Chronic debilitating disease invades deer in Kansas

The disease of chronic wasting, a progressive and fatal disease of untreated deer, is spreading across Kansas. And it's getting closer to Wichita.

The disease is not known to be transmitted to humans, but it can have detrimental consequences on deer populations. According to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, hunters who kill a deer near Lake Cheney should probably have their deer tested for the disease just to be safe.

According to a statement from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, brain disease has spread to 21 counties in Kansas since it first appeared in a white-tailed doe in northwestern Kansas. 39, state in 2005, has spread to 21 counties of Kansas.

Although most cases occurred in northwestern counties, new cases this year show that the disease is spreading south and west. Reno County, which borders Sedgwick County to the west, has been added to the growing list of counties with confirmed cases of chronic debilitating disease, the press release said.

The Cheney Reservoir, which is surrounded by popular public hunting grounds, is in Reno County.

The chronic debilitating disease, a close relative of mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, infects members of the deer family, including white-tailed deer and mule deer, elk and whales. moose. All of these species, except moose, are found in Kansas. The disease currently has no cure, vaccine or other prevention method.

The disease causes sponge-like holes in the brain of a deer, making the animal confused and losing its fear of humans, giving it the nickname "zombie deer disease". The symptoms may take two years to appear.

Symptoms include drooping, falling over, loss of appetite, and lack of reaction from people. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism asks anyone who sees a deer or elk displaying these behaviors to immediately report it to their nearest office or Emporia Research and Investigation Office at 620-342-0658.

If a hunter harvests a deer in an infected area, he should test it, even if he does not show signs of the disease, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism has announced. For more information on how to have a deer tested, call the service at 785-296-2281.