Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a nervous system disease of deer and elk. CWD has been known to occur in deer and elk in the USA for decades. In spite of ongoing surveillance for similar disease syndromes in humans, there has never been an instance of people contracting a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disease from butchering or eating venison. CWD has not been linked to the human TSE disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, in the way that “mad cow disease” has been in Europe. The prion that causes CWD accumulates in specific parts of infected animals – the brain, eyes, spinal cord, lymph nodes, tonsils and spleen. Therefore these tissues should not be eaten from any deer. Health officials additionally advise that humans and other animals should not consume any part of any animal with visible signs or confirmed infection of CWD.

For more information call the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources at 608-266-8204 or check out the following websites:

• www.dnr.state.wi.us
• www.dhfs.state.wi.us/healthtips/BCD/creutzfeldt.htm 
• www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/whealth/issues/CWD/