The final Alberta elk sold from a herd where an animal had tested
positive for chronic wasting disease has tested negative.
“The good news is the disease has not spread out of that herd,” said
George Luterbach, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency chief
veterinarian.
All 12 elk sold from the original farm where CWD was found have tested
negative.
“We’re still working on how the disease got into that herd and how
long it’s been there,” said Luterbach.
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The northern Alberta herd was established in the 1980s before a ban was
placed on American or
interprovincial elk transfers, leaving open the possibility CWD entered
the herd then, but has remained hidden until now.
“We need to try to sort out as much as possible what this finding
means.”
While all 12 elk sold to outside herds have been destroyed, the
original herd hasn’t been destroyed. A value must be established on the
herd. The CFIA will pay a maximum $4,000 per animal for each elk
destroyed.
The process of testing and destruction must be done slowly because of a
limited incineration capacity in Alberta. In Saskatchewan, more than
8,000 destroyed elk were placed in clay-lined pits and buried. Alberta
rules demand that the animals be incinerated.
