Second Case of Chronic Wasting Disease Detected in Spokane County, WDFW Implements New Hunting Regulations

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed a second case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Spokane County, stirring concerns within the local hunting community. An adult male white-tailed deer, taken by a hunter near the Fairwood area where the state’s first incident was recorded, tested positive for the disease.

Donny Martorello, the chief of WDFW’s Wildlife Science Division, expressed a measured reaction to the recent findings. “Given the location where this deer was harvested – approximately five miles north of the initial CWD detection and west of Highway 395 – this positive test result is not a complete surprise,” he said via theWashington Department of Fish and Wildlifewebsite. The hunter harvested the second deer infected with CWD during the opening weekend of the modern firearm deer season, posing a new layer of challenge to the containment efforts.

Samples of lymph nodes from the affected deer were sent to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL) at Washington State University for testing on Oct. 16. The lab results, which indicated the presence of the disease, were conveyed to WDFW recently, ensuing additional precautions and new regulations for hunters in the area.

Martorello further advised the public and hunters viaWDFW website, informing them that they can “track confirmed cases of CWD on the Department’s CWD web page.” Hunters also have the ability to look up their submitted samples’ lab results with their WILD ID. New measures enforced in response include the requirement that harvested or salvaged deer, elk, and moose in specific game management units be tested for CWD within three days. Besides, using bait and cervid urine-based scents in hunting is now illegal in these areas.

While CWD, a transmissible and fatal neurodegenerative disease, remains a fear for its implications on wildlife populations, WDFW underscores the lack of evidence connecting it to domestic animals or humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly advises against consuming meat from animals that test positive for the disease or appear sick as a precaution.

Dedicated to the stewardship of the state’s fish, wildlife, and ecosystems, WDFW encourages people to report any encounters with sick or dead cervids and directs them to the CWD web page for more comprehensive information on the new hunting regulations, testing procedures, and safe practices involving potentially affected wildlife.

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