The 2023 Minnesota Association of Realtors has added a term about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the Home Disclosure Agreement. The form now requires owners to indicate whether CWD "has been detected on the property."
Q: What is Chronic Wasting Disease?
Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal neurological disease in deer and other cervids. Chronic Wasting Disease spreads rapidly through deer populations and is fatal for all infected animals due to CWD prions damaging brain tissue.
**CWD has not been detected in humans.
Q: Why is Chronic Wasting Disease included in the Agreement?
Chronic Wasting Disease can spread through environmental contamination. For instance, a property's soil, lake/pond water, or plants can become infected if a deer with CWD comes in contact with it.
Q: How do I know whether CWD has been detected on my property?
If a deer has CWD, they will likely show a lack of coordination, excessive drooling, drooping of their head or ears, and/or extreme weight loss. Although not all infected deer show symptoms immediately, you can watch for these behaviors in deer on your property.