4th case of deadly deer disease confirmed in B.C. Hunters required to help monitor spread

Hunters across British Columbia are being asked to be aware of chronic wasting disease (CWD) after a fourth confirmed case of the fatal disease was found in a white-tailed deer in the Kootenay region, B.C.'s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said Tuesday. 

Nicknamed zombie deer disease, CWD is an incurable illness that affects cervid or deer family members, such as moose, caribou and elk.

The province announced a third case earlier this month, following the discovery of two confirmed cases — the first ever found in B.C. — earlier this year.

Adam Ford, a professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan who sits on the provincial advisory committee for chronic wasting disease, told CBC News in July that the province has looked to bolster sampling efforts and slow the movement of carcasses. 

"Hunters are a big part of the solution here," he said. 

'Surveillance is key'

In the Thompson Region, the Skeetchestn Natural Resources Corp. is asking hunters to drop off the heads of harvested deer for testing.

Shaun Freeman of Skeetchestn Natural Resources says there have been no reported cases of CWD in the Thompson Region, and now is the time to be vigilant. In a statement posted to social media, the corporation says early detection is essential since the disease is nearly impossible to eradicate once it's established.

"We are trying to be ahead of the curve. Surveillance is key. We're doing our bit to try to identify it as soon as it comes," Freeman told CBC's Daybreak Kamloops.

Freeman says hunters can drop off their samples at their office at the Skeetchestn Indian Band territory. Heads will be collected and sent to a lab for analysis. 

He adds that hunters are welcome to drop off heads that were collected outside the region. 

Hunters in other regions of the province are encouraged to deposit samples at one of several locations across B.C.  The Kootenay and Peace Regions are target areas for testing, the province says, as they are at higher risk. Those who do not have a drop-off location in their area can contact the B.C. Wildlife Health Program.

 In July, the province announced enhanced regulations in the Kootenay region and created a chronic wasting disease management zone that includes 14 of the 225 wildlife management units run by the province to track game. All cases to date have been found within this zone, the province says.

Licensed hunters who kill deer, elk or moose in the zone, which includes management units 4-1 to 4-8 and 4-20 to 4-25, must submit samples at a designated freezer before leaving the area.  

The ministry says more than 3,000 samples have been collected from the Kootenay region with only four cases of wasting disease, indicating "a low disease prevalence."

Restrictions have also been placed on the transport of deer, elk, or moose parts outside of the 14 wildlife management units.

Calls for a cull

The province is encouraging people to watch out for signs of the disease in animals, with symptoms including weight loss, drooling, poor co-ordination, stumbling or unexplained sickly behaviour.

Following Tuesday's announcement of a fourth confirmed cases of CWD, the B.C. Wildlife Federation renewed its call for an aggressive testing program and a cull in the Kootenay region, saying urban deer in communities such as Cranbrook, Creston, and Kimberley are at high risk to contract and spread CWD.

The province says there is no direct evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans and there have been no reports of human cases, but Health Canada recommends that people not eat meat of an infected animal.