Chronic wasting disease was found in a deer that was hit by a car in the Florida Panhandle recently, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced.

Due to how close that deer was to southeast Alabama, the agency said it will step up CWD sampling surveillance efforts in the southeastern portion of the state.

The department’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division has partnered with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries in the testing. The Conservation Department will deploy additional self-service, drop-off CWD sampling freezer locations throughout southeast Alabama and will also increase CWD surveillance efforts.

The public is also encouraged to report roadkill deer and deer acting in an unusual fashion to their local WFF District Office. Contact information is available at www.outdooralabama.com.

Alabama’s first case of CWD was detected in Lauderdale County in northwest Alabama in January 2022. Since 2022, there have been only three cases of CWD detected in Lauderdale County. The disease has not been detected in any other Alabama county.

CWD is a fatal disease for deer that worsens overtime. It usually results in altered behavior because of microscopic changes that are taking place within the brain.

To review Alabama’s regulation and the latest information about CWD in the state, click here.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.