CWD officially in BC

[savage10]

Chronic Wasting Disease detected in B.C. deer for the first time
The B.C. Wildlife Branch reports that cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) have been confirmed in two deer in the Kootenay region, south of Cranbrook.
These are the first known cases of CWD in British Columbia.
“We have been watching CWD spread province to province, state to state for at least 20 years, so this is terrible news for British Columbians,” said Jesse Zeman, Executive Director of the B.C. Wildlife Federation. “CWD is devastating to cervid populations. Continued vigilance and testing are key to organizing preventative measures.”
Chronic Wasting Disease affects cervids, including deer, moose, elk, and caribou. Officials have been watching closely in the high-risk wildlife management areas of southeastern British Columbia adjacent to existing outbreaks in Alberta, Montana and Idaho.
The disease is 100 per cent fatal, with no known treatment. It is not known to affect humans or livestock.
CWD can leap into other regions unexpectedly, through the transport of carcasses, contaminated hay, or even urine-based scents.
CWD is a disease of the central nervous system, caused by infectious agents called prions. As the prions accumulate, they cause cell death in the brain and neurological disease, which is 100-per-cent fatal. Prions also accumulate in other tissues and may be shed by the infected animal into water or on plants and bedding through saliva, urine and feces.
The first positive sample was taken from a male mule deer, from an animal that appeared to be in good condition. However, a sample sent to the B.C. CWD Program by the hunter came back positive for this devastating illness.
The second sample was from a road killed animal, a female white-tailed deer and was submitted to the B.C. CWD Program for testing. The diagnosis was confirmed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reference laboratory on January 31, 2024.
Hunters are encouraged to provide samples for CWD testing after harvesting a deer anywhere in B.C., hunters can submit the head of the animal for testing.
In accordance with the Surveillance and Response Plan for CWD in B.C., the Provincial Wildlife Veterinarian is leading response management, according to the provincial government. Support and input will be requested from the CWD Advisory Committee and Regional Working Groups in the coming days, it said.
“We have failed our wildlife populations once again by underfunding the resources needed to manage them for the past 50 years,” said Steve Hamilton, BCWF Advocacy coordinator. “Politicians should take this as a reminder that their actions and policies matter and we will be calling for much, much better for our wildlife in the upcoming elections.”

[savage10]

https://bcwf.bc.ca/chronic-wasting-disease-detected-in-b-c-deer-for-the-first-time/

[HappyJack]

It is not known to affect humans or livestock.

[Retiredguy]

Well I am sad to hear this, but I knew it was just a matter of time before it showed up in our province. Now that we know it is here, the big thing to watch will be how the provincial government responds to the news and what the ministry plans to do to address it. In most jurisdictions it has resulted in a significant, sometimes even draconian increase in the deer harvest in affected areas and increased monitoring in adjacent management units.

I guess we will just have to wait and see...

[carnivore]

It is not known to affect humans or livestock.
BUT,
While the disease is not known to spread to humans or livestock, the BC Centre for Disease Control says “people are advised to take precautions because the potential for transmission cannot be excluded," and eating the meat from infected animals is not recommended.

So I guess, if one harvests a healthy looking animal the head should be submitted for testing and then wait for the results before consuming the meat? I wonder if a contaminated carcass could spread the disease to other ones in the meat cutting facility?

[srupp]

hmmmm going to cost billions to compensate indiuns for loss of their sacred traditional food source....
s

[Blacktail]

It has been here in Alberta for quite a few years now.
I have had friends come out that I hunter hosted and had their animals test positive.
So far I have only had one test positive over the years partially, I believe, because I tend to harvest younger animals for the meat as opposed to specifically looking for trophy quality.
I spoke with a Provincial Wildlife Biologist a few years back and she told me that it tends to target older class males and initially was more prevalent in Mule deer than whitetail.
When a deer is diagnosed it means it will be dead within two years and the last 6 months are apparently excruciatingly painful and debilitating
All that being said it is now showing up in elk and moose populations in Alberta as well.
The area I hunt has seen about a 85 % drop in Mule deer numbers due to not only the disease but also the policy of the government to try and eradicate the problem by over harvest quotas.
I usually get 4 or 5 tags a year through general and lottery draw but usually only take 2 or 3 animals and with what I will accept as my animal of choice have been relatively successful in beating the odds of testing positive.

Apparently not transferable to humans and they say if you don't eat the spinal cord or brain matter it is safer, but in a study done with rhesus monkeys it was proven to transfer to them.
It shows up in the lymph system of the animal as well so therefore in my view it is in the blood stream and ergo in the meat.
The prions live in the soil and that is why it so hard to eradicate.
It is also said to be transferred by body fluids ( urine, feces, and saliva) and that is why they recommend not having feeding or bait stations for deer as it can also be transferred that way.
My question is if it is in the soil why don't the cattle that are grazing in the same pastures get it?
Why don't the wolves, coyote, bears, birds get it when they feed on a carcass ?
I have seen countless deer harvested that looked and acted normal in every way possible get tested positive

[wideopenthrottle]

going just on memory here but isnt BSE the equivilent in cows?...i will have to check googs..googs agrees and it is called scrapie in sheep and CJD in humans

[HarryToolips]

Well that is sad news... it was only a matter of time..

[high horse Hal]

Like anything invasive, its just a matter of when
Nothing management does will reduce the risk of cwd spreading once it is in the environment
Happy Hunting folks

[superdrupal]

So I guess, if one harvests a healthy looking animal the head should be submitted for testing and then wait for the results before consuming the meat?

I submitted my head in late Sept and it still hasn't been processed or at least displayed on the website. If the province is serious about testing and transmission to humans then it needs to increase the turn around time for the results. There's only 209 results and it states "Not all submissions have been processed yet" and we're into Feb now. I guess I'll have to call to follow up.

[KootenayKiller]

I wonder if they finally cull the urban mule deer populations. It has been a controversial issue in Cranbrook and Kimberley. If I am not mistaken most of the CWD transmission in areas like Libby, MT are through these urban deer.

[britman101]

CWD affects all ungulates so it makes sense that elk that wandered over to the Alberta side and then wandered back could have started the spread. At this point, there is no natural way to stop the spread of prions, so once the ground becomes infected all it takes is a deer or elk to consume grass contaminated with prions and the deadly cycle begins. Fish and Wildlife in BC as well as Alberta should insure that all ungulate carcasses are collected and disposed of in local landfills. But seriously with the lack of manpower this will be impossible to enforce. And not to be negative but it is going to be hard to stop from affecting all ungulate populations in BC, and Alberta. As far as affecting humans, why do you think they are doing the CWD testing in the first place. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but there is no vaccine for this medical condition in ungulates as it is a mutated protein, not a virus. Once the animal gets infected it wastes away to become zombie like till it dies. Believe me when I say if I ever got infected with CWD, shortly after the diagnosis I will be signing up for MAID service.

[carnivore]

This could be the beginning of the end for hunting in BC. I wonder if there will be any new restrictions in the new regulations when they come out? Why hunt for something if your advised not to consume it?

[TheObserver]

This could be the beginning of the end for hunting in BC. I wonder if there will be any new restrictions in the new regulations when they come out? Why hunt for something if your advised not to consume it?

This will be weaponised against us for sure. Death by 1000 cuts.

[Ron.C]

This could be the beginning of the end for hunting in BC. I wonder if there will be any new restrictions in the new regulations when they come out? Why hunt for something if your advised not to consume it?

Its concerning for sure. But if it's tested and negative, eat it. If it's tested and positive, probably a good thing that it was killed (one less to spread the disease).

Not really a good argument to be made for not hunting them. Mandatory submission and testing is probably the best way to monitor it's spread.

CwD has been in the states, Alberta and Sask for a long time and people still hunt deer in those jurisdictions.

Agree its a serious issue. Problem is news outlets( like CBC) headlining articles calling them "zombie deer".

Good way to drumb up fear and divide.

[mrdieselpa]

"CWD affects all ungulates so it makes sense that elk that wandered over to the Alberta side and then wandered back could have started the spread"

Most likely coming right up the trench since 2019 from the Libby area. Been watching this for a while in MT.


https://flatheadbeacon.com/2020/11/23/cwd-infected-animal-found-flathead-valley-game-farm/

[IronNoggin]

... Problem is news outlets( like CBC) headlining articles calling them "zombie deer".


I've seen both mulies & elk in the final stages of this disease in Southern Alberta.
While I am no fan of the MSM (and especially CBC) that description is apt.
It is VERY Disturbing to witness!

Cheers

[BearSupreme]

I submitted my head in late Sept and it still hasn't been processed or at least displayed on the website. If the province is serious about testing and transmission to humans then it needs to increase the turn around time for the results. There's only 209 results and it states "Not all submissions have been processed yet" and we're into Feb now. I guess I'll have to call to follow up.

Im not surprised at all, I can say from experience as a provincial meat inspector that if mad cow disease or any other prion disease was a major issue, the inspection agency would do nothing to prevent it. This is how stupid it was.

Any cow over 30 months would have its spine cut out and skull saved, also a part between the large and small intestine. Lets say they slaughtered 5 cows you would think they would keep them separate so if any prion disease were to be detected you could identify the animal and trace it back to the farm and figure out how to stop further infection and also notify the owner/consumers of that beef. NOPE! They just throw it all in a huge pile, sender in and within 6 months they test their big pile of scraps to see if someone out there from whatever farm is consuming meat with mad cow disease.

Im sure the CWD system is the same or even worse, BC seems to have the worst game management in North America and run their management on public emotion from the anti hunters and taking as little positive action as possible

[rocksteady]

CWD was first detected in 1967 in Wyoming and not a SINGLE case of human transmission has ever been found.

You can't tell me that in that time period that no infected meat was consumed.

It is another sky is falling agenda with mafe up consequences (no scientific proof of transmission even being possible.

This is more of a scam than the VID

[RackStar]

So these head submissions, never read into it yet… do you have to give the whole skull ? So if you shoot a trophy buck you need to surrender it ? Then wait for it back?

[rocksteady]

So these head submissions, never read into it yet… do you have to give the whole skull ? So if you shoot a trophy buck you need to surrender it ? Then wait for it back?

You can cut the antlers off at the submission station. Then take antlers home

[Imdone]

Several years ago in Saskatchewan an area we hunt the government had a big CWD program to reduce the numbers.
Boy they sure did, mule and white tail, they hammered them.
The numbers have never been the same, and not ONE detection of transfer to human.

Makes a lot of sense doesn't it.

[elker]

I can only hope that the CWD is transferable to wolves.

[BearSupreme]

CWD was first detected in 1967 in Wyoming and not a SINGLE case of human transmission has ever been found.

You can't tell me that in that time period that no infected meat was consumed.

It is another sky is falling agenda with mafe up consequences (no scientific proof of transmission even being possible.

This is more of a scam than the VID

Lets hope fauci doesnt get a hold of it and Gain the Function into humans

[RackStar]

I can only hope that the CWD is transferable to wolves.

why would you say that? You don’t believe god made wolves for a reason? Why would you want them to die? How educated are you on wolves? You’re probably among the group who needs to blame something when you don’t have a successful hunt.

[HappyJack]

Several years ago in Saskatchewan an area we hunt the government had a big CWD program to reduce the numbers.
Boy they sure did, mule and white tail, they hammered them.
The numbers have never been the same, and not ONE detection of transfer to human.

Makes a lot of sense doesn't it.

At least they didn't use choppers and AKs.

[HappyJack]

why would you say that? You don’t believe god made wolves for a reason? Why would you want them to die? How educated are you on wolves? You’re probably among the group who needs to blame something when you don’t have a successful hunt.

Wolves are spawn of the devil, well at least the big bad wolf is. But actually it makes sense that if we start losing ungulates in large numbers it's beneficial to have wolf populations reduced at the same pace unless you're just a wolf lover that cares little for the consequences of too many wolves.

[Ourea]

CWD is coming, that was inevitable.

Most wildlife, longer migrations in southern BC are north south, lesser east west.

Changing hunting regulations will have little if any impact.

Ungulates are primarily herd based. Not a good scenario for this disease.

[j270wsm]

So these head submissions, never read into it yet… do you have to give the whole skull ? So if you shoot a trophy buck you need to surrender it ? Then wait for it back?

For European style mounts (deer only), submit the intact lower jaw with tissues of the back of the throat attached.

[HarryToolips]

why would you say that? You don’t believe god made wolves for a reason? Why would you want them to die? How educated are you on wolves? You’re probably among the group who needs to blame something when you don’t have a successful hunt.

I would believe he's made that statement because we currently have a predator pit in many parts of our province, with wolves being a large contributing factor of that issue..

[Woodchuck Dan]

If there are any West Kootenay hunters around, there is a CWD submission site in Nelson in the mental health building. It's not listed online so I had to dig around for it. At first it looked like I would have had to drive 3-4 hours to submit a head and I wasn't willing to do that.

As an added bonus, I got to carry a severed head in a cooler into a government run building that deals with mental health. :) An unexpected bonus to the season

[superdrupal]

If anyone is interested, the province updated the test results this week with over 800 results now displaying.

[Woodchuck Dan]

Yes but only two are positive and both are from the kootenay region:

Chronic Wasting Disease Test Results - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca) (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlife/wildlife-conservation/wildlife-health/chronic-wasting-disease/cwd-surveillance-and-testing/cwd-test-results)

[North Star]

Anywhere there is domesticated animals, namely cattle and sheep, there is a chance "CWD" will eventually show up.

Last time mad cow showed up in Canada they just simply sent cows to slaughter at a younger age. Before the time needed for symptoms to show up... Our food supply is a total mess.

People here have mentioned moose, is that true? Last I checked they didn't seem to be getting it.

CWD, CJD, Mad cow, Alzheimers, Scrapie, all look VERY similar, almost identical in their pathologies.

[Retiredguy]

Anywhere there is domesticated animals, namely cattle and sheep, there is a chance "CWD" will eventually show up.

Last time mad cow showed up in Canada they just simply sent cows to slaughter at a younger age. Before the time needed for symptoms to show up... Our food supply is a total mess.

People here have mentioned moose, is that true? Last I checked they didn't seem to be getting it.

CWD, CJD, Mad cow, Alzheimers, Scrapie, all look VERY similar, almost identical in their pathologies.

Yes CWD can infect moose. First infected moose in Canada was found at least a decade ago. Last years CWD testing AB turned up 5 positive moose.

[superdrupal]

People here have mentioned moose, is that true? Last I checked they didn't seem to be getting it.

To add to what Retiredguy mentioned, it infects animals in the cervid family which is deer, moose, elk and caribou.

[HarryToolips]

https://www.richmond-news.com/bc-news/province-takes-steps-to-curb-spread-of-fatal-disease-found-in-bc-deer-moose-8303393