White-tailed deer population declines in a high-prevalence chronic wasting disease region of Arkansas, USA

 White-tailed deer population declines in a high-prevalence chronic wasting disease region of Arkansas, USA

Heather E. Gaya , Marcelo H. Jorge, Lisa A. Jorge, Mark G. Ruder, Gino J. D’Angelo, Richard B. Chandler, Michael J. Chamberlain

Published: January 7, 2026

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340070

Abstract

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting cervids worldwide. CWD was first detected in Arkansas in 2015 and as of August 2025 has been detected in 24 counties across the state. Within the Tier 1 CWD management zone of northern Arkansas, average apparent CWD prevalence exceeded 25% at the onset of our study in 2021. We tested the hypothesis that high prevalence of CWD negatively affects white-tailed deer population viability. We collected data from 243 camera traps and deployed GPS-collars on 131 adult deer to monitor population dynamics. Using spatial mark-resight models, we estimated density of adult deer from 2021 to 2024 at three sites across a presumed CWD gradient to assess the impacts of high CWD prevalence on deer abundance. Deer densities declined at all three study sites, at an average 17% (95% CI: 8% − 24%) decline per year. Male densities declined by an average 23% (95% CI: 5% − 31%) per year compared to 15% (95% CI: 2% − 23%) yearly declines for females. These findings suggest that CWD can negatively impact deer populations through direct reductions in density, but additional research is needed to determine if additional factors contributed to these declines. Furthermore, our findings suggest the populations we studied are not sustainable under current harvest regulations.

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Conclusion

Our findings add to a growing body of evidence that CWD can greatly alter deer populations. Given that previous research has demonstrated reductions in survival due to CWD [5], the high prevalence in our study area likely contributed to the observed population declines. However, it is possible that factors other than CWD contributed to the observed trends in deer densities. Future work in this region should document the direct effects of CWD on vital rates such as survival and fecundity to confirm the role of CWD in population declines. At present, few management tools are available to control CWD once established on the landscape. We therefore suggest that wildlife managers focus on slowing or preventing the spread of CWD to uninfected populations, taking actions that aim to stabilize or lower CWD prevalence, and collect accurate data on deer abundance to monitor when harvest limits become unsustainable.

Supporting information

Estimates of encounter rate and spatial scale parameters. Showing 1/3: pone.0340070.s001.docx

S1 Table. Estimates of encounter rate and spatial scale parameters. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340070.s001 (DOCX) S1 Fig. Estimated sex ratio of adult white-tailed deer. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340070.s002

(DOCX) S2 Fig. CWD sample prevalence and hunter harvest in Newton County, Searcy County and Arkansas’s Zone 2 harvest area. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340070.s003

(DOCX)

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0340070

AGFC CWD-positive deer found in Grant, Sevier counties, 2,278 Confirmed Cases To Date

CWD-positive deer found in Grant, Sevier counties

BY Randy Zellers ON 12-19-2025 LAB DATA

AGFC CWD-positive deer found in Grant, Sevier counties, 2,278 Confirmed Cases To Date

https://www.agfc.com/news/cwd-positive-deer-found-in-grant-sevier-counties/

Arkansas CWD Management Plan 2026-2031

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_-d2pfO-75IygW9CGeNueun73OEy8RBD/view ​ 

Texas CWD

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2026

Texas Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion 1,393 Confirmed Cases To Date July 2026

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/07/texas-chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse.html

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/225/texas-cwd-prion-confirmed-date

Chronic wasting disease prions in cervids and wild pigs in North America Preliminary Outbreak Assessment DEFRA 26 January 2026 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Preliminary Outbreak Assessment

Chronic wasting disease prions in cervids and wild pigs in North America

26 January 2026

Disease report

“They analysed over 300 brain and lymph node samples from 178 wild pigs living across Arkansas and Texas, USA…the researchers identified CWD prions in up to 37% of the lymph node samples and 15% of brain samples. The lowest detection rates were in the Texas samples (below 16%), matching the lower CWD prevalence in the state’s cervid population.”

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697a3b013c71d838df6bd413/CWD_Prions_in_Cervids_and_Wild_Pigs_in_North_America.pdf

Detection of Prions in Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) from Areas with Reported Chronic Wasting Disease Cases, United State Volume 31, Number 1—January 2025

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/1/24-0401_article

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion, Economical, Environmental, Zoonotic, Risk Factors 2026

https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2026/02/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse-prion.html

***> USA Report, Scrapie, CWD, BSE, TSE, Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Cervid, Humans, Zoonotic, 2026

April 2026

https://fdabse589.blogspot.com/2026/04/usa-report-scrapie-cwd-bse-tse-cattle.html

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403956772_USA_Report_Scrapie_CWD_BSE_TSE_Cattle_Sheep_Pigs_Cervid_Humans_Zoonotic_2026

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Hazard identification for the risks to terrestrial animal health from the import of hay and straw, BSE, CWD, Scrapie, TSE, Prion

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hazard-identification-for-the-risks-to-terrestrial-animal-health-from-the-import-of-hay-and-straw/hazard-identification-for-the-risks-to-terrestrial-animal-health-from-the-import-of-hay-and-straw

https://defrauktseprp.blogspot.com/2026/06/hazard-identification-for-risks-to.html

Cervid CWD TSE PrP Transmission to Humans, has it already happened and being masked as sporadic CJD, What if? July 2026 Review

https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/07/cervid-cwd-tse-prp-transmission-to.html

https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/224/cervid-transmission-humans-july-review

Arkansas CJD Surveillance

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a reportable condition under the Arkansas Department of Health Rules and Regulations for Reportable Diseases, but specific public health surveillance case totals or localized CJD outbreak data for 2025 are not published as an independent, open-access dataset by the state. National surveillance data compiled by the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center track aggregated national case examinations rather than breaking down explicit annual counts by individual state public health reports...

Texas Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease CJD TSE Prion Disease 2025

Update as of 10/15/25, NO REPORT TO UPDATE…

https://www.dshs.texas.gov/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease-cjd/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease-cjd-data

US NATIONAL PRION DISEASE PATHOLOGY SURVEILLANCE CENTER CJD TSE REPORT SEPTEMBER 2025

From the first full year of reporting CJD TSE in the US in 2000, where 90 cases of CJD was reported that year, to today, where in September 2025, the number of CJD cases reported in the last full year reporting, which would have been 2024, the number of CJD cases for 2024 was 249 cases. So, from the first full year 2000 CJD cases were 90 cases confirmed in that year, to 2024, where 2024 CJD statistics rose to 249 confirmed CJD cases in a single year. A dramatic increase in deaths, from figures that don’t seem to be dramatic. But thes figures today, they are not from “better surveillance”, that dog don’t hunt no more. They have been saying this for over 25 years, year after year, well it’s time to call it for what it is, Human Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion cases are rising, and it’s NOT because of better surveillance, or just a “happenstance of bad luck, that 85%+ of all human cases, sporadic CJD, including VPSPr, just happen spontaneously, no, it’s because of unknown environmental factors, and or iatrogenic factors, imho…terry

US NATIONAL PRION DISEASE PATHOLOGY SURVEILLANCE CENTER CJD TSE REPORT SEPTEMBER 2025

https://prionunitusaupdate.blogspot.com/2025/10/us-national-prion-disease-pathology.html

So, this is what we leave our children and grandchildren?

Terry S. Singeltary Sr.