The discovery of chronic wasting disease in a Georgia deer has state officials on alert, but they say the deer hunting industry will continue to thrive in the state. The disease was found in a deer sampled for routine surveillance in Lanier County,

“We found that harvesting a high proportion of the adult males in the herd – around 40% every year for 20 years, is expected to keep chronic wasting disease infections at low numbers,” lead author and USGS scientist Wynne Moss said in the press release.

Chronic wasting disease has been detected near Hawley for the first time. Hunters' voluntary testing helped identify the disease; new management zones and sampling rules may follow.

Georgia's first-ever case of chronic wasting disease -- which is 100% fatal -- was reported last week to have been found in a deer in south Georgia.