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Chronic wasting disease reported at deer breeding facility in East Texas

According to the TPWD, the positive test came from a 4-year-old buck using postmortem testing.

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Animal Health Commission reported Friday a case of chronic wasting disease has been found in Cherokee County at a deer breeding facility.

According to the TPWD, the positive test came from a 4-year-old buck using postmortem testing. Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory analyzed the samples at first and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa confirmed the CWD test. 

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease among certain animals like deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. The disease is slow and progressive and it can show behavioral and appearance changes, TPWD said. 

Clinical signs could be progressive weight loss, stumbling or tremors with a lack of coordination, loss of appetite, teeth grinding, abnormal head posture and/or drooping ears, and excessive thirst, salivation or urination.

Parks and Wildlife also noted that CWD has an incubation period that could span years and the first indication of the disease is often found using surveillance testing instead of observed clinical signs

Early detection and proactive monitoring have helped to reduce the risk of the disease's spread. Those who have questions about CWD should contact a local biologist through the TPWD website.

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