Prairie State Wire

Chronic wasting disease has been detected in Ford County in northern Illinois, marking an expansion of the infection in free-ranging deer populations, as announced by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today.

According to the IDNR, the always-fatal neurological disease threatens the long-term health of white-tailed deer in Illinois. The detection in Ford County was confirmed in mid-March from a suspect-deer showing symptoms consistent with CWD infection. This adds to the list of affected counties, which now includes a total of 21 counties across northern Illinois.

In response to this detection, wildlife biologists with IDNR will be hosting public meetings later this year to discuss current management strategies and answer questions about CWD. The agency encourages landowners, hunters, and interested citizens to attend these meetings.

Illinois has been recognized as a national leader in managing and slowing the spread of chronic wasting disease, with IDNR's 20-year program serving as a model for other states. The department, along with disease specialists and multi-agency partners, has been actively working to slow the spread of CWD since its first documentation in Illinois in 2002.

Current management efforts include encouraging hunter harvest and testing of deer in affected counties, targeted removal in CWD infection zones to curb the disease's spread, and ongoing statewide surveillance in counties where CWD has not been detected. IDNR also engages in outreach initiatives to raise public awareness about CWD and its potential impact on deer hunting in Illinois.

For more information about the recent detections or about chronic wasting disease, individuals can contact Chris Jacques, wildlife disease program manager at chris.jacques@illinois.gov.