ICYMI: chronic wasting disease (CWD), a deadly neurological disorder that affects white-tail deer, was found in Florida in June 2023 via FWC’s robust monitoring program. Our Foundation has supported this program since our first Wildlife Foundation of Florida specialty license plate grant in 2002, helping FWC test more than 17,500 hunter-killed, road-killed, and sick or diseased deer.
CWD is highly contagious and can spread among deer through direct contact with bodily fluids, contaminated environments, and even ingestion of contaminated plants or soil. The consequences of CWD on white-tailed deer populations are significant. Infected animals experience weight loss, behavioral changes, and physical deterioration. CWD also reduces their ability to evade predators. The disease is always fatal. As a result, affected populations may face declines in numbers and decreased genetic diversity, potentially impacting the ecosystem as a whole. CWD is not known to infect humans or livestock at this time.
Through 2024 we funded more than $300,000 in surveillance, testing to understand disease prevalence, communications to the hunting community, education, and carcass disposal incentives to taxidermists and deer processors in high-risk counties. Although only one case has been found so far, FWC is prepared to respond to more, and we will be there to help.
