Kaufman County deer breeding facility quarantined

KAUFMAN COUNTY – A deer breeding facility has been placed under quarantine by the Texas Animal Health Commission, after ante-mortem tests for two white-tailed deer reveal positive results for a fatal neurological chronic wasting disease. A first for Kaufman County, according to our news partners at KETK. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department confirmed the results for a 20-month-old male and an eight-month-old female after two laboratories detected the disease. The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory analyzed the samples and then the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa provided a second opinion which came back with the same conclusion.

The disease is limited to certain cervids such as deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. It’s slow and progressive with cervids showing symptoms after years of catching the disease. It starts with behavior and appearance changes such as, loss of appetite, weight loss, lack of coordination, abnormal posture and excessive thirst and urination.
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Quarantine is mandated to prevent the disease from spreading throughout the facility and wildlife. The Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will help the facility owner develop a herd plan to address disease mitigation in the facility.