DICKINSON COUNTY, MI - Chronic wasting disease has reached the Upper Peninsula.

A 4-year-old doe killed in Dickinson County's Waucedah Township has tested positive for the fatal nervous system disease, confirming its presence in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for the first time.

The deer was shot on an agricultural farm about 4 miles from the Michigan-Wisconsin border.

"We remain committed to maintaining healthy Michigan wildlife for the residents of, and visitors to, this great state, now and into the future," said Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Keith Creagh.

"Fortunately, over the past few years, with the help of hunters, the U.P. CWD Task Force, DNR staffers and others, we are far better prepared to respond to threats posed by chronic wasting disease in the U.P."

The finding was verified by Michigan State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in East Lansing and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

The DNR has tested hundreds of deer from Upper Peninsula counties bordering Wisconsin. As of Oct. 11, 625 deer have been tested from Dickinson, Gogebic, Menominee and Iron counties this year.

Chronic wasting disease has been found in free-ranging deer in six additional counties in Michigan including Clinton, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kent and Montcalm. A total of 63 deer within these counties have tested positive for the disease.

In North America, a total of 25 states and three Canadian provinces have confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging or captive deer, elk or moose, or both.

To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans. Appropriate steps are being taken to limit the spread of the disease in the U.P.

"For next hunting season and beyond, the DNR will discuss possible response actions with U.P. hunters and other stakeholders to determine the best approach to fighting CWD in the region," said Chad Stewart, DNR deer management specialist.