VICTORIA — The B.C. government is taking further steps to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease in deer, moose and caribou, including removing urban deer from Cranbrook and Kimberley.
A statement from the government says updated hunting regulations will see mandatory testing for the disease in deer, elk and moose in certain zones in the Kootenay region.
Two deer in the Kootenay region were confirmed with the disease in January, but testing since then on roadkill and a targeted hunt of 50 deer has turned up no other positive cases.
The statement says the findings suggest that the illness was detected early and is affecting a small portion of the population, but without active management it would continue to spread, devastating cervid populations.
It says urban deer are at high risk of getting the fatal disease, and selective sampling and removal of the deer in Cranbrook and Kimberley will start this fall.
There's no direct evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans, but to prevent the potential risk of transmission, Health Canada recommends that people don't eat the meat or other parts of an infected animal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press
