BENZIE COUNTY — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says a 4-year-old doe harvested in Benzie County during the 2023 deer hunting season has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis.
The DNR says this is the first bTB-positive wild deer from that county.
Bovine tuberculosis is an infectious disease that can affect animals and humans and animals. Bovine TB has mostly been found in deer from Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda and Presque Isle County, but the DNR says it is likely present in low levels in the surrounding area.
The first case was found in Alcona County in 1975. Since then, over 350,000 wild deer have been tested and over 1,000 were found to be infected.
“Bovine TB develops slowly, and most positive deer submitted by hunters appear healthy,” said Michigan DNR Wildlife Health Section supervisor Mitch Marcus. “That’s why submitting heads for bTB testing is so important. Wildlife Health staff can safely look at lymph nodes, where the disease is most likely to show up first.”
The DNR recommends that hunters do not consume animals infected with bovine TB and use caution when field-dressing or processing a deer.
