‘ZOMBIE’ DEER DISEASE HAS POTENTIAL TO INFECT HUMANS

A highly contagious disease has been found in Alberta and 24 U.S. states — particularly hitting deer and elk — and could spread to humans. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) makes deer drastically lose weight, struggle to walk, more aggressive and less afraid of humans. As with mad cow disease, CWD is spread by pathogenic proteins called prions and cause symptoms that resemble dementia and ultimately lead to death. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has raised concerns the “zombie” disease may also pose a risk to humans, likely through eating contaminated meat. CWD, which can incubate for more than a year, is virtually impossible to contain because it is neither viral nor bacterial and can remain in the environment for years.