Hunters have recently shot a doe that escaped from a quarantined Pennsylvania farm last month. Following the confirmation that this is one of the deer that escaped a Pennsylvania quarantine zone, state agriculture officials will test the animal for wasting disease in order to determine if the disease may have spread outside the quarantine zone.

CWD was first identified in mule deer at a Colorado wildlife research facility in the 60s. Transmitted through abnormal proteins, known as prions, typically found in the central nervous system, the disease is progressive and universally fatal. Initial symptoms include weight loss, listlessness, and blank facial expressions.

The confirmation of CWD in Pennsylvania brings the total number of states affected by the illness to 23.

“The department has been working to prevent further spread of the disease,” said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. “The capture and testing of this escaped deer will allow the department to close this chapter of the investigation.”

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer