DALTON -- Chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in deer in four more Arkansas counties, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Deer harvested in Randolph, Crawford, Franklin and Van Buren counties have been confirmed with the disease, the commission said Friday.
The fatal disease affects deer, elk, caribou and moose and has been found in at least 27 states nationwide.
The case in Randolph County in northeastern Arkansas is about 25 miles from the nearest confirmed case, in southern Missouri, but no confirmed cases have been reported in adjoining Arkansas counties.
"We held public meetings along the Missouri border this summer," AG&FC Director Austin Booth said. "We'll make sure we hold public meetings about our findings at the conclusion of deer season."
Crawford, Franklin and Van Buren counties in western Arkansas all are adjacent to counties where the disease has previously been found and are within the state's chronic wasting management zone.
There are no reported cases of the disease in humans, but it is recommended that meat from infected animals not be eaten.
Hunters are encouraged to take the heads of harvested deer to free testing facilities located in each of Arkansas' 75 counties.