Wasting disease detected in deer in Hancock County

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife confirmed that 40 white-tailed deer taken during the 2025-26 hunting season tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. A total of 6,617 deer were tested for CWD. Positive CWD samples were detected in Allen, Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Marion and Wyandot counties. CWD is a neurological disease that is fatal to white-tailed deer and other similar species, including mule deer, elk and moose. Once an animal is infected, there is no cure for CWD. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no strong evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans. Find more information on CWD at ohiodnr.gov/cwd. Up-to-date information can be found on the CWD dashboard. The dashboard includes location and harvest information for all CWD-positive wild white-tailed deer confirmed since 2020. In addition, the interactive site helps hunters monitor the status of deer they submitted for testing. The Division of Wildlife has extensively monitored and tested deer in the disease surveillance area since CWD was discovered in the wild in 2020. The Division of Wildlife has conducted routine surveillance for CWD since 2002, with more than 40,000 deer tested. The disease was first discovered in the 1960s in the western U.S. More information about this disease is available at cwd-info.org.