A fourth case of chronic wasting disease — and another in Cranbrook — has been confirmed in B.C., and is leading to calls for the cull and testing of urban deer in Cranbrook.
Chronic wasting disease is an infectious and fatal disease affecting species in the cervid family, including deer, elk, moose and caribou.
Per a statement from the B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, the first two cases in B.C. were confirmed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in January, 2024. The third was confirmed in November 2024. These cases included a hunter-harvested mule deer and two white-tailed deer, one of which was killed in a road accident and the other was harvested by a hunter.
All three were collected near 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 Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. The sample was collected from a white-tailed deer harvested in October, 2024. This case is another in a cluster of three cases found in white-tailed deer near Cranbrook.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation issued a statement saying the new CWD cases point to urgent needed to cull and test urban deer in the Kootenays
“As new cases of Chronic Wasting Disease are discovered, the provincial government must take new steps to contain its spread,” the statement read. “Hundreds of samples from deer submitted by hunters in southeastern B.C. are waiting to be tested. More positive tests seem inevitable and the positives to date suggest the area around Cranbrook is becoming a hotspot.”
The BCWF said urban deer in communities such as Cranbrook, Creston, and Kimberley are at high risk to contract and spread CWD.
“City deer have a small range and relatively high density, living in close quarters with frequent contact, which makes them a perfect vector for disease,” said B.C. Wildlife Federation Executive Director Jesse Zeman. “Because deer may contract the disease but remain symptom-free for months or years, urban deer pose a high risk of dispersing the pathogen.”
Cranbrook’s urban deer herd is at well over 100 animals.
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 B.C. Government release said that more than 3,000 samples have been collected from the Kootenay region, but only four cases of chronic wasting disease to date indicates a low disease prevalence.
“The current situation affords an opportunity to efficiently contain the disease in this area,” the Ministry stated. “The Province is gathering data to help guide decisions and reduce the risk of the disease spreading. These measures are supported by First Nations, stakeholders and the broader hunting community.”
Ongoing vigilance, preventative measures and enhanced surveillance are crucial to managing chronic wasting disease and protecting cervid populations and the communities that rely on them. People are encouraged to keep submitting their deer, elk and moose samples to improve the information during the ongoing response.
Everyone should take note that restrictions remain in place for the transport, testing and disposal of deer, elk and moose carcasses, as parts of the animal can spread disease to new regions.
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, report it to the 24/7 Report All Poachers and Polluters Line at 1-877-952-7277 or the B.C. Wildlife Health Program.
