Illinois Implements Automated Alert System to Enhance Chronic Wasting Disease Tracking
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is launching an automated notification system to expedite chronic wasting disease (CWD) test results, effective with the 2025-26 deer hunting season.
This initiative targets hunters within a 25-county CWD endemic zone located in northern and west-central Illinois, encouraging them to submit deer for testing at designated check stations, authorized vendors, or self-service drop-off points.
Improved Communication for Hunters
Hunters who provide a mobile phone number with their CWD sample and maintain an active email linked to their ExploreMoreIL account will receive test results via text and email.
For presumptive CWD-positive cases, the notification will include a link to an interactive map pinpointing the harvest location. In cases where additional testing revises the initial result, updated confirmation will be communicated by text only.
The existing online portal for checking test results remains accessible, and hunters can direct inquiries to [email protected].
Tracking and Compliance Measures
- If hunters have not verified their township-range-section (TRS) location within 15 days following a positive test notification, biologists will reach out via phone.
- Failure to provide accurate TRS data may affect hunter eligibility for complimentary replacement tags in the following season.
Expert Perspective on Disease Monitoring
CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting cervids by degrading brain tissue, leading to behavioral changes, weight loss, and eventual death. Early detection and monitoring are critical to managing its spread in deer populations.
The introduction of automated alerts reflects growing emphasis on timely data dissemination, which aids both hunters and wildlife managers in disease surveillance and containment efforts.
Historical and Recent Surveillance Data
CWD was first identified in Illinois in 2002 in an adult female deer from Boone County. Since then, nearly 186,000 deer have been tested statewide, with 2,748 confirmed cases.
Between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, the IDNR’s Wildlife Disease Program documented 539 positive CWD cases spanning 25 counties, including Adams, Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, McHenry, Ogle, Peoria, Putnam, Stephenson, Will, and Winnebago.
Additional reporting and sources from: New Illinois alert system aims to improve deer disease tracking
