Chronic Wasting Disease Detected in 27 Deer Across Four Ohio Counties

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a press release on May 16th, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife confirmed that 27 white-tailed deer in Allen, Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) since the beginning of the 2023–24 deer hunting season. This development underscores ongoing concerns about the spread of this fatal neurological disease among deer populations.

The Division of Wildlife tested a total of 2,734 deer during the 2023–24 season. Positive samples were found in the following counties: Allen (one), Hardin (one), Marion (four), and Wyandot (21). The tests were conducted on deer harvested by hunters during the season, as well as on deer taken through targeted removal efforts in February and March. Postseason deer removal is a strategy employed to slow the spread of CWD by reducing deer numbers in areas where the disease has been detected.

Since the fall of 2020, a total of 49 wild deer in Ohio have tested positive for CWD, all in Allen, Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties. The breakdown of these cases is as follows: one in Allen, one in Hardin, 10 in Marion, and 37 in Wyandot. Allen County’s first case of CWD was confirmed in November 2023.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer and other cervids, including mule deer, elk, and moose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no strong evidence to suggest that CWD is transmissible to humans. For more information about CWD, including a map of known locations, visit ohiodnr.gov/cwd.

Sampling for CWD will continue in the 2024–25 deer hunting season. A disease surveillance area was established in 2021 to monitor the spread of CWD. This surveillance area includes all of Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties, as well as Auglaize and Jackson townships in Allen County. The Ohio Wildlife Council has approved the inclusion of Auglaize and Jackson townships of Allen County in the disease surveillance area for the 2024–25 hunting season.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife has been extensively monitoring and testing deer in the disease surveillance area since CWD was first discovered in Ohio’s wild deer population in 2020. The Division of Wildlife has conducted routine surveillance for CWD since 2002, testing approximately 39,000 deer. CWD has been detected in 30 states and four Canadian provinces. The disease was first discovered in the 1960s in the western United States. More information about this disease is available at cwd-info.org.

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Photo byPedro LastraonUnsplash