Fall sampling has found seven deer that suffered from chronic wasting disease in two southeast Missouri counties.
KFVS-TV reported that the testing was completed in Ste. Genevieve and Perry counties on deceased deer that were brought to sampling stations.
Chronic wasting disease is similar to mad cow disease. It attacks the brains of deer and causes the animals to grow thin, act abnormally and eventually die. The disease threatens the deer hunting industry throughout the Midwest.
The disease had been found in about half of U.S. states.
Officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation will work with landowners in counties where the disease has been found.