KALISPELL – State wildlife officials report that three more deer in the Libby area could have Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
The latest news from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks comes after the first case west of the Continental Divide was reported within the Libby city limits earlier this year.
FWP Region 1 spokesman Dillon Tabish says samples from the deer were sent to Colorado for testing. Veterinarians there say they suspected the samples to be infected with CWD. Now, officials are going to conduct more tests to confirm.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office along with the Libby Police Department and FWP are asking residents to report any signs of sick deer.
FWP advises that people in the Libby area who see a deer that appears to be sick should call (406) 291-6539 and leave a message with your name, number, the location of the animal and the time you saw it.
Public meetings on CWD will be held every other week in Libby starting in late July. The dates and locations for those have not been set yet.
FWP says that additional meetings in other northwest Montana communities will be held later this summer.
Tabish notes that from late May through July 3, FWP has submitted 29 samples of white-tailed and mule deer for CWD testing. Two are confirmed positive and three are suspected to be positive.
CWD is a progressive, always fatal disease affecting the nervous system of mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and moose, according to FWP.
There is no known transmission of CWD to humans or other animals, including pets or livestock.
CWD was found among wild deer in Montana in 2017.
Public meetings on CWD will be held every other week in Libby starting in late July. The dates and locations for those have not been set yet. FWP says that additional meetings in other northwest Montana communities will be held later this summer.
