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By Liam Verster

deer disease

Potential chronic wasting disease found near Enderby

Nov 24, 2025 | 5:10 PM

A case of an infectious and fatal disease in the local deer population, in what would be the first of its kind in the region, may have been found in the North Okanagan.

The province said a potential case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) was reported in a male white-tailed deer harvested east of Enderby.

A hunter submitted a sample to the provincial animal health laboratory, who did initial tests which detected abnormal proteins that could indicate an infection. The sample was sent to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for further testing, the results of which should be available in early December.

“This is the first potential detection in the Okanagan and the first identified outside B.C.’s existing CWD management zone in the Kootenay region”, the province said.

“As part of B.C.’s Surveillance and Response Plan for CWD, the provincial wildlife veterinarian has assembled an incident management team made up of provincial and First Nation partners to prepare for potential next steps ahead of the CFIA’s test result. The province will engage with hunters and partner organizations to share information and guide the next phase of the response.”

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CWB can be fatal to deer, elk, moose, caribou and other members of the cervid family. However, there has never been a case where the disease has spread to a human, though people are still advised to not eat meat from infected animals as it could have the potential risk of transmission or illness.

People are asked to continue to provide samples from deer, elk or moose harvested in B.C. to help build a better understanding of where CWB infections have spread.