A white-tailed deer is seen on Jan. 3, 2022. The B.C. government has confirmed two new cases of chronic wasting disease, also known as zombie deer diseaese, in the Kootenay region. (Daniel Thomas/Radio-Canada - image credit)

2 new cases of 'zombie deer disease' confirmed in B.C.'s Kootenay region

· Yahoo News

The province has said that two deer hunted in B.C.'s Kootenay region have tested positive for chronic wasting disease, also known as "zombie deer disease."

In a statement on Tuesday, the province said the two new cases were confirmed in a management zone set up to stop the spread of the disease.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious and fatal illness affecting species such as deer, elk, moose and caribou.

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The condition, which has a 100 per cent fatality rate, has been spreading throughout the Kootenay region after being detected for the first time ever in the province last year.

Cervidae is a family of hoofed ruminant mammals that includes moose, deer and elk. If a cervid gets chronic wasting disease, there is a 100 per cent fatality rate. (Marcella Bernardo/CBC)

Within the management zone, the B.C. government requires hunters to submit samples for free testing, and to report sick animals.

There are also restrictions on transporting carcasses in the Kootenay region due to the disease.

“Protecting B.C.’s wildlife is a shared responsibility, and we are grateful to hunters, First Nations and community partners who are working with us to respond and manage the disease effectively," said Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill in the province's statement.

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The province says there have been eight confirmed cases of "zombie deer disease" in B.C., according to the province, all located within the Kootenays in the southeast corner of the province.

In its statement, the government says there would be a special hunt in the CWD management zone where hunters would be able to harvest one additional deer, beyond a regional limit of two, in order to support disease surveillance efforts.

Late last month, the province investigated a potential case of chronic wasting disease in the neighbouring Okanagan region. The province said last week that testing confirmed a sample from a deer harvested east of Enderby, B.C., was negative for chronic wasting disease.

The province is encouraging hunters outside the Kootenays, especially in the Peace region adjacent to Alberta, to voluntarily submit samples from harvested deer, elk and moose.

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“Hunters and hunting continue to be the best tool we have to identify and manage chronic wasting disease," said Jesse Zeman, executive director of the B.C. Wildlife Federation, in the province's statement.

Prion diseases like chronic wasting disease are a family of rare neurodegenerative disorders that can be found in both humans and animals, impairing brain function.

While there is no direct evidence the disease can be transmitted to humans and there have been no cases in humans, the ministry says Health Canada and the World Health Organization recommend people not eat the meat of an infected animal.

Perhaps the best known example of a prion disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly referred to as mad cow disease.