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First case of Chronic Wasting Disease found in Edgecombe County deer

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published November 5, 2025 at 6:29 AM EST
A new study suggests that white-tailed deer, like the one here, could carry the virus SARS-CoV-2 indefinitely and spread it back to humans periodically.
Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images
File: white-tailed deer.

The first presumptive detection of Chronic Wasting Disease has been found in Edgecombe County.

Officials with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said the positive result was confirmed in a 3 1/2-year-old male white-tailed deer harvested by a hunter in the eastern corner of the county. The nearest confirmed CWD case from this site is 92 miles away in Cumberland County.

The deer was harvested near the Pitt-Martin County line. If confirmed, this would be the 35th CWD-positive deer found in North Carolina since the disease was first detected in 2022.

The sample is being sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) for verification. Hunters in Edgecombe and surrounding counties are asked to submit deer for testing as part of ongoing surveillance efforts.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston