Disease outbreak has killed nearly 100 deer around Grand Forks, B.C., province says

The British Columbia government has confirmed the presence of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in white-tailed deer in the Grand Forks area.

A statement from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship says nearly 100 deer have been found dead in the past week.

It says the province’s Animal Health Centre confirmed the diagnosis Friday after testing of collected samples.

The disease is distinct from chronic wasting disease, which has been confirmed in deer around Cranbrook, B.C., prompting the province to allow local hunters to harvest one additional deer for a maximum of three during an opening in January.

The ministry says epizootic hemorrhagic disease affects white-tailed deer, mule deer and bighorn sheep, and while there is no evidence to suggest it can be transmitted to human