Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) confirmed in Washington. Oregon Hunters reminded to always check their harvests

EASTERN OREGON – On August 1, 2024, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the first confirmed case of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in the state. The CWD infected animal was a dead adult female white-tailed deer located near the Fairwood area, northern Spokane.

This now marks three states bordering Oregon with confirmed CWD infection, California having confirmed their first case on May 7, 2024, and Idaho having tracked multiple confirmed cases near the Oregon border since 2021. Within the Pacific Northwest, Only Oregon and Nevada have yet to confirm any cases of CWD infected animals.

For those unfamiliar, CWD, is, as described by ODFW, “a fatal, infectious disease that affects members of the cervid family such as deer, elk and moose. It’s spread by nose-to-nose contact between animals and through urine, feces, blood and saliva. In addition, the disease-causing agents, called prions, are shed by infected animals and can persist in the soil for years, potentially infecting other animals. ‌‌“

There is no known cure or treatment for CWD, though current research shows it is not transmissible to humans from infected animals. 

As part of ongoing efforts to track and prevent the spread of CWD, ODFW encourages hunters to have their deer and elk harvests checked. During the fall deer and elk hunting seasons, ODFW will frequently set up CWD check stations, stopping at which is mandatory for anyone transporting deer or elk harvests/carcasses. ODFW will require the animals’ head and at least one vertebra below the skull for testing. Generally, turnaround for CWD testing is 3-4 weeks. For Union County residents, a check station will be set up near the City of Elgin October 5– 7 and November 2– 4.

Beyond check stations, hunters can also drop off samples at ODFW field offices. Within the tri-county area, this includes the Enterprise, La Grande, and Baker City ODFW offices. It is recommended to call the field offices in advance and schedule the drop off. Some local meat processors and taxidermists also offer CWD sample collection services for their customers on behalf of ODFW.

As an additional reminder for anyone planning to travel out of state for hunting this year, it is illegal to transport certain animal parts back across state lines, particularly brain and spinal tissue, with ODFW recommending that only meat be kept from out of state hunts. For local hunters, also keep in mind that commercially available urine scents containing or derived from cervid urine have been banned in Oregon since 2019 in a further effort to reduce CWD spread. 

For the sake of caution, meat from CWD infected animals should NEVER be consumed. Anyone that locates a suspected CWD infected animal or carcass can report it to the ODFW Wildlife Health Lab at  866-968-2600 or by email to Wildlife.health@ODFW.Oregon.Gov

Additional information on CWD can be found at: https://myodfw.com/CWD?fbclid=IwY2xjawEfQ6pleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHfsNJc-k8Y12v3ZFkHWTR-R-nChNfJAAsO6kRePnsNV-ks633xPl8WvLDQ_aem_iOujWGzhmbviLRK9yPdQyg#What-to-expect-at-CWD-check-stations%E2%80%8C

An interactive map for CWD check stations can be found at: https://myodfw.com/articles/chronic-wasting-disease-check-station-map

(A generic image of a CWD infected animal was used for this article. The animal depicted is NOT the recently confirmed case from Washington state) 

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Elkhorn Media Group