Zombie Deer Disease Found in Washington, What You Need to Know

The first case of Chronic Wasting Disease was confirmed in a deer in Washington state.

The dead deer was found in a neighborhood in Fairwood, just north of Spokane. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is especially concerned, because of the location of the deceased deer.

“With the spread of CWD across the country and recent detections in adjacent states and provinces, WDFW has proactively conducted surveillance in this area since 2021,” noted Eric Gardner, WDFW’s Wildlife Program Director. “We detected this case because of the surveillance program, and we are immediately reviewing our Management Plan and the circumstances of this detection. We will announce additional management actions soon.”

What is Chronic Wasting Disease?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a serious disease in animals which is ALWAYS FATAL in infected animals. There is NO vaccine or treatment. Chronic Wasting Disease has spread to animals in more than half of the states in the continental United States.

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It's believed that CWD spreads between animals through contact with saliva, blood, urine, feces of an infected animal. Scientists also believe it can spread indirectly through the environmen, such as in soil, food and drinking water. Once an animal gets sick, the disease moves to the brain and eventually kills the animal.

What Are The Warning Signs Of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)?

•Drastic weight loss (called wasting)
•Stumbling or lack of coordination
•Drooling
•Listlessness (appearing "out of it")
•Excessive thirst or peeing
•Drooping ears
•Lack of fear of people

WDFW works with landowners, land management agencies, state and local governments, tribal partners, sportspeople, conservation groups, and others to respond to the disease and attempt to reduce it from spreading.