JACKSON — Chronic Wasting Disease positives streamed in last week with 18 positives detected in one testing batch. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks reported the CWD positive detection total is now 362. 

Since the start of FY25, there have been 44 positives detected, 22 of those came in the past week. A majority of those new positives were detected in Marshall and Benton counties where 89.3 percent of Mississippi’s positives have been found. 

Since first detection in 2018, Benton County has reported 201 positives, Marshall County has 122, Alcorn County has nine positives, Tippah and Warren County have seven, Issaquena County has three, DeSotto, Panola and Tishimingo Counties have two positives. Tunica, Tate, Talahattchie, Pontotoc, Lafayette, Harrison and Claiborne Counties all have one positive. 

CWD is a 100 percent always fatal disease caused by an infectious prion. There is no known cure or vaccine for the disease. Deer can contract CWD by coming in contact with an infected deer, direct transmission, or in contact with a contaminated environment, indirect contact. 

Infected deer shed prions most often through bodily fluids and those prions persist in the environment. 

While there are no known cases of CWD in humans the Center for Disease Control recommends hunters test their deer and avoid eating meat of a CWD positive deer. 

MDWFP has a list of self-serve 24/7 sample drop-off coolers and a list of participating taxidermists on their website. Russ Walsh, Chief of Wildlife Staff, said hunters have submitted 3,939 samples this season at a MDWFP commission meeting in Oxford last Thursday. 

“Many of our samples are coming from taxidermists.” Walsh said. “We appreciate the participation.”