B.C. government monitoring deer for COVID-19 virus after 3 infected in Quebec
British Columbia's Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources is monitoring the province's deer population for the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19, but says no wildlife cases have been detected so far.
Environment and Climate Change Canada announced Wednesday that the coronavirus had been detected in three white-tailed deer in Quebec last month, marking the first time the virus had been found in Canadian wildlife.
The B.C. government says it is collecting samples of deer harvested by hunters as part of its COVID-19 surveillance program.
"The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in hunter-harvested deer in the Estrie region of Quebec is the first detection of the virus in free-ranging wildlife in Canada," the ministry said Thursday.
"COVID-19 remains largely a disease of human concern and typically spreads from human to human," the ministry added. "There is no known transmission from deer to humans at this time."
Environment and Climate Change Canada says the three deer found to be carrying the virus all appeared healthy and showed no signs of COVID-19 infection.
The discovery followed recent reports of the virus spreading among white-tailed deer in the United States.
Environment Canada says anyone exposed to respiratory tissues and fluids from deer should wear a well-fitting mask and avoid splashing fluids as much as possible.
COVID-19 has infected multiple species of animals, including dogs, cats, farmed mink and zoo animals, but this is the first time in Canada that it has spilled over into wildlife.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.