DNR reports Genesee County’s first CWD-positive wild deer

Genesee is now the 16th Michigan county where chronic wasting disease has been identified in the wild deer population, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. An adult doe found acting ill in Gaines Township recently tested positive for the disease.

The CWD finding was confirmed by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which works with the DNR to identify CWD in Michigan’s wild deer herd. The sample will be sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa for secondary confirmation.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and moose. To date, the disease has also been detected in the following Michigan counties: Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw and Washtenaw.

CWD is a chronic, slow-developing disease that spreads slowly across the landscape. It can be present in new areas at very low levels, making it difficult to detect. Genesee County was under focused CWD surveillance in 2022, when approximately 300 deer were tested, with none testing positive. The DNR has continued to test deer that appear sick in Genesee County when possible.

The 2.5-year-old doe that tested positive was reported as very skinny and drinking continuously, and walked directly up to a conservation officer who responded to a public report. Public reporting of sick acting deer is one of the best tools available to the DNR for identifying CWD that may exist at low prevalence in previously undetected areas.

“We appreciate the support and cooperation of the public as they continue to report sick deer so our team can follow up with the necessary testing for confirmation,” said Brent Rudolph, DNR deer, elk and moose management specialist. “Though many reported deer turn out not to be infected, the care that’s demonstrated when people take the time to share their observations is a critical contribution to our disease-testing efforts.”

Deer that appear lethargic, disoriented, lame or unresponsive are good candidates for CWD testing, though these symptoms are characteristic of deer affected by other maladies or injuries as well. The public is encouraged to report sick deer at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField.

The DNR’s work with researchers and hunters to detect and slow the spread of CWD is possible because of limited general fund dollars allocated by the Michigan state Legislature.

Testing strategy and options for hunters

Since chronic wasting disease was first detected in wild deer in 2015, more than 110,000 deer have been tested for CWD in Michigan through a variety of efforts, including responding to public reports of sick deer and focused testing of hunter-harvested deer. In total, more than 144,000 wild deer have been tested through DNR surveillance efforts that started in 2002, with 263 CWD-positive deer identified. In addition, since direct hunter submissions of deer to MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, began in 2020, more than 3,200 submitted samples have yielded 56 additional confirmed positives.

After initial intensive testing near areas of the first CWD detections in the state, the DNR began a rotational approach to testing harvested deer in 2021. A group of counties is selected each year, with the eventual aim of testing enough deer in every Michigan county. The goal of this approach is early disease detection, as management has the potential to be most effective when the disease is caught early. This method also provides confidence that if the disease does exist in these areas but goes undetected, that it is most likely there at a very low level.

There are several testing options available to hunters, depending on their hunting location. In 2025, focused testing will continue in Baraga, Chippewa, Dickinson, Houghton, Iosco, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Ogemaw, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft counites in the Lower and Upper peninsulas. More information on CWD testing in these counties and a link to find DNR drop boxes and staffed sample submission sites are available on the CWD testing webpage.

Free self-sample submission kits have been available in limited areas for the last three years. Beginning in 2025, these kits are now available in all counties outside of the DNR bovine tuberculosis or CWD surveillance areas. Kits allow hunters to remove lymph nodes and ship them directly to the MSU VDL at no cost. Hunters can pick up a kit at a local distribution site. If hunters choose not to pick up a kit, testing is available for a fee through direct submission to a cooperating USDA-approved diagnostic laboratory.

All deer from counties with previous confirmed cases of CWD or bTB that are donated to the Hunters Feeding Michigan program also are submitted directly to the MSU VDL for testing.

Safety recommendations

To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals.

Hunters also are reminded to use caution when field-dressing or processing a deer. Hunters should wear rubber gloves, minimize contact with the deer’s brain and spinal tissue, and wash hands with soap and warm water after handling any parts of the carcass.

Proper disposal of a deer carcass is critical to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease. Deer carcasses and parts should go directly to a landfill or be disposed of through regular bagged trash pickup. Deer harvested from known CWD areas should never be disposed of on the landscape.

For more information on chronic wasting disease, visit Michigan.gov/CWD.

A variety of white-tailed deer photos are available in the DNR's public image gallery.