Mississippi breaks record for CWD positive detections in hunting season
Published 8:05 am Saturday, January 25, 2025
JACKSON — A new record for Chronic Wasting Disease positive detections in a hunting season was set by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks this week. As of Friday morning, 114 positives were confirmed this hunting season breaking the previous record of 110 positives.
Chronic Wasting Disease is a 100 percent, always fatal disease in deer caused by an infectious prion. Infected deer shed CWD prions most often through bodily fluids. The disease is spread by infected deer when they come in direct contact with healthy deer or indirect contact when infected deer shed prions into the environment where the prions persist.
Hunters play an important role in the fight against Chronic Wasting Disease. A state’s efforts to survey for the disease and manage the disease is only possible through hunter participation in sampling. Since first statewide sampling efforts began in 2018, hunters have turned in 55,470 samples.
MDWFP Deer Program Coordinator William McKinley confirmed the new record of positives in a season and stated hunters have submitted 5,968 samples to date this season. Many additional samples are still pending. In the 2023-2024 hunting season, hunters submitted 9,051 samples with 110 positives.
CWD Samples are tested at the Mississippi State University Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory in Pearl.
There are nine days left in the hunting season with MDWFP’s recent extension to February 2, 2025 on private lands in the delta, north-central and hills deer management units. Hunters can submit samples through participating taxidermists or self-serve drop off coolers. The 24/7 self-serve cooler in Copiah County is located behind the county’s MSU Extension Service office.
CWD Positives by County
- Benton, 229
- Marshall, 147
- Tippah, 12
- Warren, 10
- Alcorn, 10
- Tishimingo, 4
- DeSotto, 4
- Issaquena, 3
- Claiborne, 3
- Panola, 2
- Lafayette, 1
- Harrison, 1
- Pontotoc, 1
- Tallahatchie, 1
- Tunica, 1