The United States has seen its first two fatal cases of human infection with what is colloquially called “zombie deer disease.” Two hunters shot a sick deer in the woods, ate its meat and tragically succumbed to fatal brain damage.
The disease, officially known as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), got its creepy name because of its symptoms, which mirror those of a zombie-like condition. Infected animals exhibit lethargy, difficulty walking, drooling, lowered head posture, and a lack of fear toward humans.
Degeneration in sick animals is slow, often spanning a year from initial infection to death, but the outcome is always fatal. Similar to mad cow disease and sheep scrapie disease, CWD is caused by prions that target the brain.
The disease was first discovered in the United States in 1967, but has since spread to other countries, with the number of infected animals increasing alarmingly.
Until recently, CWD was believed to pose no threat to humans. One of the deceased hunters, 72 years old, experienced a remarkably rapid decline within a month of consuming contaminated venison.
He exhibited confusion, aggression and seizures, and was eventually diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy similar to mad cow disease but found in humans.
Although the causal link remains unproven, the cases underscore the need for further research into the potential risks of consuming CWD-infected deer and its impact on public health. A team of doctors from Texas, where the cases occurred, emphasized this need.
In addition, a friend of the deceased fighter also died from similar symptoms, although details on this case remain scarce.
The transmission of the disease is not limited to meat consumption; contact with saliva, blood, urine or even fragments of antler meat released during molting can also lead to infection.
Prion diseases remain largely unsolved and incurable. Prions, abnormal proteins, spread quickly through the nervous system, causing irreversible damage and transforming the brain into a spongy texture.
