SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is asking all deer hunters to bring their harvested deer to check stations and have them tested for chronic wasting disease. The various stations across the state during this fall’s hunts will be staffed with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologists ready to test the animals for the disease.

Chronic wasting disease in Utah

Chronic wasting disease is a relatively rare transmissible disease first found in Utah in 2002. It affects the nervous systems of deer, elk and moose.

The disease is caused by a misfolded protein accumulates in the animal’s brain and spinal cord the same type of protein that causes “mad cow disease” in cows and scrapie in sheep.

DWR biologists said infected animals develop brain lesions, become emaciate

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