DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reporting 21 new cases of chronic wasting disease in deer this hunting season.
Two new counties -Jackson and Appanoose - have been added to the list where the disease has been found.
More than 100 deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease since 2013, when it was first discovered in Iowa.
The state is looking at options to counter the latest increase. “Although we expect some spread just outside of our existing zones, it’s not what we like to see,” said Tyler Harms, deer program leader for the Iowa DNR. “We will reassess the boundaries of our existing zones to encompass these new positives.”
The Iowa DNR has a map showing where the positive deer have been taken.
The state says it's relying on hunters to help stop the spread of chronic wasting disease. “We rely heavily on our hunters to help us respond to this disease by increasing antlerless harvest in our disease management zones,” Harms said. “We know increased harvest is the best way to slow the spread and it helps increase sampling in these zones so we can monitor disease prevalence and spread.