Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
08/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/14/2026 12:39
August 14, 2026: Portage County Deer Farm Confirmed with CWD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 14, 2026
Contact: Molly Mueller, Public Information Officer, (608) 910-1929, molly.mueller@wisconsin.gov
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) confirms that a Portage County deer farm has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The result was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.
The positive result came from a 3-year-old buck. The premises is quarantined, where it will remain while DATCP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarians and staff conduct the epidemiological investigation.
CWD is a fatal, neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by an infectious protein called a prion that affects the animal's nervous system. DATCP regulates deer farms for registration, recordkeeping, disease testing, movement, and permit requirements.
More Information
- About CWD: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/ChronicWastingDisease.aspx
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About DATCP's farm-raised deer program: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/FarmRaisedDeer.aspx
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Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection published this content on August 14, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 14, 2026 at 18:39 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]