BC Wildlife Biologists are calling on hunters in the Peace and Kootenay Regions to help monitor and prevent chronic wasting disease from entering BC.
Kate Nelson, Wildlife health Biologist with the BC wildlife health program explains the disease.
“Chronic Wasting Disease is a disease that affects members of the deer family or cervids so that includes deer,elk, and moose. It’s caused by an abnormal protein called a prion that targets the central nervous system.”
Nelson says the disease is transmitted through infected saliva, urine, feces and even water and soil with signs of infection in deer including weight loss, poor coordination, stumbling and trembling.
The BC wildlife health program is asking hunters to simply bring deer, moose and elk heads to select locations for testing. Meanwhile, anyone encountering a sick or dead dear should report it to the provincial wildlife health program.
Nelson says there is no indication that Chronic Wasting Disease can be transferred to humans.