Zombie Deer Disease

Scientists in Canada are monitoring the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), often referred to as “zombie deer disease,” which affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer, and moose, amid fears of potential transmission to humans.

About Zombie Deer Disease:

• Also known as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and slow-moving disaster, it is a prion disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose.
  • Prion diseases occur when normal prion protein, found on the surface of many cells, becomes abnormal and clumps in the brain, causing brain damage.
  • Prions contain no genetic material, thus, CWD is nearly indestructible.
• It is a contagious disease, found in some areas of North America, including Canada and the United States, Norway and South Korea.
• Symptoms:
  • Drastic weight loss (wasting), 
  • Stumbling, 
  • Listlessness and
  • Other neurologic symptoms.
• It can affect animals of all ages and some infected animals may die without ever developing the disease.
• CWD proteins (prions) are believed to spread between animals through body fluids like faeces, saliva, blood, or urine, either through direct contact or indirectly.
• It is fatal to animals and there are no treatments or vaccines.
• No human case of CWD has ever been recorded.

Ref: Source