Monitoring chronic wasting disease

We are continuing our surveillance measures to monitor wildlife for chronic wasting disease.

If you observe these signs in a wild cervid (member of the deer family), contact your local ministry work centre or email CWD@ontario.ca.

Prevention and response plan

Our chronic wasting disease prevention and response plan is an adaptive, coordinated approach to the actions we are taking to:

  • minimize the threat posed by CWD
  • protect the socio-economic, cultural and ecological benefits of wild deer, moose, elk and caribou

Our actions are in partnership with other agencies, such as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.

Read our Chronic wasting disease prevention and response plan.

Our chronic wasting disease prevention and response plan was updated in 2019 to reflect current scientific knowledge, lessons learned from other jurisdictions, and the evolving roles of government agencies.

Chronic wasting disease and human health

There:

  • is no definitive scientific evidence to suggest that chronic wasting disease is transmissible to humans
  • have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans.

As a precaution, public health officials including Health Canada and the World Health Organization recommend taking proper precautions when handling cervid carcasses and avoiding exposure to, and consumption of, CWD-infected animals.

Research on this topic

Early results of long-term research on transmission of CWD to macaque monkeys (a species closely related to humans) suggests that transmission to this species may be possible. While research continues, it is important to be cautious. 

Safely handle wildlife carcasses

Although CWD has not been detected in wildlife in Ontario, as part of normal good practices when handling and processing Ontario deer, elk, and moose, it is suggested that hunters:

  • wear latex or rubber gloves and eye protection when field dressing carcasses
  • minimize the handling of brain, eyes, and spinal tissue as this is where the highest concentration of CWD prions, if present, would be found
  • minimize the handling of bones of the skull and spinal cord
  • don’t consume the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils or lymph nodes of harvested animals
  • decontaminate your tools by removing organic material and then soaking tools for at least 5 minutes in a 40% household bleach solution
  • if you are hunting within a CWD surveillance zone, save the head and submit it for CWD testing