Chronic Wasting Disease, a fatal nervous system disorder that affects members of the deer family, including deer, elk, moose, and caribou, has been confirmed in 45 of Saskatchewan's Wildlife Management Zones. That's a total of 34 cases this year in Saskatchewan.

Iga Stasiak is a Wildlife Health Specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. She says Chronic Wasting Disease is being reported in the southwest. She says, "We've had about a handful of cases in the Southwest corner of the province. An area that's highly affected is along the South Saskatchewan River Valley, in that Great Sandhills area and north of Swift Current.  We've had a very large number of cases have had the disease there for almost two decades."

She says hunters are encouraged to submit their animal heads for free testing.

Chronic Wasting Disease has not been detected in humans, however it is recommended that people do not consume meat from animals that are known to be infected.