The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to create a Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance area in west central Kentucky. The action was taken after officials confirmed a CWD case in a deer from a captive facility in Breckinridge County.
Ben Robinson is the Director of Wildlife for the department. During the special called meeting, he said the surveillance area would cover three counties.
“That would encompass Breckinridge, Meade, and Hardin County. Really, the way this was derived, when you have, according to our response plan, when you have a detection in a captive facility, you immediately draw a five mile radius around that detection, which becomes you management zone and then you draw a 15 mile radius around that detection.”
He said this decision comes with some restrictions for the zone.
“No baiting or feeding within the zone with the intent of limiting congregation among animals. Also there will be no deer carcass or high risk parts movement out of the zone. So what are high risk parts? That would be head, skull with brain matter, spine.”
Robinson said it is fine to move de-boned meat or cleaned skulls or skull caps. He said if the deer was harvested in any of those counties, it can be moved within those counties.
Chronic Wasting Disease is caused by abnormal proteins called prions and it affects white-tailed deer, elk, and other animals in the deer family. There is no known cure or vaccine, and the easily-spread disease is always fatal in infected animals. It is not known to be harmful to humans.
A meeting for public comment on the surveillance zone is scheduled for November 7th at the Breckinridge County Extension Office. Some members of the Commission voted for the zone, with the assurance they can get more information and decide to possibly lift it later.
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