Wisconsin Confirms CWD-Positive Elk Among a Herd in Sauk County

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirms a CWD-positive elk has been discovered at a breeding farm in Sauk County. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the test results and the farm has been quarantined. In this case, the quarantine means no animals may move in or out of the farm.

According to the press release, CWD was discovered in the farm’s herd when a 5-year-old cow died while giving birth, yet it is not known exactly how the elk was exposed to the deadly disease. DATCP’s Animal Health Division is planning to investigate the animal’s history further to try and determine how/when it might have contracted the disease.

CWD is a fatal, neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by an infectious protein that affects the animal’s brain. And testing for the disease can only be performed after the animal has expired.

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