New York State Establishes Containment Area for CWD in Livingston County

New York wildlife officials confirmed a case of chronic wasting disease in a wild deer in Livingston County on November 6, marking the state’s first detection in wild deer since 2005.

Cornell University’s New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory conducted initial and follow-up examinations on the sample. A federal facility is performing further analysis.

A separate detection in a captive red deer herd in southern Herkimer County in 2024 prompted increased surveillance in that region by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation established a mandatory containment area spanning six towns: Conesus, Groveland, North Dansville, Sparta, Springwater, and West Sparta.

The restriction zone will stay active for at least five years, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Hunters harvesting deer within the six-town containment zone must bring their animals to the check station so that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation can collect a tissue sample that will be tested for CWD.

The facility operates daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until November 20, 2026. Hours change to 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. starting November 21, 2026, and run through December 13, 2026.

The facility shuts on Thursday, November 26, 2026 (Thanksgiving Day), from December 23 through 25, and on Friday, January 1, 2027 (New Years Day).

Transporting high-risk anatomical components—such as eyes, spleens, spinal cords, and brains—out of the containment zone is forbidden by regulations.

Hunters need a transport permit issued by a DEC check station if they wish to relocate their deer outside the zone or deliver it to a cooperating taxidermist or meat processor.

Transmission occurs when infected animals shed infectious prions through their feces, urine, and saliva.

A deer can harbor chronic wasting disease for years or months without showing symptoms. It can continuously contaminate feeding sites and expose other wildlife to the disease.

“Deer can look otherwise healthy when they're harvested,” Brendan Quirion, section head of DEC's Big Game Unit, told WHEC.

“From there, we’ll determine next management actions,” Quirion said.

The agency is prohibiting the movement of any deer from captive facilities in that area. It is prohibiting the rehabilitation of deer from that area and restricting use of deer products such as urine and other deer products being transported out of that containment area, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

“With CWD, we're very, very concerned about its potential presence in the state,” Jim Farquhar, bureau chief for the DEC's Bureau of Wildlife, said.

Federal health authorities recommend that hunters strongly consider getting elk or deer tested before consumption, particularly within CWD zones.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports no evidence that the disease can naturally infect pets, livestock, or humans.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation advises hunters to await test results before consuming any harvested venison.

Neighboring jurisdictions mobilized in response to the Western New York detection.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, through Director of Wildlife John Austin, said that CWD is a very persistent disease that can spread in several ways.

Austin reminded hunters traveling outside Vermont that a regulation designed to protect Vermont’s deer and moose from chronic wasting disease remains in effect regarding carcass importation rules.

State officials scheduled a virtual webinar on chronic wasting disease for Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. to brief hunters and residents.

Officials will share information about CWD and discuss future management and containment options, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.