Provincial officials have ruled out chronic wasting disease in a white-tailed deer killed in the Okanagan.

A test had initially shown the animal was “non-negative” for the devastating infectious disease, which has a fatality rate of 100 per cent. It affects deer, elk, moose and caribou. 

That prompted the provincial government to issue a warning about the disease, which is presently confined to the Kootenays.

But despite the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s confirmation, using three different testing methods, that the deer did not have the disease, vigilance remains high.

Photo credit: BCCDC

“While this result is negative, CWD remains a serious concern in BC and does not change the confirmed presence of CWD within the provincial CWD management zone in the Kootenay region,” the Province explained.

“Hunters remain essential partners in BC's CWD surveillance efforts. People are strongly encouraged to continue submitting samples from deer, elk and moose harvested anywhere in BC to help determine where the disease is present and to detect new cases as early as possible.” 

The Province also sought to emphasize that there is “no direct evidence” of the disease being transmitted to humans. 

Nonetheless, people are urged to avoid eating meat from an infected animal.

Cranbrook has been the centre of a cluster of CWD cases since the outbreak started in early late 2023.

Since February 2024, the Province has been working with partners in the Kootenays on targeted removal and testing of urban deer in Cranbrook and Kimberley, mandatory testing for harvested deer, moose and elk, carcass transport restriction and ongoing monitoring.

In addition to the two deer that tested positive for CWD in 2023, the Province confirmed another four cases in the 2024-25 season.

That includes one of the 126 deer that were culled earlier this year tested positive for CWD.

The Province is preparing for a targeted deer hunt in the Cranbrook area in January in an effort to curb the spread of the disease.

To date there have been six confirmed CWD cases.