Local counties prepare for CWD ahead of November hunting season

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- As deer season approaches, hunters should be aware of a rare but crucial disease that affects members of the deer family. Chronic waste disease, often referred to as CWD, is a fatal, contagious neurological illness that affects deer, elk, moose and caribou. It is spread between deer primarily through direct physical contact and the sharing of bodily fluids like saliva, urine and blood. It can also contaminate the surrounding soil and plants, allowing the disease to infect new deer years after an infected animal has left the area.