News archive for Chronic Wasting Disease

The government of B.C. has confirmed the fourth case of chronic wasting disease in British Columbia, found in a white-tailed deer in the Kootenay region.

• Read the full information bulletin: New case of chronic wasting disease confirmed in B.C.

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

• Read the full information bulletin: New case of chronic wasting disease confirmed in B.C.

The B.C. government is taking further steps to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer populations and to protect elk, moose and caribou that are also at risk of infection.

• Read the full information bulletin: Province takes further action to manage chronic wasting disease

The B.C. government continues to address chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the Kootenay Region where two deer samples tested positive for CWD earlier this year.

• Read the full information bulletin: Province continues deer harvest to test for chronic wasting disease

The B.C. government is taking further action to address chronic wasting disease by conducting a limited deer harvest in the Kootenay region where two deer samples tested positive for chronic wasting disease earlier this year.

• Read the full Information Bulletin: Province will harvest 25 deer for chronic wasting disease testing

The Chief Veterinarian has issued General Order CWD2024-001 (PDF, 255 KB) in response to the detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in B.C. The restrictions apply within the Initial Response Area (PDF, 545KB), defined as Management Units 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-5, and a portion of 4-22. This is south of and including Highway 3, which is situated between south of Cranbrook toward the United States border, west to the Moyie Range, and east to the Macdonald Range. The order applies to all cervids, including deer, elk, moose and caribou.

All persons who collect found dead cervids, or parts of found dead cervids (including cervids harvested as a result of hunting) in the response area must:

• Submit heads for testing to a government testing site or drop-off location
• Not remove or use, untested portions of any cervid from the response area. Until testing is complete and the result is confirmed negative for the presence of CWD, untested portions may only be either:
  • transported to a Designated Disposal Site
  • held in a secure, leak-proof storage container
• Portions of any collected cervid which tests positive for CWD must be held in a secure, leak-proof storage container until further instructions are received from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

Designated Disposal Sites

• Cranbrook Regional District landfill
• Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure secure disposal facilities
• The government collection site at 205 Industrial Road G, Cranbrook, B.C.

The B.C. government is responding to the first cases of chronic wasting disease in British Columbia, found in two deer samples from the Kootenay Region.

• Read the full Information Bulletin: B.C. responds to first cases of chronic wasting disease in deer

Surveillance is a critical component of disease prevention and management. Surveillance is required to confirm B.C.’s CWD status, to detect the disease as soon as possible and to provide information that will inform the response to a positive diagnosis in B.C.

• See the Surveillance and Response Plan for CWD in B.C. (PDF, 650 KB).

• Chronic Wasting Disease Annual Update 2022 to 2023 (PDF, 719KB)