| | The Alberta government began conducting voluntary surveillance for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in farmed and wild cervids (elk and deer), in the fall of 1996.
On August 8, 2002, the Mandatory CWD Surveillance Program became effective in Alberta, requiring cervid owners to submit the heads for CWD testing, from all farmed cervids over one year of age that die or are slaughtered. Product from slaughtered animals must be held at abattoirs pending CWD test results.
CWD testing is conducted at the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) laboratory in Edmonton. Producers are required to submit heads to any ARD laboratory (Edmonton, Fairview, Airdrie, Lethbridge) in the province.
To download a pdf version of the CWD submission form, click here (size 42K). To download the word version, click here.
Hunters can find information from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD) about where and how to submit wild cervid heads for testing.
2008 Total Animals Tested
 | | Positive | Negative | Unsuitable | Total |
Farmed | Caribou | | 2 | | 2 |
| Elk (wapiti) | | 5,254 | 1 | 5,255 |
| Mule deer | | 26 | | 26 |
| Reindeer | | 46 | | 46 |
| Whitetail deer | | 1,091 | | 1,091 |
| Total | 0 | 6,419 | 1 | 6,420 |
Wild | Deer | 7 | 9,347 | 13 | 9,367 |
| Elk (wapiti) | | 49 | | 49 |
| Moose | | 2 | | 2 |
| Mule deer | | 2 | | 2 |
| Whitetail deer | | 1 | | 1 |
| Total | 7 | 9,401 | 13 | 9,421 |
| Total | 7 | 15,820 | 14 | 15,841 |
2007 Total Animals Tested
| | Positive | Negative | Total |
Farmed | Elk (wapiti) | | 5,108 | 5,108 |
| Mule deer | | 34 | 34 |
| Reindeer | | 94 | 94 |
| Whitetail deer | | 1,011 | 1,011 |
| Total | 0 | 6,247 | 6,247 |
Wild | Deer | 13 | 4,904 | 4,917 |
| Elk (wapiti) | | 33 | 33 |
| Mule deer | | 3 | 3 |
| Whitetail deer | | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 13 | 4,945 | 4,958 |
| Total | 13 | 11,192 | 11,205 |
Yearly CWD Testing Totals (1996-2005)
1996-2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|
| SPECIES | FARMED | WILD | FARMED | WILD | FARMED | WILD | FARMED | WILD | FARMED | WILD | FARMED | WILD | FARMED | WILD |
| Elk | 1,063 | 365 | 3,912 | 95 | 7,000 | 100 | 6,640 | 58 | 6,997 | 38 | 6,727 | 20 | 4,982 | 31 |
| White-Tailed Deer | 371 | 458 | 1,035 | 409 | 1,727 | 752 | 1,144 | 703 | 860 | 1,144 | 783 | 3,962 | 1,005 | 4,899 |
| Mule Deer | 36 | 981 | 10 | 546 | 38 | 379 | 72 | 541 | 59 | 1,093 | 39 | 33 |
| Other* | 14 | 8 | 32 | 9 | 46 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 45 | 1 | 77 | 1 | 77 | 1 |
Total | 1,484 | 1,812 | 4,989 | 1,059 | 8,811 | 1,231 | 7,904 | 1,302 | 7,961 | 2,276 | 7,626 | 3,983 | 6,097 | 4,931 |
Yearly Total | 3,296 | 6,048 | 10,042 | 9,206 | 10,237 | 11,609 | 11,028 |
*Antelope, reindeer, moose |
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