PEA RIDGE, Ark. — One male deer at the Pea Ridge National Military Park tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), according to the National Park Service (NPS).
The one positive test came from a white-tailed herd health sampling at the military park. Although CWD has been present in Arkansas since 2016, this is the first positive detection at the Pea Ridge Military Park.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there have been no reported cases of humans infected with CWD. So far, there is no evidence that it can be transmitted to humans, but it is fatal to animals.
Despite having no evidence that humans can be infected with CWD, NPS asks park visitors to keep their distance from sick or dead wildlife. If infected or dead wildlife is spotted, please contact an NPS employee so they can "use specific protective measures to safely deal with a wild animal that may have died of disease."
It is also recommended to avoid eating any tissue from animals that have tested positive for CWD. NPS says they destroyed the venison of the military park's white-tailed deer that tested positive.
The NPS routinely monitors the deer at the Pea Ridge National Military Park to reduce the spread of disease, reduce deer-vehicle collisions, and limit potential negative impacts on the park's landscape. Following the Deer Management Plan, NPS will begin deer reduction operations in the fall.
During the reduction operations, NPS often donates healthy venison to local food banks. Any venison that tests positive for CWD is destroyed.
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