Discovery of deer disease in Ohio renews Indiana worries

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The discovery of a deadly deer disease in Ohio has renewed concerns about the health of Indiana's white-tailed deer herd.

Chronic wasting disease was found in Ohio in October. The fatal disease resembles mad cow disease and has been found in 23 states.

The Indianapolis Star (http://indy.st/1I4LOsR ) reports the Ohio case cropped up in a commercial deer operation in which deer are bred for enormous antlers, then shipped to fenced hunting preserves to be shot by hunters willing to pay thousands of dollars.

Infected deer can carry the disease for years without symptoms and can be shipped into uninfected areas and infect wild herds. Twenty-one states have banned the importation of deer to protect wild herds.

Indiana lawmakers have rejected calls to restrict deer imports despite wildlife officials' concerns.

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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com