The two deer were found in Surry County, which neighbors Yadkin County where the first two CWD-positive deer were found earlier this year. An additional deer tested positive in Surry County in October. 

Since the first case was detected in March, special regulations have been in place in two areas of the state’s northwestern region, called the primary and secondary surveillance areas. One of these regulations is mandatory testing, in effect in both areas. Mandatory testing ended in the secondary surveillance area Nov. 27, but the two new detections fall in that secondary area, so wildlife officials strongly recommend that hunters continue submitting harvested deer’s lymph nodes for testing. Mandatory testing in the primary surveillance area ends Jan. 2. 

Transporting deer outside the surveillance area is strictly prohibited. 

Though the disease does not affect people, it is highly transmissible between deer and spreads via saliva, urine and feces when the deer is alive, and through carcass parts once it’s dead. Because the disease takes a long time to reach its fatal conclusion as it spreads through the nervous system, causing spongy holes in the brain, infected deer can appear healthy. 

Three free testing options are available. Hunters can submit their deer head at a CWD Testing Drop-off Station, take their harvested deer to a Wildlife Commission staffed check station or ask their meat processor or taxidermist if they participate in the Cervid Health Cooperator program. If so, they will submit a sample as part of their services. 

Find testing locations on the interactive map at ncwildlife.org/cwd. Test results are available on the agency’s website several weeks after the sample is received no matter how the sample is submitted.