Zombie Deer Disease Spreads Across North America, Raising Concerns of Human Transmission
A deadly condition known as “zombie deer disease” is spreading across North America, raising concerns about the potential transmission to humans. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), as it is officially known, has recently been detected in two deer in British Columbia, Canada, marking the first time the disease has been found in the province. This comes as counties in at least 31 U.S. states have already reported cases of CWD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, the disease was detected in 23 percent of samples collected during the 2022-2023 hunting season in Canada’s Alberta province and was found in Yellowstone National Park for the first time in November.
CWD is a prion disease caused by a misshapen protein that triggers abnormal protein formation in the body, leading to sickness and often death. Other prion diseases include mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. The disease was first identified in the 1960s in a captive deer at a Colorado research facility and later in wild deer in the early 1980s. Since then, it has spread across the continental U.S., Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, infecting deer and elk species. In some areas, infection rates have exceeded 10 percent of the wild deer and elk population, with localized rates reaching over 25 percent. The disease spreads between animals through body fluids like saliva, blood, urine, and feces, as well as contaminated food or soil. Prions can remain infectious for an extended period, even after an infected animal has died.
Symptoms of CWD can take up to a year to appear and may include weight loss, confusion, drooling, stumbling, and other neurological issues. The disease is fatal, and there is currently no cure. With CWD spreading so widely across North America, there are concerns about the potential for transmission to humans. Similar spillover events have occurred in the past, such as the outbreak of Mad Cow Disease in the United Kingdom in the mid-1990s, which infected thousands of people who consumed meat from infected cows. Cory Anderson, a CWD researcher, warns that a similar event could happen with CWD. While there is no definitive evidence of human infection yet, studies have shown that CWD can jump to other species, including squirrel monkeys, lab mice, and even macaque monkeys, which are genetically closer to humans.
To prevent the spread of the disease, wildlife officials are working to implement measures that will minimize transmission between deer and elk populations across North America. Health Canada and the World Health Organization recommend that people avoid consuming meat or other parts of an animal infected with CWD to reduce the potential risk of transmission or illness. British Columbia’s Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship has established a surveillance and response plan to mitigate the spread of CWD within the province.
While there have been no reported cases of CWD in humans so far, it is essential for scientists to continue researching the disease’s transmission and its potential effects on different species. As we learn more about CWD, it is crucial for individuals to stay informed and take necessary precautions to protect themselves and wildlife populations from this emerging threat.
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