The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Health Laboratory tested 5,276 big game samples for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in 2024, detecting the disease in 726 samples, a 13.8% positive rate. Samples, collected from hunter-harvested, road-killed, and euthanized mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, and moose, were submitted statewide and tested earlier this year. CWD, a fatal neurological disease caused by prions, leads to weight loss, lethargy, and death in affected animals, with no early clinical signs.
Jessica Jennings, Game and Fish wildlife disease specialist, noted that 2024’s sample count slightly exceeded 2023’s 5,100, with a similar positive rate of 13.9%, and was lower than 2022’s 5,875 samples at 12.3%. Comparisons vary due to the department’s focus on different herd units annually, but CWD prevalence is slowly rising, appearing in three new deer hunt areas, three new elk hunt areas, and an elk feedground for the first time in 2024. The lab, staffed by seven employees, primarily conducted testing during peak hunting months. Hunters’ sample contributions are vital for tracking CWD’s spread. More details are available at wgfd.wyo.gov.
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