Chronic Wasting Disease Frequently Asked Questions - Chronic Wasting Disease in British Columbia

Frequently Asked Question

Our Chronic Wasting Disease frequently asked questions page is composed of questions and answers from hunters like you.

Chris Neumann of Cheechako Outdoors answers your CWD frequently asked questions.

What You Need to Know about CWD in BC

Here are answers to some of the questions we’re most frequently asked. Please contact us if you do not see your question. We will continue to develop this section as more questions come in.

Ask a Question!

I am a…

Please select which best describes you:

Hunter

Concerned Citizen

FAQ for Hunters

Should I Transport a Cervid Carcass Outside of a CWD Management Zone?

The transport of brain tissue or spinal column (except for the tail) of any cervid, harvested within a CWD Management Zone (MUs 4-1 to 4-8 and 4-20 to 4-25), is prohibited outside of the CWD Management Zone. Transport of brain tissue or spinal column is permitted within the CWD Management Zone to allow for submission of CWD samples.

For more information, see page 15 of the Regulations Synopsis (PDF, 12.2MB).

Hunters should contact the Wildlife Health Program at 250-751-3219 or CWD@gov.bc.ca to discuss options for transporting cervids where travel outside of the CWD Management Zone is required for access to a CWD freezer.

Why Are We Concerned About CWD?

CWD poses serious problems for wildlife managers, hunters, and wildlife watchers, and the implications for free-ranging deer and elk are significant:

Ultimately, public and agency concerns and perceptions about human health risks may erode hunters’ confidence and their willingness to hunt in areas where CWD occurs.

Heavily infected populations of wild deer and elk are unlikely to thrive, and negative population-level impacts of CWD have been well documented in deer and elk.

Where it occurs, CWD usually alters the management of wild deer and elk populations, particularly harvest regulations.

Ongoing surveillance programs are expensive and divert resources from other wildlife management needs.

Minimizing human exposure to CWD appears prudent.

I Usually Dump My Deer and Elk Bones in the Wild, Should I Stop Doing This?

Yes, you should stop doing this. Transporting potentially infected CWD carcasses and dumping the bones risks contaminating a new environment.

We recommend that bones be left in the field where an animal is harvested and obscured from scavenging (burying or covering carcasses). If bones are mistakenly transported, those bones and other carcass parts should be double-bagged in strong garbage bags and disposed of at a landfill with an approved dead animal disposal area.

How Can I, As a Hunter, Prevent the Spread of CWD?

Once CWD is introduced to an area, it is unlikely that the disease will be eradicated. However, if caught early, attempts can be made to contain the disease to limit further spread. Understanding what causes CWD and limiting risky activities is key to preventing the spread of CWD to new areas.

As a hunter, you have become a de facto front-line defender. Your role as a hunter is to harvest animals in CWD regions to eliminate carriers of the disease and potential hosts of the disease. The disease can be spread by scavengers, so it is important to obscure your carcass where possible by burying or covering the carcass with nearby deadfall.

By following mandatory testing guidelines and dropping off your samples, you are contributing to provincial surveillance. This is a critical component of the management of Chronic Wasting Disease.

Natural animal movement can spread disease locally. Hunters can transport carcasses and contaminated materials farther distances. For this reason, it is important to leave the non-edible portions of the carcass in the field. This reduces the chances of the disease being transported outside the CWD management unit.

What Do I Need to Be Cautious of As a Hunter?

There are human activities that increase the risk of CWD spread in B.C.

These activities include:

Baiting, feeding and other attractants (e.g., salt blocks) can concentrate animals and create disease hot spots.
Using cervid-based products (scents) that can contain CWD prions.
Transporting cervid carcasses from areas affected by CWD into and within BC.
Importing hay and feed materials from areas affected by CWD.

What Are the Current Best Practices for Field Dressing in a CWD Management Zone?

To limit the spread of CWD within the CWD Management Zone, it is advised that all non-edible parts of the animal be left at or near the kill site or disposed of safely at a landfill or designated disposal site. De-boning the animal at the kill site is the best practice to limit any waste material that is transported away from the harvest site.

For more information, review this instructional video on how to field dress and de-bone animals in CWD areas:

How is CWD Detected

Clinical signs and visible lesions of CWD alone are not conclusive, and currently, there is no practical live animal test. A definitive diagnosis is based on examination of the brain for the characteristic microscopic spongiform lesions and/or accumulation of the CWD-associated prion protein in brain and lymphoid tissues using a technique called immunohistochemistry. Gross lesions seen at necropsy reflect the clinical signs of CWD, primarily emaciation. Aspiration pneumonia, which may be the actual cause of death, is a common finding in animals affected with CWD.

Research to develop live-animal diagnostic tests for CWD is an area of intense interest. Tests currently can be conducted on biopsy samples of lymphoid tissue from tonsils, lymph nodes, and rectal mucosa of live deer and elk, but this is not practical on a large-scale basis for free-ranging populations. In addition, these tests are currently not as accurate at detecting infected animals when compared to testing samples from dead deer and elk.

What Can Hunters Do to Avoid Exposure to the CWD Agent?

Public health and wildlife officials advise hunters to take the following precautions when pursuing or handling deer and elk that may have been exposed to CWD:

If you have your deer or elk commercially processed, request that your animal be processed individually, without meat from other animals being added to the meat from your animal.
Avoid consuming the meat from any animal that tests positive for CWD or appears unhealthy, no matter what the cause.
Do not shoot, handle, or consume any animal that is acting abnormally or appears to be sick. Notify your state fish and wildlife agency if you see or harvest an animal that appears sick.
Wear latex or rubber gloves when field dressing your deer, elk, or moose.
Bone out the meat from your animal. Do not saw through bone and avoid cutting through the brain or spinal column (backbone).
Minimize the handling of brain and spinal tissues.
Wash hands and instruments thoroughly after field dressing is completed.
Soaking clean (i.e., absolutely no solid tissue/foreign material present) instruments for 5 minutes in a 40% solution of household bleach has been shown to inactivate prions on stainless steel.
Avoid consuming the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes of harvested animals. (Normal field dressing coupled with boning out a carcass will remove most, if not all, of these body parts. Cutting away all fatty tissue will remove the remaining lymph nodes.)

For more information, review this instructional video on how to field dress and de-bone animals in CWD areas:

How Should I Clean My Knives, Saws and Butchering Equipment?

Prions are very resistant to disinfection. Wash hands and instruments thoroughly after field dressing is completed. Instruments, cutting boards and other items used for field dressing or processing should be soaked for 5 minutes in a 40% solution of household bleach to inactivate prions. However, the items must be completely clean with absolutely no tissue or organic matter present for this procedure to be effective.

For more information, review this instructional video on how to field dress and de-bone animals in CWD areas:

I Want to Keep My Antlers, How Should I Disinfect These Items?

If you remove the skull cap with antlers attached, the saw should be cleaned and disinfected with a 50/50 solution of chlorine bleach and water. This saw should not be used to cut through any edible portions of meat on the carcass. If you keep the entire skull (for a European mount), you should ensure all flesh and soft tissue, including brain matter, is removed. Wear rubber or latex gloves while doing this, and clean the skull by soaking it in a 50/50 solution of chlorine bleach and water. If you wish to transport the entire skull, or anything more than a cleaned skull cap, out of a CWD-positive area, contact your local state wildlife agency to determine if carcass transportation regulations apply to your area or state. An interactive North American map summarizing state and provincial carcass transportation regulations can be found on the front page of this website.

Why is Surveillance and Mandatory Testing Important?

Surveillance is a critical component of disease prevention and management. Hunters provide the majority of the samples in British Columbia. Your participation in this component allows provincial biologists to understand how quickly CWD is spreading in BC. This information tells us if our strategies are working or if we need to make changes to the program to improve our results.

What are the Mandatory Testing Requirements?

It is a condition of the general hunting license that all license holders who harvest a deer, elk or moose, under the authority of a species license, in MUs 4-1 to 4-8 and 4-20 to 4-25, deposit samples (the head or portion of the head) in a designated drop-off location within the CWD Management Zone, and following the directions below:

The head (or portion) must be deposited within one week of harvest
The antlers must be removed
Options for submitting:
- The head (or portion) must be removed from the body and submitted with approximately 3 inches of neck attached (to ensure necessary tissues are present)
- Deer only – The lower jaw may be submitted with the necessary tissues at the back of the throat present. Alternatively, the tonsils and retropharyngeal lymph nodes may be submitted
Elk and Moose only – The obex and retropharyngeal lymph nodes may be submitted
The head (or portion) must be fresh or frozen and in good condition; not rotten
An ear card (provided) must be completed with location description (coordinates preferred) and contact information, and attached to the sample (inside the bag)
The head (or portion) must be placed in a plastic bag (provided) with the completed ear card and sealed before depositing in a freezer
Samples from deer, elk and moose harvested within the CWD Management Zone must be submitted for CWD testing before leaving the area

There is no cost for submitting samples for CWD testing.

Quick test kits are available online, but they are not considered to be as reliable as the standard tests carried out at accredited laboratories.

While we do our best to keep this site updated with current information regarding CWD in BC, it is pragmatic to check this page for any in-season changes to the mandatory testing requirement as well as the BC provincial hunting guidelines.

What are the Hunting Regulations and Restrictions Around CWD?

Regulations and restrictions have been put in place to help reduce the risk of CWD spreading to other parts of BC. These regulations and restrictions apply within a CWD Management Zone, which includes several Wildlife Management Units (MUs) within the Kootenay Region (MUs 4-1 to 4-8 and 4-20 to 4-25).

The transport of brain tissue or spinal column (except for the tail) of any cervid, harvested within CWD Management Zone (MUs 4-1 to 4-8 and 4-20 to 4-25), is prohibited outside of the CWD Management Zone. Transport of brain tissue or spinal column is permitted within the CWD Management Zone to allow for submission of CWD samples.

Are There Any Clear Symptoms People Should be Aware Of?

For the first 1–2 years after infection, most cervids show no outward signs of CWD. Unlike a virus, the body doesn’t recognize the misfolded prion as a threat, so there’s no immune response.

In the later stages, symptoms become more obvious. Infected animals may display behavioural changes such as slowing down and losing their natural fear of humans, which can increase the risk of vehicle collisions. Physical signs include drooling, drooping ears, poor coordination, stumbling, trembling, and standing motionless for extended periods.

Signs of infection in deer include:

Stumbling and trembling
Weight loss
Poor coordination

Behavioural changes also occur in the majority of cases of late-stage CWD, including decreased interactions with other animals, listlessness, lowering of the head, blank facial expression, and repetitive walking in circles or other set patterns. In elk, behavioural changes may also include hyper-excitability and nervousness. Excessive salivation, drooling, and grinding of the teeth are observed.

It is important to note that the above-mentioned clinical signs alone are not sufficient to definitively diagnose CWD. Other maladies can have signs that mimic those of CWD, such as brain abscesses, brain worm in elk, trauma-related injuries, or other diseases such as epizootic hemorrhagic disease. Currently, the only conclusive diagnosis for CWD involves examination and testing of the brain, tonsils and/or lymph nodes after death.

If you observe an animal exhibiting signs of strain or fatigue, please report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or the BC Wildlife Health Program at CWD@gov.bc.ca or 250-751-3219.

Where Should Suspected CWD Infected Deer be Reported in BC?

CWD-infected deer can be reported to the Conservation Officers RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277. This line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will be put in touch with a Conservation Officer in the area who will be able to help. The RAPP line will triage to Cait’s team at the Wildlife Health Office.

You can also contact Cait’s team directly. CWD@gov.bc.ca or by phone: 1-250-751-3219.

How Do I Safely Handle Meat and Samples for CWD Testing

Please refer to the Safe Handling of Meat and Samples page for answers to this question.

Where is the Closest Drop-Off Location for Testing?

Check the Sample Drop Off Location page for the latest map & Drop-Off Locations.

Instructions for Submitting Harvest Locations

In response to detections of CWD in the Kootenays, we are requesting specific harvest locations for hunter-harvested animals that were submitted for CWD testing. This information will help us get a better picture of the distribution of negative and positive cases. Harvest locations will be kept confidential.

Visit the Sample Drop Off Locations & Testing page to learn more.

How Do I Submit a Sample and Find My Results?

When you submit your sample and complete the ear card provided, record the CWD number in red print on the card (see the How to submit a sample poster (PDF, 571KB) for an example). This is your unique number for looking up your CWD results on the test results page. For more information on sampling, please visit the Safe Handling of Meat & Samples page.

All results are posted to the results page, aside for positive cases. Positive cases are not displayed to respect the privacy of the submitter. Positive results are available in the Map of Positive Detections in B.C. (PDF, 931KB).

If a positive result is found, the hunter will be contacted directly and immediately. An investigation will be carried out to determine the location of the meat and carcass parts. The hunter will be advised not to consume the meat (based on public health recommendations) and arrange for proper disposal.

There is no legal obligation to turn in the meat. It is the hunter’s choice to turn in the meat of a CWD-positive animal. It is strongly recommended that the meat not be eaten and be turned in so that it can be properly disposed of in a licensed incineration facility or designated landfill. Proper disposal is critical to avoid environmental contamination.

What if my CWD Sample is Positive?

Why Don’t We Know If CWD Can Be Transmitted to Humans?

Prion diseases are known for their long incubation periods. For example, Mad Cow Disease can take 10 to 12 years to develop, and Kuru—seen in Papua New Guinea—took up to 20 years to appear in men who consumed only muscle tissue (and not organs).

This suggests that, if CWD were to affect humans, it could also have a long incubation period. Additionally, we still don’t know if or how CWD might present in humans. Unfortunately, much about CWD remains a mystery.

What Do We Know About CWD in BC

We have been doing Chronic Wasting Disease survaillance for a couple of decades. In 2024, the first cases were detected in BC in the Kootenay region. Since then we have ramped up surveillance. Hunters have played a massive role in this by submitting over 82% of samples. Currently, we know CWD is there and it is of concern. The data shows that it is in a small portion of animals and the spread of CWD could potentially be slowed down.

What Have We Learned From Other Provinces?

We’ve learned valuable lessons from how Saskatchewan and Alberta initially managed CWD. Both provinces responded with aggressive large-scale culls, which quickly became controversial and politically sensitive. Public backlash eventually halted these efforts, giving CWD the chance to spread more rapidly.

At the time, these actions were based on the best available science, but key aspects of the disease were still unknown, such as its ability to be shed by live animals and persist in the environment. Later research in Alberta revealed that CWD tends to occur in small, concentrated clusters rather than being widely distributed. This insight means we don’t need to repeat broad culls. Instead, we should focus on targeted sampling of local cervid populations, identify hotspots, and remove infected animals only from those specific areas.

Can CWD Be Destroyed By Freezing or Burning?

Unfortunately not, prions are essentially indestructible. They are resistant to disinfectants, UV radiation, burning and freezing.

Given the Inability to Disable the Prions, Isn’t it Inevitable that CWD Eventually Affect the Entire Population?

CWD will continue to spread—and once it’s established in a landscape, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate. Without active management, the disease can spread rapidly.

Effective management can help keep CWD prevalence low for years. This approach contains the disease to smaller areas and gives us valuable time to improve our understanding and develop better tools for control.

Unfortunately, CWD is already here, and managing it must now be a permanent part of our environmental policy.

In Regards to Management is there a Target Density for Deer in CWD Regions?

There isn’t a specific deer density we can aim for to control CWD, because the disease behaves differently depending on the situation. While density is one factor, it’s not usually the main driver.

More often, CWD transmission is frequency-dependent—it depends on how deer interact with each other and their environment. Factors like shared food sources, urban deer concentrations, baiting, and feeding create unnatural gathering points. These hotspots increase the likelihood of disease spread, even if overall population density is low.

So while density matters, the key issue is how often and closely animals come into contact, especially in shared spaces.

FAQ for Everyone

What Can I, a Concerned Citizen, Do About CWD?

Get Involved. CWD is an incredibly difficult disease to manage due to its tenacious persistence in the environment, its ease of transmission, its long incubation period, and its difficulty in detecting in infected animals. Therefore, the management of this disease demands significant resources and often requires drastic and long-term measures (culling, increased hunter harvest rates, etc.). Your voice is needed to support the agencies and biologists tasked with fighting this disease by advocating for funding and science-based tactics for CWD control.

Think about how your actions might spread CWD. Remember, CWD can be spread by:

animal to animal contact,
saliva, feces, and perhaps urine, and
contaminated environments (presumably from the prions being shed via saliva and feces). So, any factor that causes animals to interact with each other at a higher frequency, a higher density, and for a prolonged period of time increases the probability that CWD will be transmitted. Do not feed, bait, or attract cervids to your or your neighbour’s property, and if you live in a state or area where such practices are prohibited by law, report any of this behaviour to your local wildlife official.

Help wildlife managers. Although rare, there have been several cases where CWD-positive animals have been identified by a concerned wildlife watcher. If you observe a cervid showing emaciation, drooling, or staggering movement, call your state fish and wildlife agency. Remember, these symptoms can be caused by several other wildlife diseases, so if you see them, don’t assume CWD is the cause, but also don’t hesitate to contact your local wildlife officials.

Stay educated and help educate others. Be aware that much of the information about CWD readily available on the internet and in popular media is incomplete, heavily biased, or abjectly false. Fortunately, there are numerous sources of reliable, science-based information available to the interested wildlife enthusiast. The map for Chronic Wasting Disease Management in British Columbia can be found here. Nearly every wildlife agency currently managing CWD has an information website where you can learn about what is happening with the disease in your area. These pages can be found by clicking on a province or state in the interactive map found at the CWD Alliance website.

Signs of infection in deer include:

Stumbling and trembling
Weight loss
Poor coordination

If you observe an animal exhibiting signs of strain or fatigue, please report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or the BC Wildlife Health Program at CWD@gov.bc.ca or 250-751-3219.

What is Chronic Wasting Disease?

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is an always fatal, contagious, neurological disease affecting deer species (including reindeer), elk, and moose. It causes a characteristic spongy degeneration of the brains of infected animals, resulting in emaciation, abnormal behaviour, loss of bodily functions and death.

CWD belongs to a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Within the TSE family, there are several diseases that affect domestic animals, including scrapie, which has been identified in domestic sheep and goats for more than 200 years; bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle (also known as “mad cow disease”); and transmissible mink encephalopathy in farmed mink.

Several rare human diseases are TSEs. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) occurs naturally in about one out of every one million people worldwide. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (v-CJD) has been associated with contaminated beef consumption during the large-scale BSE outbreak in cattle herds in Great Britain.

Signs of infection in deer include:

Stumbling and trembling
Weight loss
Poor coordination

If you observe an animal exhibiting signs of strain or fatigue, please report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or the BC Wildlife Health Program at CWD@gov.bc.ca or 250-751-3219.

What are the Causes of CWD?

CWD is caused by an abnormal protein called a prion that accumulates in the central nervous system and causes a degenerative neurological disease (i.e. damage to the brain tissue). The disease can be transmitted through saliva, urine, feces, carcasses and even plants and soil. An infected animal may be contagious for months or years before appearing sick. The body does not recognize the protein as an infection, so symptoms may take over a year after infection to show, once damage to the brain has already occurred.

Signs of infection in deer include:

Stumbling and trembling
Weight loss
Poor coordination

If you observe an animal exhibiting signs of strain or fatigue, please report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or the BC Wildlife Health Program at CWD@gov.bc.ca or 250-751-3219.

How is Chronic Wasting Disease Transmitted?

The mechanisms of CWD transmission are not completely understood. Most transmission appears to be via the oral route, although aerosol transmission has been demonstrated under experimental conditions. Transmission is thought primarily to be lateral (from animal to animal). Although vertical transmission (from mother to fetus) may occur, it appears to be relatively insignificant.

It is believed that CWD spreads through direct contact with infected animals or their saliva, urine, feces, and blood, and indirectly through contaminated soil, plants, or water. Prions persist in the environment for years, and carcasses or human transport of infected materials can introduce the disease to new areas.

The CWD agent can be present in many organs and tissues within the body and can be shed by an infected animal in feces, urine, and saliva before the onset of clinical disease. Because CWD infectious agents can be found in feces, saliva, urine, and decomposing carcasses and are extremely resistant to decomposition in the environment, transmission of CWD may occur indirectly via exposure to a contaminated environment as well as directly from animal to animal. Thus, artificially concentrating deer and elk in captivity or by providing supplemental feed, bait, minerals, or other materials to wild animals are all human behaviours that increase opportunities for direct and indirect transmission of CWD. Contaminated pastures may have served as sources of infection in some CWD outbreaks since experimental studies completed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife showed that CWD-free deer developed the disease when placed in paddocks in which CWD-affected carcasses had decomposed more than one year earlier. The persistence of the CWD agent in contaminated environments and a lack of proven decontamination procedures represent a significant obstacle to the eradication of CWD from captive and free-ranging cervid populations.

Signs of infection in deer include:

Stumbling and trembling
Weight loss
Poor coordination

If you observe an animal exhibiting signs of strain or fatigue, please report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or the BC Wildlife Health Program at CWD@gov.bc.ca or 250-751-3219.

How does Chronic Wasting Disease Spread Geographically?

The natural and human-facilitated movement of captive and wild animals is one of the greatest risk factors in introducing CWD into new areas. The natural movements of wild deer and elk contribute to the spread of CWD once it becomes established. However, human-aided transportation of captive and wild animals greatly exacerbates this risk, and the spread of CWD among captive herds via live animal movement is well documented

The apparent spread of CWD between captive and wild cervids is a matter of hot debate. Although CWD apparently has spread from captive to wild cervids in some instances, it is an inaccurate oversimplification to believe that all CWD outbreaks in wild cervids are due to spillover from captive deer or elk. The disease has likely been passed from captive to wild animals as well as from wild to captive animals, and CWD transmission between wild and captive cervids should be regarded as a two-way street.

Another risk factor for the spread of CWD to new areas is via the carcasses or carcass parts of dead, infected cervids. Most states restrict the importation of intact carcasses and high-risk tissues from states known to have CWD or from all states. In addition, some states prohibit the movement (intrastate and interstate) of carcasses and certain parts out of CWD- affected areas. Please visit the Hunter FAQ and Recommendations for Hunters pages of this website for more information on how to handle and transport carcass parts.

Signs of infection in deer include:

Stumbling and trembling
Weight loss
Poor coordination

If you observe an animal exhibiting signs of strain or fatigue, please report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or the BC Wildlife Health Program at CWD@gov.bc.ca or 250-751-3219.

Which Wildlife Species are Affected by CWD?

Several species of the deer family (cervids) are known to be naturally susceptible to CWD: elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, reindeer (caribou), red deer, and moose. Captive Sika deer, captive red deer, and captive Sitka/red deer hybrids in South Korea have reportedly contracted CWD from infected captive elk imported from Saskatchewan. Susceptibility of additional cervids and other wildlife species is not entirely known, although ongoing research is further exploring this question. Surveillance in areas with heavily infected wild cervid populations has failed to detect CWD in any mammalian predators or scavengers.

Signs of infection in deer include:

Stumbling and trembling
Weight loss
Poor coordination

If you observe an animal exhibiting signs of strain or fatigue, please report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or the BC Wildlife Health Program at CWD@gov.bc.ca or 250-751-3219.

Why is Surveillance and Mandatory Testing Important?

Since 2002, the B.C. CWD Program has conducted CWD surveillance in free-ranging cervid populations, including deer, elk, moose and caribou. While the majority of samples are collected from hunter-harvested animals, it is also critical to test cervids collected from other sources, such as those involved in vehicle collisions.

Surveillance is carried out across BC, with enhanced efforts in the higher-risk areas of the province, specifically areas with confirmed cases and regions adjacent to CWD-positive jurisdictions outside of BC (Alberta, Montana, Idaho and Washington).

While mandatory testing is limited to the CWD management zone, Hunters are encouraged to voluntarily submit harvested deer, elk, and moose from all regions of B.C. for testing. The Kootenay and Peace Regions are target areas for testing because these areas are at higher risk based on proximity to positive cases outside of BC.

Why Are We Concerned About CWD?

CWD poses serious problems for wildlife managers, hunters, and wildlife watchers, and the implications for free-ranging deer and elk are significant:

Heavily infected populations of wild deer and elk are unlikely to thrive, and negative population-level impacts of CWD have been well documented in deer and elk.
Where it occurs, CWD usually alters the management of wild deer and elk populations, particularly harvest regulations.
Ongoing surveillance programs are expensive and divert resources from other wildlife management needs.
Minimizing human exposure to CWD appears prudent.
Ultimately, public and agency concerns and perceptions about human health risks may erode hunters’ confidence and their willingness to hunt in areas where CWD occurs.

What Happens with Roadkill in the CWD Management Zone?

Please report all road kill to the BC Conservation Officers Service: 1-877-952-7277.

All deer, elk, moose and caribou found dead and collected from the initial response area must be submitted to a government testing site or drop-off location for testing. Designated disposal sites for road-killed cervids include the Central Regional Landfill – 600 Eager Hill Road or the Cranbrook Wildlife Office. To arrange drop-off at the Cranbrook Wildlife Office, contact Ken Walburger at ken.walburger@gov.bc.ca or 250-420-6371 (during business hours). The transport, disposal and use (for trapping) of road-killed cervids in the CWD Management Zone is regulated by the Chief Veterinary Officer under the authority of the B.C. Animal Health Act. A General Order CWD2024-002 (PDF, 255 KB) was issued in September 2024 and applies to the boundaries of the CWD Management Zone (PDF, 1.6MB), defined as MUs 4-1 to 4-8, and 4-20 to 4-25.

Should I Transport a Cervid Carcass Outside of a CWD Management Zone?

For more information, see page 15 of the Regulations Synopsis (PDF, 12.2MB).

How is CWD Detected?

Where is the Closest Drop-Off Location for Testing?

Check the Sample Drop Off Location page for the latest map & Drop-Off Locations.

Are There Any Clear Symptoms People Should Be Aware Of?

For the first 1–2 years after infection, most cervids show no outward signs of CWD. Unlike a virus, the body doesn’t recognize the misfolded prion as a threat, so there’s no immune response.

Signs of infection in deer include:

Stumbling and trembling
Weight loss
Poor coordination

If you observe an animal exhibiting signs of strain or fatigue, please report it to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 or the BC Wildlife Health Program at CWD@gov.bc.ca or 250-751-3219.

Where Should Suspected CWD Infected Deer be Reported in BC?

CWD-infected deer can be reported to the Conservation Officers RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277. This line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will be put in touch with a Conservation Officer in the area who can help. The RAPP line will triage to Cait’s team at the Wildlife Health Office.

You can also contact Cait’s team directly. CWD@gov.bc.ca or by phone: 1-250-751-3219.

Can Livestock Get CWD?

Although there are livestock-specific prion diseases such as scrapie in sheep and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, there are no reported cases of natural transmission of CWD from infected cervids to domestic livestock. A research study conducted by the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory found no evidence of CWD in cattle co-housed and exposed to CWD-infected deer for a period of ten years. However, the disease has been reproduced experimentally in cattle by the direct injection of the infectious agent into their brains. Additionally, one experimental study found that the CWD agent was detected in lymph nodes of the gastrointestinal tract of swine as early as four months after they were orally inoculated, although they only rarely developed clinical disease. Several investigations are ongoing to further examine this question.

Can Humans Get CWD?

Although humans can develop a prion disease called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, current research shows that there is a significant barrier that makes CWD transmission to humans unlikely. Given the untreatable and always-fatal nature of prion diseases, animal models (i.e., non-human primates and genetically altered mice, etc.) have been used in laboratories to investigate the potential susceptibility of humans to CWD. In general, the results of these animal model studies indicate that animal-to-human transmission of CWD is unlikely. However, one well-publicized study using macaques found that this species, which is closely related to humans, was susceptible to CWD when fed meat from deer with CWD. Conversely, another macaque study completed by the National Institutes of Health found no evidence of CWD transmission to this species. In addition to experimental work, epidemiological investigations in areas where CWD is well established in wild deer and elk have failed to detect any association between CWD and human neurological disease.

Public health officials currently advise that there is no strong evidence of CWD transmission to humans; however, they recommend that human exposure to the CWD infectious agent be avoided as they continue to evaluate any potential health risk.

Why Don’t We Know If CWD Can Be Transmitted to Humans?

What Do We Know About CWD in BC

What Have We Learned From Other Provinces?

Where is CWD Thought to Originate?

The origin of CWD is unknown, and it may never be possible to definitively determine how or when CWD arose.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is believed to have originated in captive deer populations in Colorado in the late 1960s. It was first recognized as a distinct condition in 1967 at a wildlife research facility near Fort Collins, Colorado, where mule deer in captivity were exhibiting unusual weight loss and neurological symptoms.

CWD moved into Canada via farmed elk.

Scrapie, a TSE of domestic sheep, has been recognized in the United States since 1947, and it is possible that CWD was derived from scrapie. It has been hypothesized, though not proven, that deer came into contact with scrapie-infected sheep either on shared pastures or in captivity somewhere along the front range of the Rocky Mountains, where high levels of sheep grazing occurred in the early 1900s. This may have occurred in other areas as well. For example, the region in Norway where CWD was found in a wild reindeer population is an area where significant sheep grazing occurred. This raises the possibility that CWD has originated in more than one location rather than exclusively spreading from one state or region.

Can CWD Be Destroyed By Freezing or Burning?

Unfortunately not, prions are essentially indestructible. They are resistant to disinfectants, UV radiation, burning and freezing.

Given the Inability to Disable the Prions, Isn’t it Inevitable that CWD Eventually Affect the Entire Population?

CWD will continue to spread—and once it’s established in a landscape, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate. Without active management, the disease can spread rapidly.

Unfortunately, CWD is already here, and managing it must now be a permanent part of our environmental policy.

In Regards to Management is there a Target Density for Deer in CWD Regions?

So while density matters, the key issue is how often and closely animals come into contact, especially in shared spaces.