An ongoing investigation into captive herds of deer linked to a case of chronic wasting disease at a Douglas County farm has been traced back to a farm here in Pine County.
According to a Friday press release from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, a doe from the Pine County farm had tested positive for the fatal brain disease.
Board Assistant Director, Dr. Linda Glaser said, “We identified the Pine County herd as a high priority early in our investigation because our records showed it provided deer to the Douglas County herd.”
The owner of the Pine County farm must now kill and test all remaining deer and maintain fencing with biohazard signage for five years. The owner is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for compensation.
The board says that this investigation will continue beyond the Pine County herd to discover additional movements of deer between it and other locations in the past.
As of right now, CWD has not been detected in any other herds connected to the one in Douglas County.
According to MPR, more than 70 deer have tested positive for CWD since 2002.
Chronic Wasting Disease always fatal for the animals that contract it. There is no vaccine or treatment for deer, elk, or moose who are infected by it.
