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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) threatens conservation, communities and economies. Since it was first detected in the 1960s, this deadly prion disease of cervids (deer, elk, moose and caribou) has expanded rapidly to infect wild and captive populations throughout North America.

Effective management of CWD requires a rapid, coordinated and evidence-based management response. Recognizing this, the Wildlife Health Program for British Columbia Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship initiated a CWD surveillance program in 2002. Just over two decades later, in January 2024, CWD was detected in BC for the first time when two deer in the Kootenay region of BC tested positive.

The provincial team responded by launching a management program, which involves targeted activities to monitor and manage deer populations within the immediate area where CWD was detected. However, doing this at an appropriate scale requires a nuanced understanding of cervid population movement patterns. Information on whether some populations may be more at risk of CWD would further help to prioritize management action, but this information is presently lacking in BC.

The project’s primary aim is to establish a Genomics Pillar within BC’s CWD management and surveillance program. The Pillar will address immediate gaps in knowledge by applying population and landscape genomics methods to describe deer population structure in areas where CWD is detected and in at-risk regions.

A secondary focus is to gather baseline information on how likely BC deer are to get CWD, by identifying specific genetic traits of the prion protein gene (PRNP) that make them vulnerable. To ensure this valuable data is put to use, a third project objective is to create a plan to share this knowledge with those who need it.  The research team will interview key people – including provincial and regional decision makers, stakeholders and Indigenous rightsholders –   the team will identify what helps and hinders the use of genomics and devise a practical strategy which leverages existing capacities and infrastructures.

In the short term, this program will significantly enhance BC’s ability to manage CWD based on solid evidence, tailored to the unique ecology and dynamics of local cervid populations. In the long term, it will build the province’s capacity to use genomics to address complex issues where human, animal and environmental health overlap.