Recent research highlights a growing concern regarding chronic wasting disease (CWD), commonly referred to as “zombie deer” disease, particularly regarding its potential to affect humans.
A comprehensive report from the University of Minnesota has identified significant gaps in the preparation and response strategies in the event that CWD begins to spread from deer to other species, including humans.
CWD is caused by infectious proteins known as prions, which lead to abnormal protein folding within the body, particularly affecting the central nervous system.
This abnormal folding results in the aggregation of proteins in the brain, leading to severe brain damage. Prion diseases, such as mad cow disease, have no known cure and are invariably fatal.
In deer, CWD can remain asymptomatic for up to two years, making early detection challenging.
As the disease progresses, affected deer exhibit symptoms such as severe weight loss, impaired coordination, and a diminished instinct to evade human presence and dangers like traffic.
These behavioral changes contribute to the disease’s haunting moniker, “zombie deer disease.”
According to MSN, In deer, the illness can exist for up to two years before symptoms are visible.
In the later stages of the illnesses, deer become emaciated and uncoordinated and lose the sense of fear that keeps them away from humans and hazards like cars, thus earning the nickname of zombie deer disease.
Symptoms of prion disease in humans include dementia, difficulty walking, hallucinations, confusion and fatigue.
One challenge facing scientists is that prion diseases are rare and physicians could attribute illness to other neurodegenerative diseases in a human rather than considering CWD.
