Apparently, people go deer hunting in Fairfax County. That’s one bit of news embedded in another, that the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources confirmed chronic wasting disease in an adult male deer shot in Fairfax County.
The deer was brought to a taxidermist in late October, and DWR obtained the sample shortly thereafter as part of the department’s statewide CWD surveillance efforts.
At the time it was shot, no outward signs of disease were noted, according to DWR, and the deer appeared to be in good condition.
Because this is the first CWD-positive detection in Fairfax County, a county bordering Disease Management Area 2, the DWR conducted an extensive forensic investigation to confirm the location of this deer.
No regulatory changes will be made until the conclusion of the 2022-2023 deer hunting season, according to DWR.
Until then, the following are strongly recommended:
Carcass transport: do not transport whole deer carcasses or any parts containing brain or spinal cord tissue out of Fairfax County to a non-DMA county (see dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd/transporting-carcasses-into-within-and-out-of-dma2/ for information on current DMA2 deer carcass transport restrictions).
Carcass disposal: Double-bag deer parts and place directly in a landfill or a trash receptacle to be picked up with the regular trash collection.
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Chris Graham
