Chronic Wasting Disease Detected in Sutton County

SONORA, TX - The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) received confirmation of one case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a Sutton County deer breeding facility.

This marks the second facility where CWD has been detected in the county, located in the Edward Plateau region of Texas.

A two-year-old female white-tailed deer tested positive using postmortem testing conducted to meet CWD surveillance requirements for the facility. Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) initially analyzed the samples, and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa confirmed the CWD detection. 

CWD has an incubation period that can span years, so the first indication of the disease in a herd is often found through routine surveillance testing rather than observed clinical signs, according to information from TPWD.

Early detection and proactive monitoring improve the state’s response time to the detection of CWD and can greatly reduce the risk of further disease spread. TPWD reminds all deer breeders of the requirements to report mortalities within seven days of detection and submit CWD test samples within seven days of collection.   

CWD is a fatal neurological disease found in certain cervids including deer, elk, moose, and other members of the deer family. This slow, progressive disease may not produce visible signs in susceptible species for several years after infection. As the disease process continues, animals with CWD may show changes in behavior and appearance. Clinical signs may include progressive weight loss, stumbling or tremors with a lack of coordination, loss of appetite, teeth grinding, abnormal head posture and/or drooping ears, and excessive thirst, salivation, or urination.

In Texas, the disease was first discovered in 2012 in free-ranging mule deer along a remote area of the Hueco Mountains near the Texas-New Mexico border. CWD has since been detected in Texas captive and free-ranging cervids, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, red deer, and elk.

For more information on previous detections in Texas, surveillance and containment zones, movement restrictions, and CWD best management practices for hunters and landowners, visit TPWD’s CWD page.