Scientists Research Potential Human Transmission of Zombie Deer Disease Following Surge of Cases

Scientists are trying to determine whether or not the so-called "Zombie Deer Disease," also known as chronic wasting disease (CWD), can be transmitted to humans.

The development comes following a surge of cases in the wild, and science experts disagree on the possibility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the disease is a prion disease.

Zombie Deer Disease Spread

(Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Scientists are researching the possibility of human transmission of the so-called "zombie deer disease" amid a surge in cases in the wild.

It is a neurodegenerative condition that affects animals, including deer, and fortunately, no cases have yet to be reported among humans. However, it has most recently been confirmed in deer and moose in Canada, following cases reported from Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

Experts have raised concern about the potential human transmission of the disease as cases increase across North America, Scandinavia, and South Korea. They are basing their worries on experimental studies, the history of prion diseases transmitted from animals to humans, which is extremely rare, and the potential impacts of climate change, as per BBC.

Jennifer Mullinax, an associate professor of wildlife ecology and management at the University of Maryland, said that there has been no reported transmission from deer or elk to humans. However, she noted that given the nature of prions, many health agencies have supported all efforts to keep the disease out of the food chain.

The disease is transmitted in cervids, which are hoofed ruminant mammals, including deer, reindeer, elk, and moose. While it is considered an infectious disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said that a bacterium or a virus does not cause it.

Instead, a misfolded prion protein is the cause of the issue, but researchers do not yet know what exactly causes the protein to become abnormal in the first place. Normal prion proteins potentially play a role in cell signaling, but when misfolded, they cause other proteins to misfold.

Possibility of Human Transmission

The CDC said that the disease was first found in captive deer in Colorado in the late 1960s and wild deer in 1981. Since that time, the disease has spread to at least 31 states across the country and has affected all regions, according to Yahoo Life.

Even the states that do not have robust animal surveillance systems may have disease cases that have not yet been detected. Once established, CWD can persist in the environment for a long time, and the affected areas are expected to grow even further.

It could take up to a year before infected animals show signs of having the disease, and creatures of any age are vulnerable, and some die without showing any signs or symptoms. The CDC also noted that CWD is fatal for animals, and there is currently no cure or vaccine available for it.

Researchers believe that the disease's prions pass between animals through body fluids such as poop, saliva, blood, or urine. Deseret News says this transmission can happen when animals touch each other directly or come into contact with contaminated soil, food, or water.