DEC: A Health Update

[Steve D]

Protecting New York’s Deer Herd  - A Health Update

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Continues to be a Threat to Wild Deer in NY

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is now in wild deer and farmed deer in Pennsylvania and farmed Red Deer in Quebec. DEC will again be conducting CWD surveillance across the state during and after the deer hunting season. The only effective way to keep CWD out of New York is by preventing the importation of infectious materials, infected carcasses, or infected live animals. We need deer hunters to help keep this disease out of New York. If you would like to know more about CWD and how to protect New York’s wild deer and moose, see “New York State Chronic Wasting DIsease Prevention, Surveillance, and Response.

No Tuberculosis (TB) in Wild Deer in NY

Recently, graphic photos and an article titled, “Hunters warned to be on the lookout for bovine tuberculosis in deer” circulated electronically. As a result, DEC received a flurry of e-mails and phone calls. People were asking about tuberculosis (TB) in deer in New York. The article was specifically about TB in wild deer in Michigan. In fact, Michigan is the only state in the nation that has TB established in wild deer. DEC has not found TB in any wild deer in New York.