DNR - Chronic Wasting Disease

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WE NEED YOU!

Chronic wasting disease has now been found in both the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan. We need your help to control the spread by being responsible stewards of the land, following current regulations and keeping up with the latest news.

YOUR ACTIONS MATTER

Baiting and feeding is prohibited in the entire Lower Peninsula and in the core CWD surveillance area in the Upper Peninsula.
Chronic wasting disease is a contagious, neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. It causes a degeneration of the brain resulting in emaciation (abnormally thin), abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and death. CWD is fatal; once an animal is infected there is no recovery or cure. To date, there is no evidence that CWD can be naturally transmitted to humans or to other animals.

It is caused by a normal protein, called a prion, that folds incorrectly and can infect other deer. It is transmitted through direct animal to animal contact or by contact with saliva, urine, feces, blood, carcass parts of an infected animal or infected soil. Prions are extremely resistant in the environment and can stay infectious for years.

Learn more on the CWD Alliance website.

CWD Research Projects Funded by the DNR and MSU
Summary of APR Field Study in Core CWD Area with Presentation
State Wildlife Veterinarian Kelly Straka and Deer Management Specialist Chad Stewart talk about CWD including the basics of CWD, signs of disease, how it spreads, the history of the disease, trends in other states, trends in Michigan, and what hunters can do to help.

Help spread the word. We have a variety of tools that you can use to get this important information out in your communities. Your help and actions matter!