NDGF Help Center FAQ
Where is it found?
The origin of CWD is unknown and it may never be possible to definitively determine how or when CWD arose. It was first diagnosed in a Colorado elk research facility in 1967 and a few years later in a similar Wyoming research facility. It was later discovered in wild elk and deer near those facilities in Colorado and Wyoming.
The known distribution of CWD in wild deer, elk, and moose includes Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
CWD also has been found in farmed elk or deer herds in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Alberta, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and South Korea.
CWD has also been found in wild moose and reindeer in Scandinavia.
CWD was first detected in North Dakota in a mule deer buck taken in the fall of 2009 in the southwestern part of the state. See http://www.cwd-info.org for more information.