First case of chronic wasting disease found in deer in southwest Manitoba

The provincial government called an immediate ban on hunting deer and other animals in part of southwestern Manitoba after the first case of chronic wasting disease in the province was found.

An unhealthy male mule deer was discovered on Oct. 14 and euthanized as part of the province's wildlife health surveillance program.

Testing revealed the animal had chronic wasting disease.

As a result of the discovery, the province is banning hunting those animals in an area, whose boundaries are yet to be finalized, but will immediately include at least a portion of Game Hunting Area 22.

That area stretches from Brandon north and west to the Saskatchewan border.

The disease is fatal to infected animals and has no cure. It affects a variety of species including deer, elk, caribou and moose, and causes  drastic weight loss, stumbling, listlessness and other neurologic symptoms.

Infected animals can appear healthy until the later stages of the disease.

The disease doesn't pose a health risk to humans, but eating the meat of infected animals is not recommended, the province said.

Hunters in areas where chronic wasting disease has been detected should have their harvested animals tested, practice safe carcass handling protocols and avoid eating any animal that has tested positive.

There is no apparent connection between the case and farmed elk populations, the province said.

The disease has been detected in Alberta, Saskatchewan and 24 states in the U.S.