"Deadly Brain Disease Found In Two California Deer"

"State officials reported the presence of deadly chronic wasting disease in two wild California deer earlier this week. This is the first time the disease, which has plagued other areas of the nation for years, has appeared in the state’s deer or elk population.

The positive samples came from a deer that died of unknown causes near Yosemite Lakes in Madera Counry, and another killed by a vehicle strike near Bishop in Inyo County.

“The disparate locations of these two detections indicate that CWD has probably been present in California for some time, since the incubation period can be months to years,” state wildlife officials said in an announcement Tuesday."

Susanne Rust reports for the Los Angeles Times May 9, 2024.