The spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), also known as the “zombie deer disease,” is causing concerns among scientists as it has been detected in multiple North American deer populations. Wyoming has reported the largest number of infected animals, with over 800 samples found in deer, elk, and moose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CWD was first discovered in captive deer in Colorado in the late 1960s and later in wild deer in 1981. Since then, it has spread to at least 31 states across the U.S., affecting all regions.
CWD is a prion disease, and prions are abnormal proteins that can cause neurological damage by making healthy brain proteins misfold. The disease results in symptoms such as drooling, lethargy, weight loss, stumbling, and vacant gazes. What makes CWD particularly challenging is that an infected animal may not show symptoms for over a year, and there are currently no cures or vaccines available. Researchers believe that CWD prions pass between animals through body fluids and can easily spread among deer and elk populations once established in an area.
While there are no confirmed cases of CWD in humans, the potential for it to spread is a cause for concern. Prion diseases have been known to spread between animals and humans in the past, as seen in the case of “mad cow disease.” In a study published by JNeurosci, CWD was found to infect human cells under laboratory conditions. The difficulty in detecting and diagnosing prion diseases in humans further complicates the situation, making it tough to intervene early and contain the diseases.
Beyond health concerns, the spread of CWD could have ecological and economic impacts. Deer hunting is not only a popular activity but also a vital source of food and income. Disrupting this balance could harm deer populations and food security. Additionally, CWD could affect ecosystems beyond deer, impacting plants, soil, and other wildlife that rely on deer for food or habitat.
Moreover, CWD has not only affected North American areas but has also been reported in Norway, Finland, Sweden, and South Korea. This raises concerns about the possibility of the disease spreading to other regions with weak animal surveillance systems.
In efforts to prevent the spread of CWD, the CDC has recommended guidelines for hunters when hunting in areas with CWD. These guidelines include avoiding the consumption of meat from animals that appear sick, using gloves when handling animals, and testing the deer or elk for CWD before consuming the meat. While further research and development of vaccines are underway, it is clear that addressing the spread of CWD is crucial to safeguarding not only the health of wildlife but also that of humans.