A non-profit B.C. genomics organization is stepping up to fund a two-year research project into a fatal wildlife disease that was recently discovered in the province this year.
Genome BC, which has supported genetics research and innovation for over 25 years in the province, is lending support to an effort to study Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal wildlife disease that was confirmed by lab testing in two deer near Cranbrook in January.
Dr. Kaylee Byers, an Assistant Professor from Simon Fraser University, is leading the study.
The researchers are using genomics — the study and mapping of genomes — to gather information about deer populations in the affected region that will be used to improve monitoring and design a targeted response.
“CWD is a devastating disease for these species,” says Dr. Byers. “It is 100 per cent fatal in infected animals and there is currently no cure or vaccine. That’s why we need to understand how it's affecting our local herds and what we can do to stop its spread."
CWD is a deadly prion disease that affects cervid populations — deer, elk moose and caribou — that tested positive in two samples from deer near Cranbrook. The first was a hunter harvest male mule deer in South Country, while the second was a roadkill female whitetail deer off the highway south of the city.
The disease is a neurological disorder that affects the brain and nervous tissues. Infected deer can present symptoms such as appearing disoriented, wandering aimlessly, becoming thin, frail and drooling and staggering about. However, infected deer can also present no symptoms and appear perfectly normal.
The research project will develop genomics-based tools that can help monitor deer populations and understand their movements and interactions. This information can help managers better predict deer movements and the likely spread of the disease.
Researchers will also further study whether animals have susceptible markers in their DNA.
Finally, the project will help set up genomics-based management and monitoring of CWD within the BC Wildlife Health Program.
“The project will use population genomics to fill in critical gaps in knowledge about the affected groups of deer in the region where CWD has been detected,” says Dr. Federica Di Palma, Genome BC’s Vice President of Research and Innovation and Chief Scientific Officer.
“Population genomics is a powerful tool that can reveal population structure, movement and genetic diversity. This knowledge will be crucial for developing targeted, effective management strategies to prevent the spread of CWD.”
During this hunting season, the project is working with hunters to collect samples that will be used in the research.
“This issue affects so many communities and it unites us in our desire to protect healthy cervid populations. Hunters, trappers and Indigenous communities are
important partners in this project,” says Dr. Byers. “The data we get from the samples they share with us will be used to study potential paths of disease spread and help inform management decisions.”
In the wake of the two test-positive cases in B.C., the provincial government has introduced mandatory testing of deer, elk and moose in 14 management units in the southeast corner of the province (4-1 to 4-8 & 4-20 to 4-25). Further regulations include restricting the transportation of any of those species outside of the collective area identified in those 14 management units.
