More cases of CWD reported in Southwest Missouri
Two more cases of chronic wasting disease have been detected in Jasper County's wild deer population, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation, bringing the total to three so far.
The first case was detected from deer sampling during the 2023-24 hunting seasons, northwest of Joplin along Center Creek near the Kansas line.
The two new cases were detected northwest of Carthage along the Spring River. One was from the hunting season, the second from a 'targeted removal,' said Deb Hudman, supervisor of the Missouri Department of Conservation's Wildlife Health Program. Hudman said the agency works with landowners to remove deer within a 2-mile radius of a positive case.
Two more cases also have been confirmed in Barton County following the 2024-25 seasons, bringing the total for that county to 26 since the disease was first discovered there during the 2022-23 seasons.
No positives have yet been confirmed for Newton or McDonald counties, but that first case in Jasper County was close enough to the state line that Newton County was included as part of a CWD management zone for the first time during the 2024-25 seasons, which means different regulations applied.
McDonald County also is part of a CWD management zone because of cases detected in Benton County, Arkansas.
No positives have been reported for Barry County for the 2024-25 seasons; the total for that county stands at six since the disease was first detected there in 2021-22.
Statewide, 199 new cases have been confirmed so far in the 2024-25 seasons, bringing the total to statewide to 771, although Hudman said some deer killed during targeted removals are still be tested.
She said the new cases so far from the 2024-25 seasons are out of more than 31,000 deer that were tested statewide.
'The apparent prevalence of the disease is still low,' Hudman said.
The state has implemented a number of management strategies to reduce the spread of CWD. One of those strategies has been designating counties where the disease has been found and those within 10 miles of a positive as part of a management zone where mandatory sampling may be required and different regulations apply for hunting and carcass movement restrictions.
Because of the first positive in Jasper County, Newton County was included in a CWD management zone for the first time last fall.
Missouri officials also have been monitoring the outbreak of CWD in Northwest Arkansas in counties along the border. So far, there have been 1,970 positives in deer in Arkansas since the disease was first detected there in 2016. Almost all of those are in the northwest part of the state.
There have been a total of 22 positives in Benton County, 215 in Carroll County and 306 in Boone County, and many of those are on the state line. Nearly half of all cases have been detected in Newton County, Arkansas.
There have been 56 positives detected to date in Arkansas' elk herd; Hudman said no positives have been detected in Missouri's elk herd.
CWD is a fatal neurological illness that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. The disease can be transmitted freely within and among deer populations. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation's website, 'There have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people. However, some studies raise concerns that there may be a potential risk to people. Research is ongoing. Hunters and others should take precautions when processing any game to help prevent the transmission of any potential disease.'
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reports that to date there have been no reported cases of CWD spreading to humans. 'However, some animal studies suggest CWD poses a risk to certain types of non-human primates, like monkeys, that eat meat from CWD-infected animals or come in contact with brain or body fluids from infected deer or elk,' the CDC website says.
Deer hunting remains one of Missouri's most popular fall outdoor activities, with two archery seasons and various firearms seasons every fall and winter.
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