British Columbia investigates possible chronic wasting disease in a deer outside known outbreak zone.

British Columbia is investigating a possible case of chronic wasting disease in a white-tailed deer near Enderby in the Okanagan region, which could mark the first detection outside the province’s known affected area in the Kootenays. Initial test results from a hunter-harvested deer have prompted further analysis by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with results expected by early December. The disease, which is fatal to deer, elk, moose, and caribou and caused by abnormal prion proteins, has no confirmed human cases, but health officials warn against eating meat from infected animals. B.C. has previously reported six cases, all in the Kootenay region, where mandatory testing and transport rules are in place. Officials are urging hunters outside the zone to submit samples to monitor the disease’s spread.