In early January, TPWD received notice from the National Veterinary Service Laboratory in Ames, Iowa that a sample from a 14-month-old whitetail buck at the Kerr WMA submitted for CWD testing was “not confirmed.” The sample had previously been confirmed as “suspect positive” by two other labs. TPWD euthanized the facility’s entire research herd of 89 animals prior to confirmation by the national lab. (TPWD Photo)
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TPWD euthanizes research facility deer herd prior to confirmation by national lab
Just when you thought the story behind the discovery of chronic wasting disease in a penned deer at Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Kerr Wildlife Management Area’s 23-acre research facility couldn’t get any more unfortunate, it did. The good news is the 14-month old buck that tested “suspect positive” for CWD last fall was not infected with the disease after all. The bad news is TPWD staff opted to euthanize the facility’s entire research herd before the test results were confirmed by the National Veterinary Service Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.
