Michigan DNR reports Genesee County’s first CWD-positive wild deer
Genesee is now the 16th Michigan county where chronic wasting disease has been identified in the wild deer population, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. An adult doe found acting ill in Gaines Township recently tested positive for the disease.
The CWD finding was confirmed by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which works with the DNR to identify CWD in Michigan’s wild deer herd. The sample will be sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa for secondary confirmation.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and moose. To date, the disease has also been detected in the following Michigan counties: Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw and Washtenaw.
CWD is a chronic, slow-developing disease that spreads slowly across the landscape. It can be present in new areas at very low levels, making it difficult to detect. Genesee County was under focused CWD surveillance in 2022, when approximately 300 deer were tested, with none testing positive. The DNR has continued to test deer that appear sick in Genesee County when possible.
The 2.5-year-old doe that tested positive was reported as very skinny and drinking continuously, and walked directly up to a conservation officer who responded to a public report. Public reporting of sick acting deer is one of the best tools available to the DNR for identifying CWD that may exist at low prevalence in previously undetected areas. Read more









