By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle

Further testing has confirmed that a sample submitted about two weeks ago from a male white-tailed deer harvested east of Enderby is negative for chronic wasting disease (CWD).

The initial screening by the BC Animal Health Centre showed a “non-negative” finding for the sample due to the fact prions (abnormal proteins) were detected meaning the disease could not be definitively ruled out and required more testing.

Following standard protocol, the sample was sent to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reference laboratory for confirmatory testing. The laboratory conducted confirmatory testing using three different methods with all results returning a negative for CWD.

CWD is an infectious and fatal disease affecting cervids, including deer, elk, moose and caribou.

The Province said in a statement from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship that while the result is negative, CWD remains a “serious concern in BC.” It added that this does not change the confirmed presence of CWD within the provincial CWD management zone in the Kootenay region.

The sample from Enderby was submitted  by a hunter and “hunters remain essential partners in BC’s CWD surveillance efforts,” the Province said.

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 said it will continue implementing the actions outlined in BC’s Surveillance and Response Plan for CWD. This includes ongoing surveillance, targeted sampling in higher-risk areas, and continued collaboration with First Nations, local governments, hunters and partner organizations.

While there is no direct evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans, and there have been no reported cases in people, Health Canada and the World Health Organization recommend that people do not eat meat or other parts of an animal infected with CWD to prevent any potential risk of transmission or illness.

To date, there have been six confirmed cases of CWD in BC, all within the Kootenay region.

For more information visit the provincial CWD webpage.