The Canadian Cervid Council is concerned about the news that a wild mule deer was found to be infected with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Saskatchewan.

The mule deer was reportedly killed by a hunter in the Unity area in Saskatchewan.

The Canadian Cervid Council (CCC) reports that there is no evidence of transmission of CWD from cervids to humans or to other types of livestock. All studies seem to indicate that CWD is a cervid disease only.

Clearly, more information is required before any suppositions are made regarding the origin of CWD in this mule deer. The CCC therefore supports and encourages increased surveillance and monitoring of wild cervids in the vicinity of this mule deer case.

CWD can be eradicated and prevented from entry in farmed cervids because farmed and wild cervids are two distinct populations and therefore the disease can be managed accordingly. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with support from all of the cervid industry and provincial governments has developed a policy on CWD where all farmed cervids in contact with any infected animal are eradicated. Recently South Dakota, which has the same type of policy, reported that they are free of CWD in game farms.

The elk and deer industry in Canada has once again acted responsibly and fully cooperated with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in this issue. It has also gone a further step in the development of a national identification system of all farmed cervids and the implementation of a CWD monitoring program to be fully operational by the end of the year.

For more information please contact

Serge Buy
Executive Director, Canadian Cervid Council
Phone 613-874-9994 Cell 613-325-3194

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