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Deer disease nears BC

Provincial wildlife health authorities are turning to hunters to help monitor deer, moose and elk as a deadly disease makes its way closer to B.C.

Biologists recently discovered an animal infected with chronic wasting disease near Edmonton.

This is the furthest west – by 100 kilometres – that biologists have detected the disease, and the discovery intensifies concerns about infected deer making their way into B.C.

Chronic wasting disease affects the central nervous of cervids, members of the deer family, and is always fatal. The disease is transmitted through infected saliva, urine, feces – even soil. 

Wildlife health staff have yet to find an infected animal in B.C. but are stepping up monitoring efforts in the Peace and Kootenay regions, where deer are most at-risk. Hunters in these regions can help by donating deer, elk and moose heads for analysis. 

Meanwhile, anyone encountering a sick or dead deer should report it to B.C.’s wildlife health program.

While similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy – the so-called mad cow disease – chronic wasting disease cannot infect humans.

To report a sick or dead deer, email: [email protected]

NewsKamloops.com



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