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This mandatory program monitors farmed cervids in Alberta for CWD.
The Alberta government began conducting voluntary surveillance for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in farmed and wild cervids in the fall of 1996.
On August of 2002, the Mandatory CWD Surveillance Program became effective in Alberta. The program requires cervid owners to submit the heads for CWD testing from all farmed cervids over one year of age that die for any reason.
The purpose of the mandatory surveillance program has changed over the years. Alberta farmers wanted to show that farmed cervids were free from CWD to gain access to external markets for cervids and cervid products.
Since 2005 cases of CWD in wild cervids have been detected along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, suggesting that CWD has become established in the free-ranging deer population. The goal of demonstrating provincial freedom from CWD is no longer justified.
CWD surveillance in Alberta is now primarily used by individual producers and marketers to provide confidence that the herds of origin are unlikely to be infected with CWD.
The objectives of the program are to:
All cervid farmers in the province and veterinarians dealing with the industry are encouraged to read the program guidelines to understand their responsibilities for CWD surveillance:
Alberta Mandatory Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Program guidelines (PDF, 224 KB).
Producer responsibilities include:
Producers are required to submit cervid heads to any Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AFRED) laboratory (Edmonton, Fairview, Airdrie, and Lethbridge) in a timely manner. However, samples must be submitted no matter how long the animal has been dead.
Fill out the submission forms to be submitted with the heads or samples. Download the CWD Surveillance Submission Form (PDF, 41 KB).
Ensure all samples are appropriately identified. The unique AFRED approved cervid tag must be left in the ears of all heads that are submitted for CWD testing, unless alternate arrangements have been approved by AFRED. Appropriate documentation identifying the animal ID must accompany all tissue samples that are submitted.
Make every effort to submit samples in a condition that is suitable for testing by the laboratory,
Submitting more than 10 heads
Producers must give Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development 24 hours’ advance notice if they are submitting more than 10 heads at any one time:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-422-1923
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
More than 20 heads: For larger slaughter numbers, a letter of understanding between the producer/person organizing the slaughter and AFRED is required and must be signed at least 2 weeks before the slaughter date.
Table 1. Total Alberta farmed cervids tested for CWD in Alberta by calendar year
* Other: reindeer, fallow deer, antelope, moose
Year | Elk (Wapiti) | Whitetail deer (WTD) | Mule deer | Other* | Total | Non-negative CWD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 1,851 | 50 | 0 | 2 | 1,903 | 12 (elk) |
2019 | 2,098 | 73 | 0 | 4 | 2,166 | 3 (2 WTD, 1 elk) |
2018 | 1,995 | 191 | 0 | 1 | 2,187 | 1 (elk) |
2017 | 1,832 | 117 | 0 | 3 | 1,952 | |
2016 | 1,574 | 116 | 0 | 5 | 1,695 | 1 (elk) |
2015 | 2,271 | 225 | 0 | 11 | 2,507 | 3 (elk) |
2014 | 1,917 | 268 | 18 | 11 | 2,214 | |
2013 | 2,262 | 273 | 0 | 3 | 2,538 | |
2012 | 2,112 | 310 | 0 | 6 | 2,428 | |
2011 | 2,483 | 569 | 3 | 9 | 3,064 | |
2010 | 4,019 | 742 | 21 | 6 | 4,788 | |
2009 | 4,235 | 848 | 18 | 11 | 5,112 | |
2008 | 5,147 | 1,087 | 26 | 36 | 6,296 | |
2007 | 4,860 | 1,005 | 2 | 77 | 5,944 | |
2006 | 5,878 | 708 | 32 | 75 | 6,693 | |
2005 | 6,997 | 860 | 59 | 45 | 7,961 | |
2004 | 6,640 | 1,144 | 72 | 48 | 7,904 | |
2003 | 7,000 | 1,727 | 38 | 46 | 8,811 | |
2002 | 3,912 | 1,035 | 10 | 32 | 4,989 | 3 (2 WTD, 1 elk) |
1996-2001 | 1,063 | 371 | 36 | 14 | 1,484 |
Connect with the Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays
Phone: 780-427-3448
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
After business hours: 1-800-524-0051
Fax: 780-415-0810
Address:
O.S. Longman Building
6909 116 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T6H 4P2
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