BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is ramping up surveillance in 11 parishes after a deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) at a Jeff Davis Parish deer farm in October.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry announced the positive test. The affected farm is now under quarantine.

Increased monitoring will occur in Jeff Davis, Calcasieu, DeSoto, Bossier, Ouachita, Catahoula, Concordia, St. Landry, Pointe Coupee, Iberia, and Tangipahoa parishes. According to LDWF, deer from the quarantined farm have been traced to captive facilities in these areas.

LDWF is urging hunters statewide to assist with surveillance by submitting deer samples. Symptoms of CWD include weight loss, excessive salivation, frequent drinking and urination, incoordination, circling, lack of fear of humans, and ultimately, death.

Samples can be submitted to the LDWF Field Office in Lake Charles (1025 Tom Watson Road). Hunters can also access testing services at the following LDWF field offices:

• Lafayette Office 337-262-2080 200 Dulles Drive, Lafayette;
• Lake Charles Office 337-491-2575 1025 Tom Watson Road, Lake Charles;
• Hammond Office 985-543-4777 42371 Phyllis Ann Drive, Hammond;
• Minden Office 318-371-3050 9961 Highway 80, Minden;
• Monroe Office 318-343-4044 368 Century Link Drive, Monroe;
• Pineville Office 318-487-5885 1995 Shreveport Highway, Pineville.

Since 2002, LDWF has only detected CWD in wild deer in Tensas Parish. For more information about CWD and testing, visit the LDWF website.

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