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12 Nov 2019 7:00 pm

Chronic Wasting Disease: On Ontario’s Doorstep

7:00 p.m. Social

7:30 p.m. Formal program

Speaker: Keith Munro

Location: Salon B, K.W. Neatby Building, Central Experimental Farm, 960 Carling Avenue

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is one of the greatest threats to wildlife in North America. A member of the same group of diseases as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (aka mad cow disease), CWD is highly infectious and 100% fatal to members of the deer family including white-tailed deer, elk, moose and caribou/reindeer, resulting in population declines. While there is no direct evidence that CWD can affect people, the risk is not zero and health agencies recommend against eating CWD-positive meat. CWD has not been found in Ontario but is in several neighbouring jurisdictions. Immediate action is needed to keep this disease out of the province and safeguard our wildlife.