A chronic wasting disease affecting white-tailed deer has been detected and confirmed in Peoria County, Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The disease, also known as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), is always fatal and expands on Central Illinois.
Diagnostic testing revealed CWD positive cases in Putnam, Marshall, and Adams counties. A two-year-old deer from Peoria County showed clinical signs consistent with infection.
The World Health Organization and CDC have not linked transmission of CWD to humans, but it’s recommended to avoid eating meat from infected deer. Hunters are advised to have their deer tested and avoid consuming specific tissues that harbor the disease.
CWD-affected counties in Illinois include Adams, Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, McHenry, Ogle, Peoria, Putnam, Stephenson, Will, and Winnebago.
Source: https://www.25newsnow.com/2025/04/11/always-fatal-neurological-disease-deer-detected-peoria-county-says-idnr