FOLLOW US

In the serene expanses of the American wilderness, a hidden menace may be lurking among the deer, elk, and moose populations.  Chronic wasting disease (CWD), more commonly known as the "zombie deer disease” is a type of prion disease with bizarre symptoms.

Zombie Deer Disease

Wildlife that develops CWD experience a haunting transformation. Its unwitting hosts suffer dramatic weight loss, cognitive decline, memory loss and balance issues. The animals literally transform into zombies similar to horror movies featuring the “undead.”

First surfacing in the 1990s in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, chronic wasting disease has since been identified in free-range wildlife in at least 32 states according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The CDC describes prion disease as a progressive, always fatal, neurodegenerative disorder. It occurs when the prion proteins are malformed creating a rapid progression of the symptoms.

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CWD in humans?

To date there has been no known confirmed case of deer-to-human transmission of the zombie deer disease. But concerns are on the rise since officials found CWD in a dead deer in Yellowstone National Park in November.

Mad cow disease, a variant CWD, ravaged Great Britain in the 1990s. And humans were infected. Prion diseases have had devastating consequences for both animal and human populations alike.

The cautionary tale of mad cow disease serves as a stark reminder of the potential of unchecked zoonotic transmission.

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio studied the case of two hunters who both died from neurological afflictions akin to CWD. 

The researchers reported the 2022 cases of a “72-year-old man with a history of consuming meat from a CWD-infected deer population presented with rapid-onset confusion and aggression.”  His friend, 77, also ate venison from the same deer population, and died of the same symptoms. 

These tragic cases underscore a troubling prospect: the potential for a novel transmission route from animals to humans, echoing the past deadly zoonotic outbreaks.

Prion diseases constitute an insidious class of disorders with devastating consequences for both animal and human populations alike.

Containment issues

Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, underscores the urgency of preemptive action.

As chronic wasting disease in the animal population continues its spread across the continental US the need for proactive containment measures grows. As the specter of zombie deer disease casts its shadow research institutions and government agencies alike are paying attention.

In a bid to safeguard public health and mitigate the looming threat posed by the insidious disease, stakeholders are marshaling resources and expertise to prevent an epidemic before it starts.