RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia authorities identified 16 deer in two counties that had Chronic Wasting Disease during the 2017 hunting season.
Fourteen white-tailed deer had the disease in Frederick County, while two were found carrying the disease in Shenandoah County, according to officials with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
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Fifteen of those deer were harvested by hunters, while one was killed by a vehicle.
CWD is spread in animals through urine, feces, and saliva. Symptoms may include staggering, abnormal posture, lowered head, drooling, confusion, and marked weight loss.
So far, VDGIF officials say there's no evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans, livestock, or pets, but the officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise hunters to test all deer and avoid consuming any animals that test positive.
CWD has been detected in 24 states and three Canadian provinces, according to VDIF officials,
Last hunting season, about 1,500 deer from Frederick, Clarke, Warren, and Shenandoah counties were tested for the disease.
Since 2009, 38 have tested positive: 35 from Frederick County and three from Shenandoah County.
Click here for more information about this disease.