 12 and 13 in 29 counties in northeast, central and east-central Missouri.
From test results, the Department of Conservation has confirmed that two deer tested positive for CWD: a yearling male harvested in southeast Jefferson County and a mature buck harvested in northern Franklin County.
The Department expects results in the next few weeks from the remaining tissue samples tested from mandatory and early sampling in southwest Missouri.
Testing is being done by Colorado State University at an independent laboratory that specializes in wildlife-disease testing.
“This has been a huge undertaking and we greatly appreciate the help from participating hunters and businesses,” said Wildlife Disease Coordinator Jasmine Batten. “As we get the final test results back in the coming weeks, we will have a better understanding of where this wildlife disease is on the Missouri landscape.
This will help us in evaluating the next steps in our ongoing CWD management efforts, including future testing efforts in the CWD management zone and around the state.”
The department also received test results for about 80 percent of the nearly 550 tissue samples collected for CWD testing in seven counties in southwest Missouri.
The target counties are close to where more than 100 cases of CWD have been found in Northwest Arkansas. No deer from southern Missouri have tested positive for the disease.
The Department is also testing additional tissue samples taken by taxidermists and collected at MDC offices and other sampling locations throughout the deer-hunting season.
Hunters who harvest deer throughout the rest of the hunting season in northeast, central and east central Missouri are encouraged to have their deer tested for CWD, as well as those taken in Barry, Christian, Douglas, McDonald, Ozark, Stone and Taney counties.
Find sampling locations online.
For information on CWD sampling efforts and testing results, click here.
Hunters who participated in CWD sampling efforts can get test results for their harvested deer online.