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

Allegan is now the 17th Michigan county where chronic wasting disease has been identified in the wild deer population, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. An emaciated doe reported by residents of Leighton Township recently tested positive for the disease.

CWD was confirmed by the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. The sample was also sent for a secondary confirmation to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, but results may be delayed due to the federal government shutdown.

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, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw and Washtenaw.

The declining health of this 1.5-year-old doe was first noted by private landowners in late summer. In late September, the DNR was contacted and authorized humane euthanasia and collection of the deer. On exam at the DNR’s Wildlife Disease Lab, the deer was noted to be in poor physical condition with no body fat.

“The care that’s demonstrated when people take the time to share their observations is a critical contribution to our disease-testing efforts,” said Brent Rudolph, DNR deer, elk and moose management specialist. “Public reporting of deer that appear unhealthy is very important for identifying CWD that may exist at low levels in previously undetected areas.” 

CWD is a chronic, slow-developing disease that spreads slowly across the landscape. It has been detected in Kent County, adjacent to Leighton Township, which is in the northeast corner of Allegan County. Allegan County was under focused CWD surveillance in 2021, when approximately 500 deer were tested, with none testing positive. The DNR has continued to test deer that appear sick in Allegan County when possible. Hunters can get their deer tested with a free CWD self-sample submission kit from the DNR.

Deer that appear emaciated, 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.

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 should take precautions when field-dressing or processing deer: 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 deer carcasses 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. Studies show that CWD can survive on the landscape for years, contributing to the spread of disease. Deer harvested from known CWD areas should never be disposed of on the landscape.

Testing options for hunters

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 counties 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 (bTB) or CWD surveillance areas. Kits allow hunters to remove lymph nodes and ship them directly to the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory 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 are also submitted directly to the MSU lab for testing.

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.

Michigan’s CWD testing strategy

Since chronic wasting disease was first detected in Michigan's wild deer in 2015, more than 110,000 deer in Michigan have been tested for CWD 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 265 CWD-positive deer identified. In addition, since direct hunter submissions of deer to the MSU lab began in 2020, more than 3,400 submitted samples have yielded 61 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.

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

An accompanying photo is available below for download.

• CWD-positive deer: This photo was submitted to the Michigan DNR by a Leighton Township resident who reported the emaciated doe. On exam at the DNR’s Wildlife Disease Lab, the deer was noted to be in poor physical condition with no body fat. Leighton Township is located in northeast Allegan County.