The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has released its data relating to last year’s Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) sampling.
CWD is a fatal, infectious nervous system disease found in deer, moose, elk, and reindeer that is highly contagious amongst these animal populations.
It has been an issue affecting Wisconsin for years, however, cases are on the rise, and the DNR made a concerted effort in 2024 to test animals across the state to better understand it and how it spreads.
This included a priority testing area that consisted of most central Wisconsin counties but also included all of Sheboygan and Fond du Lac Counties, along with portions of Winnebago, Calumet, and Outagamie Counties.
In 2024, one positive CWD case was detected in Manitowoc County, the county’s first ever.
Sheboygan, Calumet, Winnebago, and Outagamie experienced zero positive cases last year, while Fond du Lac County experienced three.
As part of the DNR’s efforts to better understand CWD, nearly 100 more animals were tested last year as compared to 2023, however, 2024s 1,786 positive cases is 200 more than that of 2023.
In total, the DNR tested and analyzed nearly 17,500 animals across the state for CWD.
More information on the DNR’s testing results for CWD can be found by visiting dnr.wi.gov.
