Question Period Note: CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE (CWD) IN CANADA

Q1 – What is the Government’s response to Chronic wasting disease in Canada? Q2 – Does chronic wasting disease pose a risk to human health or food safety? Q3 - What is the government’s approach to reducing the trade impact of CWD?

R1 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency responds immediately to all cases of confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) in farmed cervids to limit spread of the disease. The agency also administers a Herd Certification Program to encourage producers to take preventative measures against CWD.
When humane disposal of a herd is required to prevent the spread of disease, the government works to reduce the economic impact on producers by providing compensation under the Health of Animals Act and Regulations. R2- While there is no direct evidence to date to suggest that chronic wasting disease may be transmitted to humans, Health Canada recommends taking a precautionary approach.
Federal, provincial and territorial governments are working collaboratively to minimize human exposure by preventing any known chronic wasting disease positive animal from entering the food chain. R3 - CFIA’s Heard Certification Program helps facilitates trade when foreign authorities have assessed the Program as meeting their domestic requirements.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will notify trading partners if animals with links to premises that are positive for CWD have been exported and provide clarification for any questions they may have. Importing countries determine their response to such exports. These can include temporary or permanent restrictions on Canadian imports.

First detected in Canada in 1996, chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious, progressive and fatal disease that affects cervids (deer, elk, moose, caribou and reindeer). It spreads by direct contact with an infected animal or a contaminated environment.
CWD is present in large areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan in both farmed and wild cervids and has been detected in several wild deer in Manitoba since November 1, 2021. In 2018, CWD was detected in farmed cervids on one farm in Québec. The farm was depopulated with no further detections in farmed or wild cervids. CWD has not been detected in wild caribou in North America.
Farmed cervid producers are responsible for complying with legislative and regulatory requirements. In Canada, the federal/provincial/territorial and Indigenous governments have shared areas of responsibility in relation to the management of CWD.
Canada has regulatory and policy measures in place to help manage CWD under the Health of Animals Act (HAA) and Regulations. CWD is a reportable disease under the HAA. This means that all suspected cases must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for immediate investigation. If the CFIA determines that CWD may be the cause of disease in a herd, the animals may be ordered destroyed.
CWD Herd Certification Program
In 2017, the CFIA updated the national standard for its Herd Certification Program (HCP) which was established in 2002. CWD-HCP is a voluntary program delivered and administered by third parties and audited by the CFIA. The updated CWD-HCP requires enrolled producers to take preventative measures against CWD in keeping with the current science of the disease. These measures include limiting the introduction of cervids into a herd, testing mature dead cervids, and practicing additional biosecurity measures such as protecting feed on the premises from access by wild animals.
As of April 1, 2019, only producers enrolled in and compliant with a CWD-HCP for at least 12 months are deemed eligible for depopulation and compensation.
The CFIA has also developed an enhancement to the CWD compartment response, whereby it may implement depopulation and compensation measures on the first cervid farm to detect CWD (not only CWD-HCP farms) in provinces/territories where CWD has not yet been detected. This enhancement is only available if the responsible wildlife authority in the affected province/territory agrees to implement eradication measures in wildlife surrounding the infected farm.
Historically, this drastic approach has been the only effective measure of preventing establishment of CWD within a geographic region. This collaborative, aggressive response was implemented in Québec in response to their first case detected in September of 2018. CFIA has negotiated a similar agreement with the wildlife ministry in Ontario.
Transmission to humans and other animals
To date, there has been no known transmission of CWD to humans. Extensive disease surveillance in Canada over the last 50 years and elsewhere has not provided any direct evidence that CWD has infected humans. However, there is still scientific uncertainty regarding transmission to humans as animal studies suggest that CWD could affect some types of non-human primates under experimental conditions. Experts continue to study CWD and its potential to infect other animals and humans. As a precaution, measures are in place to prevent known infected animals from entering the food chain, including the following:
• mandatory testing of all cervids sent for slaughter (over the age of 12 months) at all abattoirs in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Yukon, Quebec and Ontario. This is based on provincial testing requirements and applies to federal, provincial and territorial abattoirs in those provinces. In all federal establishments and most provincial establishments, live animal inspections are performed before slaughter and carcasses are detained until results of these tests are received.
 
• not allowing animals known to be infected with CWD to enter the commercial food chain.
• reporting all suspected cases immediately to CFIA, as CWD is a “reportable disease” under the HAA.
The Health Portfolio has updated risk communications products in collaboration with their federal, provincial and territorial partners.
The provinces and territories take the lead role in monitoring and implementing any control measures taken in regards to CWD in wild cervids. Environment and Climate Change Canada is supporting the provincial and territorial wildlife managers in collaborating on their CWD-related measures with particular attention to protecting the caribou herd, as it poses a significant risk to food security for indigenous populations.

• The Government is committed to protecting animal health and controlling the spread of chronic wasting disease in Canada while minimizing potential human exposure.
• Canadian federal control programs are available to deer and elk producers to help prevent chronic wasting disease from entering their farms.
• In collaboration with provincial and territorial partners, the Government of Canada continues to raise awareness about chronic wasting disease and to inform Canadians how to protect themselves against potential risks.