A distressing development is that scientists have warned about the possible transmission of so-called zombie deer disease to humans. In the US, chronic wasting disease (CWD), which attacks deer, elk and moose populations has skyrocketed with more than 800 samples proving positive just in Wyoming alone.
Another expert has described it as a “slow-moving disaster”: while governments should prepare for the eventuality of human infection, there is currently no reason to believe this will happen.
Britain’s mad cow disease outbreak offers a strong case in point, says Dr. Cory Anderson, another researcher on the issue of cattle scrapie (a type of Equine Wasting Disease) who advises all to prepare for the worst! In the UK, 4.4 million cattle were killed in their experience; and since cases of the human variant appeared in 1995, more than 178 humans have died from it. CWD-infected animals According to the Alliance for Public Wildlife, between 7,000 and 15let. However this is estimated to rise by another 2O % over the next few years.
These worries have deepened even further with the recent discovery of Zombie Deer Disease, CWD in Yellowstone National Park. A carcass of an infected mule deer was found, sparking concerns about how the disease would affect ecological diversity at Yellowstone. The park is home to hundreds of thousands of deer and elk alone. Eradication is difficult because of various ways the disease can be spread: saliva, urine, feces and infected objects.
Zombie Deer Disease, CWD is a prion disease, related to such diseases as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. But there has been no confirmed transmission to humans, although the possibility remains given that non-human primates have fallen ill. Because there’s no cure or vaccine for CWD, the risk of cross-species infection is cause for concern. The worry is that it might find itself on the same road leading to disaster as Britain’s bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
To reduce the risk that meat from hunted animals might be consumed by humans, experts suggest testing all such meats for CWD. But the scarcity of accessible testing continues to be an obstacle. CWD has already been found in three Canadian provinces and 32 US states, as well as South Korea and Norway. Yellowstone officials are ramping up cooperation with wildlife agencies to find high-risk areas and increase monitoring and testing for CWD.
Although predators such as bears, wolves and cougars could help control disease in cervid populations, the encouragement of hunters to target them prompts worries about containment. Despite this, as experts warn folks to handle the sick and dead with care (wash your hands after handling any animal) and insisting on thorough testing before eating anything that tests positive for CWD becomes potential fodder fit only for scaremongering at Yellowstone’s expense.
Raised vigilance The spike in “zombie deer disease cases”, or Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), can no longer be ignored. The recently discovered case found in Yellowstone National Park emphasizes the danger to both wildlife and man.
It is an environmental and public health problem in the making, demanding emergency countermeasures such as convenient testing; cooperation among wildlife agencies; and cautious hunting practices. This situation requires a pre-emptive, collective response in order to reduce the impacts of CWD and protect ecosystems and communities alike.
