Deer at Columbia Farm Tests Positive for Chronic Wasting Disease | News

COLUMBIA, N.Y. — As hunting season approaches in the Mohawk Valley, the New York State DEC is investigating how a case of chronic wasting disease appeared on a Hayner Road farm in the Town of Columbia.

Columbia Supervisor Nathan Seamon wasn’t initially told of the disease detection in his official capacity, but rather as a homeowner.

“I was contacted late last week as a property owner that a neighboring property had a deer test positive for chronic wasting disease,” Seamon explained.

It’s the first time since 2005 a deer has tested positive for the disease in central New York.

The disease infects the brain and nervous systems of deer and elk. Once it’s introduced, it’s almost impossible to eliminate.

There’s still no word on how the disease ended up in the facility.

“There is, to my knowledge, no understanding of how it was introduced into this herd, which stands at over 200 deer,” Seamon said.

NEWSChannel 2 reached out to the DEC for comment.

They confirm that an isolated case was detected in a captive deer facility but stressed that CWD is not currently known to be in wild deer in the State.

The focus for the DEC now becomes ensuring it stays out of the wild.

“The DEC has asked the town if they could set up a drop box where hunters drop off deer that the DEC could then come and test, whether it be from hunting, roadkill, at this point they are looking to test as many deer as possible,” Seamon said.