Chronic Wasting Disease BC Technical Working Group Meeting Prepared by Cait Nelson

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Chronic Wasting DiseaseBC Technical Working
Group MeetingPrepared by Cait Nelson Helen
SchwantjeThursday January 8th, 2009Victoria, BC
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Meeting Agenda

• BC Program Headquarters Update - Cait Nelson
  Peace Region Update Conrad Thiessen
• Kootenay Region Update Irene Teske
• Coffee Break
• Alberta Program Margo Pybus
• CFIA CWD Program Greg Douglas
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• Lessons Learned Other Agency Programs and
  Working Groups
• What are we doing right
• How can we improve BC Program
• Lunch
• BC Response Plan Summary of Actions
  Communication
• Next Steps

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Meeting Objectives

• Maintain communication and collaboration with
  partners
• Provide update on CWD science/research other
  programs
• Apply what is learned from research other
  jurisdictions
• Evaluate continue to improve BC CWD Program
• Prevention
• Surveillance
• Outreach

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Members and Special Guests

• To provide technical expertise
• To share experience and opinions
• To provide stakeholder, partner and regional
  perspectives

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Introductions
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The facts on CWD

• Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE)

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CWD facts what do people ask?

• Its a prion disease that affects the Deer Family
  only
• Not transmissible to other ungulates or domestic
  animals by natural means...
• No evidence that CWD is transmissible to
  humans...
• Its fatal in all cases, there is no treatment or
  vaccine.
• Infected animals can look normal they may not
  show signs for several years.
• How do they get it? Close contact and
  environmental contamination can transmit it.
• Was it always there? No evidence of this so far.

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The facts on CWD
Photos courtesy of Jared Hobbs
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The facts on CWD
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BC CWD Surveillance Program

• Wildlife Health Program Objective
• Maintain the Health of BC Wildlife
• CWD Program Prevention,
• Outreach and Surveillance
• The Facts
• The Numbers
• The Response Plan

Photos courtesy of the BC Wildlife Health Program
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Program Updates

• Prevention
• Surveillance
• Outreach

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Program Updates

• Prevention
• Risk Assessment completed
• Environmental contamination (High risk)
• - Threat of imported infected carcasses
  contaminating BC soils

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• Prevention
• New Wildlife Act Regulation

Restriction on import or possession of cervids
killed outside of BC
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• Proposed Regulation
• Restriction on import or possession of cervids
  killed outside of BC
• (1) A person commits an offence by possessing or
  importing  cervid heads, hides, hooves, spinal
  columns, internal organs, and mammary gland
  harvested outside of British Columbia after April
  1, 2009 .
• (2) For the purpose of this section, a cervid
  head, hide, hoof, spinal column, internal organ,
  or mammary gland includes any part or derivative
  of a cervid head, hide, hoof, spinal column,
  internal organ, or mammary gland.
• (3) For the purpose of this section, a person
  does not commit an offence respecting possession
  of a cervid hide from outside the province if,
  before entering British Columbia, the hide is
  detached from the carcass and processed by a
  tanner or taxidermist prior to import in such a
  way as to remove all tissue from the hide within
  five days. 
• (4) For the purpose of subsection, a person does
  not commit an offence respecting possession of
  cervid antlers or skull if, before entering
  British Columbia, these parts are detached from
  the remainder of the skull and all hide and other
  tissues has been removed.
• (5) For the purpose of subsection, a person is
  exempted if the cervid or cervid part is imported
  by or on behalf of a government agency or
  department of another jurisdiction for the
  purpose of scientific examination by veterinarian
  or recognized laboratory in BC, if from the time
  it enters into BC until it arrive at its intended
  destination, it is sealed in a waterproof
  container from which no fluid, tissue, or hair
  can escape.

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Program Updates

• Surveillance - in 2007/08
• Cait got specialized training...
• Most heads collected and sampled were hunter
  harvested or road kills submitted by COS
• Few were sick/clinical or problem wildlife
• Clinical samples submitted for testing by CFIA
• Remainder tested by the CCWHC at the WCVM in
  Saskatoon

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Program Updates

• 2007/08 Sampling

NEGATIVE 1279 INCONCLUSIVE 28
Note that YEAR refers to harvest year
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Program Updates

• Current and new Freezer Locations...
• Peace Region
• North Peace Rod Gun Club, FSJ
• Peace Taxidermy, Hwy 29
• Rocky Mountain Taxidermy, Pouce Coupe
• District of Hudson's Hope Work Yard,
• Hudson's Hope
• Lazy Bar "M" Ranch, Osborn
• Russell's Custom Meat Cutting, Chetwynd
• Charlie Lake Meats, Charlie Lake
• Omineca Meats, FSJ
• Ministry of Environment, FSJ
• Ministry of Environment, Dawson Creek

• Kootenay Region
• Ministry of Environment, Cranbrook
• Cliff's Meat, Kimberley
• Backcountry Meats, Fernie
• Ricks Fine Meats, Cranbrook
• COS Ministry of Environment, Invermere

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(No Transcript)
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Program Updates
HUNTERS SUBMITTING DEER /
ELK / MOOSE HEADS FOR THE CWD PROGRAM

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• 1. Please take a CWD tag, and fill out the
  information requested.
• 2. Tear off the ear tag and attach it to the
  animals ear using the plastic fasteners
  provided.
• 3. Put the labeled head in a plastic bag, and put
  it in the freezer.
• 4. Then lift the lid and put the information card
  in this drop box.
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• Thank you for your ongoing support of the Chronic
  Wasting Disease Program!

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Program Updates

• Outreach
• RAPP Program travelling road show to hunting
  community
• New educational material
• Posters
• GOABC film
• Deer scents...

Chronic Wasting Disease What happens if
we get it in BC ? How can we reduce the
risk Prevention avoid risky behaviour Early
detection support surveillance Education get
the facts Find out what you can do to help For
more info on CWD or if you have questions, please
contact The BC CWD Surveillance Program (250)
953-5140
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Outreach
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Research Updates

• Most programs incomplete...
• Transmission
• Live testing methods
• Population effects genetic susceptibility
• Methods, effects and efficacy of
  control/management

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Regional Updates

• What is the local response to the program if
  any?
• Is the right information getting to enough and
  the right people - hunters?
• If not, what more can we do?