State agriculture officials say chronic wasting disease has been identified in two female deer in central Michigan. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said Friday the deer were from a Mecosta County farm. It’s the second time the neurological disease has been found in a farmed facility in Michigan. The other was in 2008 when a white-tailed deer tested positive in Kent County. Officials say samples from the two deer were submitted for testing as part of the state’s mandatory chronic wasting disease surveillance program. State officials say they are quarantining the farm and working with the farmer to test all deer from the herd. All deer within a 15-mile radius will undergo increased testing as well. An informational meeting will be Wednesday in Big Rapids.
