Chronic Wasting Disease detected in Kaufman County

Austin—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) received confirmation of two cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a Kaufman County deer breeding facility. This is the first CWD detection in a deer breeding facility in the county.

Two white-tailed deer, a 20-month-old male and an eight-month-old female, tested positive through ante-mortem testing conducted to meet CWD surveillance requirements prior to transferring deer from the registered deer breeding facility. Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) initially analyzed the samples, and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa confirmed the CWD detection. 

CWD has an incubation period that can span years, so the first indication of the disease in a herd is often found through surveillance testing rather than observed clinical signs. Permitted deer breeding facilities must test all mortalities within the facility and conduct ante-mortem testing on any deer prior to movement from the facility, in compliance with surveillance and testing requirements. This positive facility and its premises were placed under a quarantine by Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) to help prevent spread of disease from the facility. TPWD and TAHC will be working with the facility owner to develop a herd plan to address disease mitigation in the facility. 

For more information on previous detections in Texas, regulations, and CWD best management practices for hunters and landowners, visit TPWD’s CWD page.

SOURCE Texas Parks and Wildlife Department