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Chronic Wasting Disease Detected for the First Time in Fairfax County
Richmond, VA — The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) in an adult male deer legally harvested in Vienna, Fairfax County. The deer was brought to a taxidermist in late October of 2022 and DWR obtained the sample shortly thereafter as part of the Department’s proactive statewide CWD surveillance efforts. At the time of harvest, no outward signs of disease were noted, and the deer appeared to be in good condition. Because this is the first CWD-positive detection in Fairfax County, a county bordering Disease Management Area 2 (DMA2), the DWR conducted an extensive forensic investigation to confirm the harvest location of this deer.
No regulatory changes will be made until the conclusion of the 2022–2023 deer hunting season.
Until then, the following are strongly recommended:
- Carcass transport: do not transport whole deer carcasses or any parts containing brain or spinal cord tissue out of Fairfax County to a non-DMA county (please see dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd/transporting-carcasses-into-within-and-out-of-dma2/ for information on current DMA2 deer carcass transport restrictions).
- Carcass disposal: Double-bag deer parts and place directly in a landfill or a trash receptacle to be picked up with the regular trash collection.
REMINDER: It is illegal to feed deer at any time of the year in Fairfax County.
CWD Testing:
Hunters in Fairfax County may choose to get deer tested for CWD at no cost by bringing the head to a CWD drop site in DMA2, which includes neighboring Loudoun County. Sites in DMA2 can be found here: dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/media/DMA2-Refrigerators-2022.pdf. DWR will identify additional drop sites in Fairfax County ahead of the 2023–2024 hunting season.
Hunters are encouraged to continue hunting deer. Hunter-harvested deer are essential to tracking CWD. Hunting regulations and season dates can be found here: dwr.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations/.
Thanks to the Fairfax County Deer Management Program, extensive CWD testing has been conducted throughout the county for the past few years. Since the 2019–2020 season, over 750 deer have been tested, with this being the only detection to date in the county.
The DWR has been closely monitoring CWD prevalence and spread in northwestern Virginia (DMA1 and DMA2) for over thirteen years. DMA3 in southern Virginia was added after a positive detection in Montgomery County in 2020. Across the rest of the state, DWR has been conducting CWD surveillance for the past five years with the assistance of cooperating taxidermists. From 2009 to the end of the 2021–2022 hunting season, 134 positive cases of CWD have been detected in Virginia. The Department is very appreciative of the support and cooperation demonstrated by taxidermists, processors and hunters who aid in this sampling effort. As evidenced by this newly diagnosed CWD positive deer, this assistance is critical to the success of our ongoing statewide CWD monitoring, surveillance and prevention efforts.
CWD has been confirmed in at least twenty-nine states, three Canadian provinces, northern Europe, and South Korea. In North America, this incurable disease is found in deer, elk and moose. It is a slow-acting and progressive neurologic disease that ultimately results in death of the animal. The disease-causing agent, called a prion, is spread through the urine, feces, and saliva of infected animals. Infected animals may not develop any symptoms of CWD for several months to over a year after exposure. Clinical signs of CWD may be staggering, abnormal posture, lowered head, drooling, confusion, and marked weight loss.
There is no evidence that CWD can be transmitted naturally to humans, pets or livestock. However, there is still much that is unknown about the potential for transmission to humans. Although the CWD diagnostic tests are not food-safety tests, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that hunters test all deer harvested from known CWD-positive areas and not consume meat from animals that test positive.
Regulations pertaining to CWD, maps of affected states and information about CWD can be found on the DWR website at: dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd/. If you would like to report a sick deer, please call our Wildlife Helpline at 1-855-571-9003.