Michigan Confirms 2nd Case Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Wild Deer

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP (WWJ/AP) - State wildlife officials say testing has turned up a second case of chronic wasting disease in a wild deer.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said Friday a 2-year-old male found near Lansing in Meridian Township tested positive for the contagious, fatal disease that attacks the brains of infected deer and elk. It was less than a mile from the first case — a female deer that tested positive in May.

Genetic testing is determining if they are related.

"Finding this second positive deer is disappointing, however, not unexpected," said DNR Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason, in a release. "We will continue with our aggressive surveillance throughout the summer and fall. With the assistance of hunters, we hope to determine the distribution of this disease."

The state says more 300 deer have been tested for the disease in the surrounding area.

Until May, chronic wasting disease hadn't appeared in Michigan since 2008, when an infected white-tailed deer was detected at a Kent County breeding farm.

The DNR asks that the public and hunters continue to report deer that are unusually thin and exhibiting unusual behavior — for example, acting tame around humans and allowing someone to approach.

To report a suspicious-looking deer, call the DNR Wildlife Disease Lab at 517-336-5030 or fill out and submit the online observation report, found on the DNR website.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.