Chronic wasting disease can be known as ” zombie deer disease,” or the affected deer may be referred to as “zombie deer” due to the neurological symptoms of the disease. These include weight loss, a lack of coordination, lack of concentration and the tendency to drool.
The most affected species are the free-ranging deer, elk, and moose, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Although there have been no human infections, scientists have cautioned that this disease was the result of a “slow speeding disaster” for humans.
Reports of chronic wasting throughout the U.S. and abroad
Chronic wasting has been observed in the animal population of more than 31, U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC).
This month Kentucky discovered a case CWD as officials of Kentucky’s state Department of Fish and Wildlife have announced CWD had been discovered in a white-tailed deer that was harvested by hunters in November.
CWD is also found within 3 Canadian provinces.
In the rest from North America, chronic wasting disease has been identified among moose and reindeer within Norway, Finland and Sweden A few cases imported from Europe have been discovered from South Korea.
How can the disease be spread?
The illness can be incubated for more than a year. symptoms of the disease could be slow to develop.
Scientists believe that the disease can be spread through contact with polluted tissues and fluids in the body as well as through the environment, which includes food and drink The CDC declares.
CWD was first recognized in Colorado in the year 1967 in the report of U.S. Geological Survey, and since then has been reported to many states as well as to other countries across the globe. There have been no reports of infections on humans, but studies suggest that the disease can be more transmitted to humans through animals than previously believed.
Does the zombie deer disease be passed on to humans?
While there are no human cases of infection However, some scientists are ringing alarms that government officials prepare for the possibility for CWD to develop.
Doctor. Cory Anderson, a program director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), explained to The Guardian, “The mad cow disease outbreak in Britain provided an example of how, overnight, things can get crazy when a spillover event happens from, say, livestock to people.”
Anderson stated that it’s crucial for people to prepare in the event the disease spreads to people. “We’re talking about the potential of something similar occurring. No one is saying that it’s definitely going to happen, but it’s important for people to be prepared,” Anderson said.
