Quebec farm under quarantine after animal with chronic wasting disease discovered in Laurentians

A Quebec farmhas been placed under quarantine after an animal that was raised there was diagnosed withchronic wasting disease, a degenerative disease that affects deer, elk and other cervid mammals.

This is the first time the disease has been documented in the province.

Quebec's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Fooddiscovered the infected animalin the Laurentians region, north of Montreal, during an inspection of a slaughterhouse.

The animal was put down, and its meat didn't go into the slaughterhouse's food processing line, the ministry said in a statement released on Friday.

Quebec's Ministry of Forests, Fauna and Parks has called on huntersto be vigilant and help contain the spread of the disease.

The ministry said it's also checking the condition of wild animals that may have come into contact with the domesticated animals on the farm in question.

Chronic wasting disease has been discovered in mule deer, white-tailed deerand elk both in the wild and at farms in 13 U.S. states, as well asin Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The disease, which has no known cure in animals,affects their nervous systems. It can be transmitted between animals through their salivaor through contact with their urine and feces.

There is no evidence to suggest the disease can betransmitted to humans, the CFIAsays.

Quebec officialsare working with theCFIAto determine the source of the disease. They say additional measures have been taken to ensure it'scontained.