Tests confirm no chronic wasting disease in case of deer in B.C.’s Okanagan

Deer walk near the Granby River in Grand Forks, B.C., on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

The British Columbia government says testing has confirmed a sample from a deer harvested in the Okanagan region was negative for chronic wasting disease.

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

An statement from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship last month said a hunter submitted a sample taken from the white-tailed deer killed east of Enderby and the results of initial testing suggested the disease may be present.

It said at the time that, if confirmed, it would be the first detection in B.C. outside an existing management zone in the Kootenay area.

The ministry says in a statement that the sample was sent to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reference laboratory after the initial “non-negative” finding for the sample for confirmatory testing.

The ministry says the lab conducted confirmatory testing using three different methods, all of which were negative for chronic wasting disease.

It says though the result was negative, the disease remains a “serious concern in B.C.”

It notes that there have six confirmed cases of the disease in B.C., though all have been within the Kootenay region.

The ministry says hunters are “essential partners” in the province’s deer disease surveillance efforts.

“People are strongly encouraged to continue submitting samples from deer, elk and moose harvested anywhere in B.C. to help determine where the disease is present and to detect new cases as early as possible.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2025.

The Canadian Press