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A Georgia white-tailed deer has been identified as the first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the state. The positive sample was collected from a two-and-a-half-year-old male deer harvested in Lanier County, Lanier and Berrien Counties are now designated as “CWD management areas” by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). CWD, first discovered in Fort Collins, Colorado in 1967, is a fatal neurological disease caused by prions, not a virus, with no treatment or vaccine available. The disease primarily affects deer but can also infect elk and moose through bodily fluids. Symptoms include weight loss, frequent urination, drooping ears, drooling, poor coordination, and aspiration pneumonia. Spread may have occurred via illegal deer imports or spillover from other states. Hunters and landowners are advised not to move live deer, dispose of carcasses properly without bringing them into Georgia, report sick deer to local game management offices, avoid consuming infected deer, and test deer before consumption in affected areas. The DNR emphasizes the need for further research through cluster sampling to determine disease extent. A press conference is scheduled for Friday, January 24, to address remaining questions.
Source: https://www.walb.com/2025/01/23/first-case-fatal-neurological-disease-found-georgia-white-tailed-deer