Chronic Wasting Disease spread into seven new hunting areas around the state in 2014. The slow-spreading neurological disease affects deer, elk and moose and causes weight loss, abnormal behavior and, eventually, death. Game and Fish tested more than 1500 animals this year.
Communications Director Renny MacKay says although the disease continues to move into almost every county in the state, the new areas were no surprise.
“The areas where it was found either border or overlapped areas where it had been found before,” MacKay says. “Again, it moved slowly this year. It’s usually found in 2 to 4 new hunt areas every year. It was found in 7 this year, but last year it was found in no hunt areas. So the two year average is…average.”
MacKay says Wyoming Game and Fish, along with other partners, are investigating a vaccine in hopes of halting the disease. But he says it will be some time before the research is complete and such a solution could be put to use.
