CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Game and Fish Department's chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance program has found CWD in a new elk hunt area and a new deer hunt area. CWD is a fatal neurological disease of deer, elk and moose.

Staff at the Game and Fish Department's wildlife disease laboratory in Laramie confirmed a doe mule deer and a cow elk were CWD positive. The deer was from deer hunt area 123, northeast of Lovell. The elk was from elk hunt area 108, which is southwest of Rawlins.

Both of the new hunt areas are bordered by or overlap hunt areas where the disease was found previously. Deer hunt area 123 borders deer hunt area 122 and CWD was found there in 2007 and elk hunt area 108 overlaps deer hunt area 84, where CWD was documented about a month ago.

"We take CWD seriously and that is the reason we have a surveillance program. Though there is no evidence that CWD can be transmitted to people, we recommend people not eat deer, elk or moose that test positive for CWD," Deputy Chief of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Wildlife Division, Scott Edberg said. "We continue to conduct vaccine research and evaluate options to try and prevent the spread of CWD."

Game and Fish personnel will continue to collect CWD samples. Hunters who wish to have their deer, elk or moose tested for CWD outside of the department's CWD surveillance program can to do so by contacting the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab at (307) 766-9925. Hunters should be aware that it may take a few weeks after their animal is sampled to get their test results.

For more information on chronic wasting disease transmission and regulations on transportation and disposal of carcasses please visit the Game and Fish website at: wgfd.wyo.gov.