Indiana Confirms Three CWD Cases, Expands Positive Area and Surveillance Zones

Overview

• Indiana DNR announced Monday it confirmed chronic wasting disease in three white-tailed deer from Noble, Rush, and Franklin counties during the 2025–2026 hunting season.
• A positive found near the edge of a prior zone in Noble County triggered an expanded CWD Positive Area that now includes Allen, DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, and Whitley counties.
• Enhanced Surveillance Zones now cover parts of the Greater Cincinnati region including Dearborn, Ripley, Franklin, Decatur, Shelby, Rush, Hancock, and Henry counties, with a southern zone in Gibson, Posey, and Vanderburgh counties.
• Hunters can get free testing for legally harvested deer through Indiana DNR and can report sick or dead wildlife on the agency’s website.
• Officials report no known human infections, and the CDC advises people not to eat meat from CWD-positive deer, a fatal prion disease that causes weight loss and odd behavior in affected animals.