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Chronic Wasting Disease Detected for First Time in Rappahannock County
Richmond, VA — As a result of the Department of Wildlife Resources’ (DWR) 2020- 2021 chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance efforts, CWD was detected for the first time in Rappahannock County. This adult buck was harvested during the latter half of the regular firearms season. Rappahannock County is already included in Disease Management Area 2 (DMA2), which was created after CWD was confirmed in a single hunter-harvested deer from Culpeper County during the 2018–2019 deer season.
The DWR is grateful to all cooperating hunters, processors, and taxidermists for their continued support of DWR’s efforts to monitor the deer population for CWD and prevent the spread of the disease across Virginia. Working cooperatively with avid outdoor enthusiasts is a crucial component of effective CWD surveillance.
Final 2020–2021 summaries of DWR’s CWD monitoring efforts in both DMAs and in the rest of the state will be released later this winter once all testing results are finalized. Best management practices for hunters, taxidermists, and processors, and additional information about CWD, can be found on the DWR website at: dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd/.