7 Deer Test Positive For CWD At Central Minnesota Deer Farm

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Officials say seven deer tested positive for a fatal brain disease at a central Minnesota farm where a herd of whitetails was euthanized.

But the Minnesota Board of Animal Health says officials found 13 decomposed deer at the Crow Wing County farm when they arrived to euthanize the captive herd last month. The Star Tribune reports that was a setback to scientists who were trying to determine how prevalent chronic wasting disease was in the herd of 102 deer. The decomposed carcasses did not have viable tissue to sample.

The board said Wednesday that 89 of the deer were tested and seven proved positive for chronic wasting.

Deer at the pay-to-hunt farm were killed to prevent the disease from spreading to wild deer in the region. The U.S. Department of Agriculture compensated the owner for euthanizing his entire herd.