VICKSBURG (AP) — Mississippi will hold a public meeting to discuss its response plan to a fatal infectious deer disease that has been confirmed in the state.

The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks said in a news release Friday that leading scientists and department employees will discuss the plan for dealing with chronic wasting disease.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 19, at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

The department learned Feb. 9 that the disease had been confirmed in Issaquena County. It’s the first time the disease has been found in Mississippi. Officials say genetics showed that the infected white-tailed deer was local, and therefore was infected locally.

Chronic wasting disease affects the brains of deer and related animals, such as elk, moose, and reindeer. There is no known treatment.