A highly infectious disease colloquially known as “zombie deer disease” has been found in the Texas Hill Country, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
A one-year-old white-tailed buck in a Gillespie County breeding facility was found to have been infected with the ailment on Aug. 17, according to TPWD officials.
“The discovery of CWD in this breeding facility is an unfortunate situation that TPWD and TAHC (Texas Animal Health Commission) take very seriously,” TPWD Wildlife Division Director John Silovsky said in a press statement. “Both agencies will respond appropriately to this matter to protect the state’s susceptible species from further disease exposure.”
Chronic Wasting Disease is a highly transmissible and often fatal neurological disease. And although there has yet to be a deer-to-human transmission of the disease, the disease can wreak havoc on deer populations.
Signs of the disease include progressive weight loss, stumbling or problems with coordination, excessive thirst and teeth grinding. Stags displaying these symptoms should be reported to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, according to state wildlife officials.
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This article appears in Aug 24 – Sep 6, 2022.
