‘Zombie’ plague killing deer in US

NEVER mind mad cows – hunters in the US have now been warned to beware of ‘zombie deer’.

A devastating disease, called Chronic Wasting, is infecting free-range deer, elk and moose in 24 US states and two Canadian provinces. Experts worry it could spread to humans through infected venison.

It is similar to Mad Cow Disease, which devastated British farming in the 1980s and 1990s. Symptoms include lack of coordination, weight loss, listlessness, drooling and aggression.

The disease is always fatal and spreads through contaminated bodily fluids, tissue, drinking water and food. It affects an animal’s brain and spinal cord.

Michael Osterholm, of the Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said: ‘It’s possible the number of human cases will be substantial.’