Grim ‘zombie’ disease ‘could spread to humans’ after surge in deer ‘drooling excessively’ with ‘blank stares’
SCIENTISTS say we must be prepared in case a ‘zombie deer disease’ spreads to humans.
The deadly condition — known medically as chronic wasting disease — causes the animals to drool excessively, become stick thin, start stumbling and stare blankly.
Some experts fear the illness could spill over to people in a similar way to mad cow disease back in the 1980s.
Dr Michael, of the University of Minnesota, told Fortune: “There’s no evidence yet that we’ve seen crossover into humans, but what if it were to happen?
“There’s enough concern that it could happen that we have to be prepared.”
CWD is an infectious disease that affects deer, elk, moose, caribou and reindeer, and is becoming more common.
It has been detected in 32 US states, three Canadian provinces, South Korea, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Alarms were sounded in December after hundreds of deer in Yellowstone National Park were found to have been infected with the highly contagious illness.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department tested meat from 6,701 deer, elk and moose in 2022, detecting the disease in about 800 samples.
It is caused by prions — a type of protein — that cause changes in animals brains and nervous systems.
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Research, published in Acta Neuropathologica, found “CWD might infect humans, although the transmission barrier is likely higher compared to zoonotic transmission of cattle prions”.
The study found that while mice could become infected with the disease, it did not cause the same symptoms as in deer, which include poor coordination, appearing listless and tremors.
It may take over a year for an infected deer to develop symptoms and they can die before they start drooling or get the telltale “blank stare”.
There is currently no effective treatment or vaccine for the disease.
Preparations are underway
Dr Osterholm is now working with other organisations to prepare for a possible spillover into humans or farm animals we eat.
Their international think tank includes 67 experts from seven countries.
They include representatives from federal agencies like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Experts are looking at animal surveillance, diagnostics, lab capacity, and planning and response for the disease.
Dr Osterholm said: “If we find 25 years from now that all this work we did was unnecessary, that would be the greatest victory of all.”
What are the symptoms of chronic wasting disease in deer?
Symptoms include:
- drastic weight loss (wasting)
- stumbling
- lack of coordination
- listlessness
- drooling
- excessive thirst or urination
- drooping ears
- lack of fear of people
Source: The CDC