Florida wildlife officials discover second case of ‘zombie deer disease’ in state | Florida
Wildlife officials in Florida have discovered only the second case of the deadly infection colloquially known as “zombie deer disease” and are implementing emergency measures to prevent spread.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), which is highly contagious, was found during a routine screening of the carcass of a young whitetail deer that was struck by a vehicle in Holmes County, near the Alabama border, early last month. The only previously recorded example in Florida was a four-year-old doe killed about a mile away in June 2023.
Experts warn that if the neurodegenerative disease, which is more common in western and northeastern states, is not controlled, it could have a domino effect on wildlife management. Although it is not harmful to humans, there is no vaccine or treatment and it spreads easily through animal-to-animal contact, environmental pollution and ticks.
“This disease is probably the biggest threat to deer and elk hunting in North America right now,” the wildlife biologist said. Steven SheaAn expert in deer populations who manages more than half a million acres of species habitat in central Florida.
“From everything we know, CWD is going to continue to spread. Every instance that they’ve tried to contain and eradicate has failed. So what agencies are actually trying to do is basically slow the spread and keep it in a relatively small area.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has implemented a special management zone and enhanced surveillance and monitoring program in Holmes and neighboring Jackson and Washington counties. Test results are awaited over 90 animals.
The disease is the so-called silent killer because an infected deer can live for several years without showing symptoms. He or she will eventually succumb to brain tissue damage and experience a range of symptoms including weight loss, behavioral abnormalities, loss of coordination, excessive salivation, and eventually death, according to the University of Florida. department of wildlife ecology and conservation.
The state’s white-tailed deer population is estimated at about 700,000, and about 100,000 are hunted each year, making it Florida’s most popular game animal.
FWC implemented special rules It is in the CWD management zone for the deer hunting season, which begins later this month, including mandatory inspection of all carcasses.
“Florida’s early detection puts us in the best scenario for CWD management because a smaller outbreak is more realistic to contain,” James Kelly, the commission’s CWD surveillance coordinator, said in a statement.
“Hunters are our first line of defense in the fight against this disease. Each sample helps us track the spread of the disease and informs our strategies to manage it effectively.”
Shea said he fears a “domino effect” if CWD becomes widespread in Florida.
“Hunters have to send in a head for testing, they wait for the meat, and if the result is positive, they have to throw away the meat,” he said.
“So we fear that the number of whitetail deer hunters will decline. Hunters are the primary way we control deer populations in many parts of the country, and if that goes away you’re still going to have high numbers of deer.” [but] There will be greater impacts on vehicle crashes and crop plundering.
“Hunters provide one of the largest sources of revenue that supports all fish and wildlife management in North America, and if fewer hunters are hunting, less money is coming into seed programs that help all wildlife, not just white-tailed deer.”
