Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials recently confirmed a case of chronic wasting disease found in a white-tailed deer in Hollywood Park.

Hollywood Park deer Manager Randy Tomasini said June 1 he had been contacted by TPWD about the local case of chronic wasting disease, which affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose in various parts of North America, Norway and South Korea.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it may take more than one year before an infected animal develops symptoms, which can include weight loss, stumbling, listlessness and other neurologic symptoms. CWD is fatal to animals, and there are no treatments or vaccines, CDC states.

In a message to Hollywood Park residents, Tomasini said this is the first time CWD has been confirmed in an urban setting, making this incident more unique.

TPWD officials said they will implement disease containment measures and provide recommendations on mitigating disease transmission in the city of Hollywood Park, where the positive deer was captured in late January as part of an effort to reduce overabundant deer populations.

“I will be meeting with TPWD to gather more information. In previous conversations with them, depopulation of our deer herd is not their choice at this time. We will continue to manage our herd and continue to collect samples as needed,” Tomasini said.

TPWD also said they plan to hold community meetings this summer to discuss disease mitigation actions, CWD zone establishment and what that means to Hollywood Park-area residents.

TPWD officials said CWD has an incubation period that can span years, meaning the first indication in a herd may likely come through testing rather than observed clinical signs.

Early detection and proactive monitoring improve the state’s response time to a disease outbreak and can greatly reduce the risk of further disease spread, TPWD officials said.

According to TPWD, there are to date no known cases where humans have been infected with CWD through consumption of venison, but recent research suggests that this route of CWD transmission to humans should not be ruled out. TPWD is recommending hunters test harvested deer species for CWD and not eat the meat of infected animals.

Tomasini said anyone finding a dead deer in Hollywood Park should notify him at [email protected] or Public Works Director Kelly Cowan at [email protected].