CIDRAP – Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, reports first CWD cases February 3, 2025 Mary Van Beusekom, MS Two male deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, the county’s first detections of the fatal neurologic disease, the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced late last week. Luzerne County is located in the northeastern part of the state, 40 miles from the closest CWD identification in a wild deer. One of the two adult bucks was harvested by a hunter, and the other was identified on a deer-breeding farm on December 16.
Hunting cervids and freezers full of deer meat is extremely common in northeastern Pennsylvania, and many people feed their families all winter with venison.
