2,600 deer test negative for chronic wasting disease
More than 2,600 deer tested during deer hunting last fall were negative for chronic wasting disease, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday.
Most of the deer tested were taken within a 15-mile radius of an elk farm near Pine Island in southern Minnesota where chronic wasting disease was found in 2009.
DNR wildlife veterinarian Dr. Erika Butler said in a news release that the test results are good news for Minnesota.
Chronic wasting disease can affect the brains of deer, elk and moose and can be fatal. It can be transmitted between animals, but so far has not been shown to affect humans.
In addition to the deer harvested during hunting season, DNR officials tested 28 deer that had clinical signs of an illness. None had chronic wasting disease.
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