Second case discovered in deer in Posey Co.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources recently announced and confirmed the second case of chronic wasting disease, referred to as CWD, in a deer in Indiana. CWD is a neurological disease that affects deer, and it is always fatal to deer that has contracted it.
The deer was a 2½-year-old buck, harvested in Posey County. It only stood to reason that the disease would eventually enter Indiana since it had been detected in 36 other states, including all those states surrounding Indiana.
The DNR stated it will enhance its efforts in Posey County and surrounding counties to determine the extent of disease in that region. This effort will hopefully assist biologists to develop a response based on the prevalence of CWD. Testing will be voluntary for hunters in that area.
Joe Caudell, Indiana's deer biologist, stated, “The public can help by reporting sick or dead deer to the DNR as well as submitting harvested deer for testing the 2025-2026 seasons. Through increased public awareness and testing, we can work to monitor CWD within Indiana's deer population.”
Although there have been no reports of humans becoming infected, the DNR recommends hunters have their deer tested and do not eat the meat that has tested positive.
It is reported that CWD is caused by a misfolded prion that causes damage to the animal's nervous system. The disease is spread from deer-to-deer contact or through contaminated environments and can remain in the soil for many years. Animals in the late stages of CWD will experience drastic weight loss and show abnormal changes in behavior.
Successful hunters taking deer can have their deer tested free of charge by voluntarily submitting a sample at a DNR head drop cooler placed at many fish and wildlife areas, state fish hatcheries, and national wildlife refuges. All sampling locations are listed at the DNR website.
It is recommended if you encounter a sick or dead deer that appears to have died for no apparent reason, you should report it at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife. For more information regarding CWD, visit on.IN.gov/CWD.