Question Period Note: CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE 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 chronic wasting disease?

R.1 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency responds to all cases of confirmed chronic wasting disease in farmed cervids to control the spread of the disease. It also administers a Herd Certification Program, which requires enrolled producers to take preventative measures against chronic wasting disease.

A notice of disposal of the herd population may be issued for those producers whose herds have become infected, despite their compliance with strict biosecurity requirements.

Compensation may be provided under the Health of Animals Act and its Regulations to producers in cases where their animals are ordered destroyed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. R.2 - No confirmed cases have been observed in humans, and there is no direct evidence to suggest that chronic wasting disease may be transmitted to people. However, Health Canada recommends taking a precautionary approach whereby people should not consume meat from an animal that tested positive for chronic wasting disease.

Federal, provincial, and territorial governments are working together to minimize human exposure by preventing any known chronic wasting disease positive animal from entering the food chain. In many jurisdictions, tests are also offered to hunters. R.3 - Importing countries determine their import standards for all diseases they consider important, including chronic wasting disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program facilitates trade when countries have assessed the Program as meeting their import requirements (their appropriate level of protection).

The export certification process aims to ensure that cervids exported from Canada meet all animal health conditions, including those for chronic wasting disease, for entry into the country of destination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency must notify trading partners if animals with links to premises deemed positive for chronic wasting disease have been exported. Importing countries determine their response to which can include temporary or permanent restrictions on exports from Canada.

Cervid exports have been negatively impacted by the presence of chronic wasting disease both in farmed cervids and wild populations. Currently, the United States and Mexico (minimal) are the only export markets for live cervids.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the industry to address the U.S. concerns and minimize the risk of further spreading chronic wasting disease via exported Canadian animals.

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, tissues, or a contaminated environment.

CWD is present in large areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan in both farmed and wild cervids. It has been present in wild deer in Manitoba since November 1, 2021, and was discovered in wild deer in British Columbia for the first time on January 31, 2024. CWD was also detected in 2018, on a Quebec red deer farm; the disease was contained, and no additional cases were detected in Quebec since then.

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 in both farmed and wild cervids.

CWD is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act. 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.

Producers wishing to export must also comply with all export conditions of the importing country. All exports from that premises within the last 60 months of detection of CWD must be notified to the importing country.

Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program and exports of live cervids

The Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program (CWD HCP) is a voluntary program in Canada, delivered and administered by third parties, and audited by the CFIA. The CWD HCP serves as a trade facilitation tool and is used as a surveillance measure to reduce the risk of exporting CWD from enrolled herds. When the CWD HCP is part of export certification, it becomes mandatory as a pre-requisite.

The CWD HCP requires enrolled producers to limit the introduction of cervids into a herd, test all cervids more than 12 months old that are slaughtered or die from any other cause, and practice additional biosecurity measures to reduce the likelihood of entry of CWD into their herds. The domestic CWD HCP standard is applied across the country and allows movement of animals between herds of identical status.

The U.S. suspended routine exports of cervids in March 2024, until spring 2029, after exports were CWD positive and exposed herds, stating the Canadian CWD HCP is not seen as equivalent to the United States’ program. The CFIA is working to find a solution to return to routine trade activities before the end of the US suspension in 2029. Limited exports are possible on a case-by-case basis at this time.

Response to infected herds

Only producers enrolled in and compliant with a CWD HCP for at least 12 months are deemed eligible for depopulation and compensation under CFIA’s response plan.

In areas without the disease, the CFIA has enhanced the response to detection of CWD in farmed cervids. The CFIA may implement depopulation and compensation measures on the first farm to detect CWD in such provinces/territories (PT). This is only available if the responsible wildlife authority in the affected PT agrees to implement eradication measures in wildlife surrounding the infected farm, including increased surveillance to detect the disease.

This approach has been the only measure to date to prevent the establishment of CWD in a region. This approach was successfully implemented in Québec in September of 2018. The CFIA has also negotiated an agreement with the wildlife ministry in Ontario to carry out this approach.

Transmission to humans and other animals

To date, there has been no known transmission of CWD to humans. 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. Measures are in place to prevent known infected animals from entering the food chain, including the following:

• mandatory testing of cervids sent for slaughter (over the age of 12 months) at all abattoirs in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Yukon, Quebec, and Ontario.
• not allowing animals known to be infected with CWD to enter the commercial food chain.
• reporting all suspected cases immediately to the CFIA, as CWD is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act.

The provinces and territories take the lead role in monitoring and implementing any control measures taken in regard to CWD in wild cervids. Communication materials have been collaboratively developed for hunters by the CFIA, Agriculture Agri-Food Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Parks Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Voluntary programs are in place to test hunted cervid carcasses for CWD prior to consumption.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is supporting the provincial and territorial wildlife managers 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 by contributing to efforts in controlling the spread of chronic wasting disease in Canada, while minimizing potential human exposure.
• The Government has put in place federal control programs for farmed deer and elk producers who wish to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease being introduced into their herds.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the industry and provincial and territorial governments to stabilize export access to the United States and raise awareness of the export requirements.