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

An undate photo of a white-tailed deer running in a wooded area in the fall. (File photo/GettyImages/Uncredited)

GRAND FORKS — 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 humans, eating meat from an infected animal should be avoided.

It says the disease is “part of the natural cycle” for wildlife, transmitted by small biting flies and a government fact sheet says outbreaks occur during hot summer weather and end “abruptly with the onset of frost.”

Anyone who sees wildlife with symptoms including weight loss, drooling, poor co-ordination or stumbling is asked to report the sighting to the province’s poachers and polluters line.

Six cases of chronic wasting disease have meanwhile been confirmed in Cranbrook-area deer, threatening local deer and elk populations, the province says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2025.