White-Tailed Deer

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
CWD damages the brains of infected animals, causing extreme weight loss, abnormal behaviors, and death. Deer Disease Hotline: (866) 293-9282.

CWD Monitoring Program
An ongoing monitoring program to detect Chronic Wasting Disease.

Hunting and Food Safety
Anyone involved with the hunting, preparation or eating of wild game should be aware of diseases that can be acquired from these animals and their meat. Become familiar with food safety procedures that can help prevent infection at all stages of preparation, from field dressing to cooking and storage.

Brain Abscess
White-tailed deer tend to develop brain abscesses after head injuries. The changes in behavior and extreme weight loss that can occur with brain abscesses in white-tailed deer may look like chronic wasting disease (CWD).

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease
Hemorrhagic disease is a suite of viruses that occur annually in white-tailed deer populations and can lead to internal hemorrhage, emaciation, hoof sloughing, lameness, and oral ulcers.

Cutaneous Fibroma
Cutaneous fibromas are wart-like, hairless blemishes found on white-tailed deer caused by a virus.

Arterial Worm and Food Impaction
Food impactions in white-tailed deer can be caused by arterial worms that cause facial paralysis and allow food to accumulate in the jaw area.

Nasal Bots
Nasal bots are larval bot flies found in the nasal passages of white-tailed deer.