Chronic Wasting Disease found in elk on Snowy Range

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose has been discovered in elk hunt area 10 that encompasses a portion of the Snowy Range area in the Medicine Bow National forest and surrounding private lands.

This is the first time CWD has been found in elk in the area, however it is not surprising since the hunt area for deer (hunt area 75)  in the same general area, first had a positive test in 2002.  Prevalence of CWD is very low in the area and has only been found in seven deer in the last 10 years out of hundreds tested.

 Chronic Wasting Disease is not known to be a disease of humans and presents no known public health significance at this time. Nonetheless, to avoid risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people avoid eating meat from deer and elk that look sick or that test positive for CWD.

For more information about CWD in Wyoming, visit the Game and Fish website.