Delaware implements emergency rules to contain Chronic Wasting Disease

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has implemented emergency regulations to contain the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) following its first confirmed discovery in the state earlier this year.

To mitigate the risk, DNREC has established a CWD Management Zone encompassing parts of central Sussex County, specifically targeting Wildlife Management Zones 14 and 16. The new rules aim to reduce activities that congregate deer, limit the movement of potentially infected animals or infectious materials, and increase testing rates during the upcoming November hunting season.

As part of the containment strategy, hunters within the management zone must report harvested animals at two designated stations. Additionally, the state has implemented a statewide ban on natural urine-based ‘buck lures’ for deer hunting. While recent cluster sampling of 100 deer conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) did not find further cases, officials emphasize the importance of proactive measures to prevent wider transmission.