CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) - Maryland’s wildlife agency is evaluating its disease management options after discovering that a deer killed by a hunter had chronic wasting disease.
Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service Director Paul Peditto tells the Cumberland Times-News (https://bit.ly/1pR6UZs ) that the agency will likely expand its chronic wasting disease surveillance area in Allegany County and begin sampling additional deer in those areas. He says the agency will not use sharpshooters to kill additional animals for sampling.
Earlier this week, the agency confirmed that there were five new cases of disease-positive deer. Four of them were within a chronic wasting disease management area and one came from an area near Cumberland.
Peditto says the agency expects the prevalence of the disease to increase over time.
___
Information from: Cumberland (Md.) Times-News, https://www.times-news.com/timesnew.html
Please read our comment policy before commenting.