‘Zombie’ deer disease spreading closer to Wichita

Chronic wasting disease, a progressive, fatal deer disease without a cure, is spreading across Kansas. And its getting closer to Wichita.

The disease is not known to spread to humans, but can take a major toll on deer populations. Hunters who kill a deer near Cheney Lake should probably get their deer tested for the disease, just to be safe, according to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

Since it was first detected in a whitetail doe in the northwest corner of the state in 2005, the brain disease has spread to 21 Kansas counties, according to a news release from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

Although most cases have been in northwestern counties, new cases this year show the disease is spreading south and west. Reno County, which borders Sedgwick County to the west, has been added to the growing list of counties with confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease, the news release said.

Cheney Reservoir, which is surrounded by high-traffic public hunting ground, is in Reno County.

Chronic wasting disease, a close relative to Mad Cow Disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, infects members of the deer family, including whitetail and mule deer, elk and moose. All of those species but moose are in Kansas. The disease has no cure, vaccine or other method of prevention at this time.

The disease causes sponge-like holes in a deer’s brain that cause the animal to act confused and lose its fear of humans, leading to the nickname “zombie deer” disease. Symptoms can take two years to appear.

Symptoms include droopy head, staggering, loss of appetite and lack of response to people. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism asks anyone who sees a deer or elk displaying those behaviors to report it to the nearest office immediately or its Emporia Research and Survey Office at 620-342-0658.

If a hunter harvests a deer in an infected area, they should have their deer tested even if it doesn’t display signs of the disease, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism said. For more information on how to get a deer tested, call the department at 785-296-2281.

This story was originally published February 24, 2019 at 7:00 AM.