laNDS & RESOURCES Team

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 BC Gov News 

The Province has confirmed an additional case of chronic wasting disease in British Columbia, found in a white-tailed deer in the Kootenay region.

Chronic wasting disease is an infectious and fatal disease affecting species in the cervid family, including deer, elk, moose and caribou. It causes serious harm to the animals’ health.

To date, three cases of the disease have been identified in deer populations in the Kootenay region. The first two cases in B.C. were confirmed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in February 2024. One was a male mule deer harvested by a hunter, and the other was a female white-tailed deer killed in a road accident. Both were collected in Cranbrook as part of B.C.’s ongoing chronic wasting disease surveillance efforts.

The latest case was confirmed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. The sample was collected from a white-tailed deer harvested in October 2024. This case is within two kilometres of the other case found in a white-tailed deer near Cranbrook.

There is no direct evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans and there have been no reports of cases of disease in humans. However, to prevent potential risk of illness, Health Canada recommends that people do not eat meat of an infected animal. Cooking temperatures cannot destroy the abnormal protein that causes chronic wasting disease if an animal is infected.

The Province is working in close partnership with First Nations, stakeholders, experts and other partners on tracking and mitigating the disease.

All cases to date have been found within a chronic wasting disease management zone that includes 14 wildlife management units in the Kootenay region. Measures are in place within this zone to continue to collect data to help mitigate the risk of disease spread.

Ongoing vigilance, preventative measures and enhanced surveillance are critical to managing chronic wasting disease and protecting cervid populations and the communities that rely on them. People are encouraged to keep submitting their deer samples. Information gathered during the ongoing response is helping inform longer-term chronic wasting disease management, in collaboration with First Nations and other partners.

Most infected animals will not show any symptoms of the disease. However, if anyone sees any deer, elk, moose or caribou exhibiting symptoms such as weight loss, drooling, poor co-ordination, stumbling, or generally sick with no obvious reason, report it to the 24/7 Report All Poachers and Polluters Line at 1 877 952-7277 or the B.C. Wildlife Health Program.

Learn More:

For more information, visit the B.C. chronic wasting disease website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlife/wildlife-conservation/wildlife-health/chronic-wasting-disease

For more information on chronic wasting disease regulation and restrictions, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlife/wildlife-conservation/wildlife-health/chronic-wasting-disease/cwd-bc#hunting-regulations-restrictions