A young buck taken in Lanier County tested positive, and is the state's first confirmed case
Following a positive case in 2024, Georgia has joined the long list of states with confirmed CWD in wild whitetails. Photo by Doug McLean.
A 2-1/2-year-old buck taken during Georgia’s 2024 deer season has made history, becoming the first whitetail in Realtree’s home state to test positive for chronic wasting disease.
“The confirmation was made through testing by the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories as part of routine surveillance,” an article by Fox 5 Atlanta said.
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The infected animal was taken in Lanier County, in south-central Georgia, which is about three hours away from Columbus, Realtree’s home base. CWD has been the talk of the whitetail community for many years. It’s a neurological disease that affects the brain and other tissues in deer, elk, and moose via abnormal proteins called prions. It was first detected in captive mule deer in Colorado almost 60 years ago. An elk in Colorado was the first wild animal confirmed to be affected by the disease, in 1981. Since then, the North American map has become checker-boarded with confirmed cases.
Animals afflicted with CWD can exhibit several symptoms, including weight loss, drooling, coordination problems, teeth-grinding, weakness, and behavioral changes. According to U.S. Geological Survey, the disease can spread among deer, elk, and moose via direct contact with saliva, urine, feces, and carcasses of infected animals, but it can also be transmitted indirectly through objects or environments that are exposed to the aforementioned infected secretions and matter.
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No cases of transmission of the disease from a deer, elk, or moose to a human have been confirmed or documented, but most experts advise against eating CWD-infected venison.
Most states with confirmed cases of CWD in wild animals have taken measures to control the disease and halt its spread. Mandatory testing and strict laws against transporting game from county to county or management unit to management unit are normal. It’s also illegal to transport whole carcasses across state lines, and in most cases meat must be deboned and skulls must be cleaned.
Georgia has already outlined its response plan to CWD. The state DNR will conduct additional testing effective immediately. It has also established a two-county CWD management area to include Lanier County and Berrien County. Work is being done to calculate CWD’s scope within the CWD management area, and the DNR is relying on landowner participation to execute the plan.
The full details about CWD in Georgia and pertinent updates can be found on the Georgia DNR’s website.