Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, and moose. Sixty hunter-harvested deer and ten elk tested positive for CWD based on test results from samples taken last fall in Nebraska, including in ten counties where CWD was not previously detected. There have been no known cases of CWD in people, but Nebraska Fish and Game advises against eating meat from deer and elk affected with CWD. If you see a deer acting strange with a noticeable drooping head, do not touch the animal and report it to your local game warden.

Chronic wasting disease is caused by a prion, which is a type of protein that causes other proteins to behave abnormally in the central nervous system. This leads to abnormal behavior and eventual death in deer, elk, and moose.

Chronic wasting disease primarily affects animals in the deer family. It was first documented in Nebraska in 2000 and has since been detected in 68 out of 93 Nebraska counties.

Deer and elk infected with chronic wasting disease should not be harvested for meat. Hunters should avoid harvesting or processing animals with symptoms of CWD. Symptoms of CWD are largely behavioral, but an extremely skinny harvest animal could also be cause for concern. While there have been no reported cases of CWD in humans, health officials highly recommend using precautions and not eating meat from CWD infected animals.

Each year, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission tests harvests deer in 4-7 regions for CWD. Last year, the monitoring efforts were increased by 42% which likely accounts for the increase in positive tests for CWD.

Monitoring efforts continue for CWD in Nebraska, and samples taken may not be a full representation of CWD in the deer population. It is possible CWD exists in counties where it has not yet been detected.