Delaware Confirms Third CWD Case, Expands Deer Zone

State of DE - Delaware wildlife officials have confirmed a third case of chronic wasting disease in a white-tailed deer in central Sussex County.

The finding adds Wildlife Management Zone 11 to the state's CWD Management Zone, joining zones 14 and 16.

Chronic wasting disease, known as CWD, is a fatal illness that affects deer and other members of the deer family. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, known as DNREC, is applying temporary hunting and rehabilitation regulations in the newly added area to help slow the spread.

The deer that tested positive was first investigated by DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife staff as a possible case of epizootic hemorrhagic disease. Staff also tested the deer for CWD during that investigation and got a positive result.

The deer was found just east of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority's Jones Crossroads Landfill near Georgetown.

Delaware is now the 37th state this year to confirm CWD in wild deer.

DNREC has been testing deer for the disease since 2003, preparing for the chance it would eventually show up in Delaware. That preparation is now part of the state's ongoing response.

DNREC will hold a community meeting on the disease tonight, Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Delaware Technical Community College's Owens Campus in Georgetown. A virtual option is also available through Microsoft Teams for anyone who cannot attend in person.

Anyone wanting to speak at the meeting can sign up with DNREC staff starting at 6:10 p.m. at the Del Tech campus. Comments will be limited to two minutes each.

The meeting will cover DNREC's recent temporary deer hunting and rehabilitation regulations, including today's expansion of the management zone. Division of Fish and Wildlife staff will walk through the details of those rules.

This meeting is for information only and is not part of a formal public comment period. Any permanent changes to the regulations will go through the standard public comment process later this year.

More information, including the latest temporary regulation, the state's CWD response plan, a zone map, and guidance for dealing with the disease, is available on the de.gov/cwd webpage.

Registration for tonight's meeting can be found at de.gov/dnrecmeetings.