Two cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) were confirmed in a Kaufman County deer breeding facility, marking the first detections in the county.

Two white-tailed deer—a 20-month-old male and an eight-month-old female—tested positive through ante-mortem testing conducted to meet CWD surveillance requirements prior to transferring deer from the registered deer breeding facility. Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory initially analyzed the samples, and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa confirmed the CWD detection.

CWD has an incubation period that can span years, so the first indication of the disease in a herd is often found through surveillance testing rather than observed clinical signs, according to agency officials.

Permitted deer breeding facilities must test all mortalities within the facility and conduct ante-mortem testing on any deer prior to movement from the facility in compliance with surveillance and testing requirements.

This positive facility and its premises were placed under a quarantine by Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) to help prevent spread of disease from the facility. TPWD and TAHC will work with the facility owner to develop a herd plan to address disease mitigation in the facility.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease found in certain cervids including deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. This slow, progressive disease may not produce visible signs in susceptible species for several years after infection.

As the disease process continues, animals with CWD may show changes in behavior and appearance. Clinical signs may include progressive weight loss, stumbling or tremors with a lack of coordination, loss of appetite, teeth grinding, abnormal head posture and/or drooping ears and excessive thirst, salivation or urination.

In Texas, the disease was first discovered in 2012 in free-ranging mule deer along a remote area of the Hueco Mountains near the Texas-New Mexico border. CWD has since been detected in Texas captive and free ranging cervids, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, red deer and elk.

For more information on previous detections in Texas, regulations and CWD best management practices for hunters and landowners, visit TPWD’s CWD page or TAHC’s CWD page.