ODNR: Additional CWD Cases Confirmed

(From the ODNR)

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife confirmed 27 white-tailed deer in Allen, Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) during the 2023-24 deer hunting season.

The Division of Wildlife tested 2,734 deer during the 2023-24 season. Positive samples were found in Allen (one), Hardin (one), Marion (four), and Wyandot (21) counties.

Testing was performed on deer harvested by hunters during the 2023-24 season, as well as on deer taken through targeted removal efforts in February and March. Postseason deer removal is meant to slow the spread of CWD by reducing deer numbers in areas where the disease has been detected.

Since the fall of 2020, 49 wild deer in Ohio have tested positive for CWD, all in Allen, Hardin, Marion, and Wyandot counties (one in Allen, one in Hardin, 10 in Marion, 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 similar species, including mule deer, elk, and moose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no strong evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans. Find more information about CWD, including a map of known locations, at ohiodnr.gov/cwd.