New ‘zombie deer disease’ sparks fears of possible spread to humans

Scientists have warned a “zombie deer disease” could spread to humans after hundreds of animals were infected with the illness in the US. The discovery of Yellowstone National Park’s first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) last month has raised concerns that the fatal brain disease may someday spread to humans, according to some scientists. A deer carcass in the Wyoming area of the park tested positive for the highly contagious prion disease that can also cause weight loss, stumbling, listlessness and neurological symptoms, according to the CDC. It has been spotted in deer, elk, reindeer and moose in areas of North America, Canada, Norway and South Korea.

Symptoms can take up to a year to develop and some have dubbed it the “zombie deer disease” since it changes in the hosts’ brains and nervous systems, leaving animals drooling, lethargic, emaciated, stumbling and with a telltale “blank stare,” according to the Guardian.  It is fatal, with no known treatments or vaccines.Some of the common symptoms of prion diseases are rapidly developing dementia, hallucinations, difficulty walking and speaking, confusion, fatigue, and muscle stiffness. Although there is yet to be a spillover case, epidemiologists are saying it does not mean that the zombie deer disease cannot spread. Chronic Waste Disease is a clump of fatal neurological disorders including Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). It is also commonly known as ‘mad cow disease’. Chronic wasting disease is a cluster of potentially life-threatening neurological disorders, said Dr. Corey Anderson. He also said that scientists are discussing the possibility of a similar event. There is no known effective way to eradicate zombie deer disease, he said, adding that it cannot be eliminated from infected animals or from environments contaminated by them. Many fear that if the zombie deer disease spreads to humans, it could cause another pandemic like Covid-19. However some believe that the disease poses no danger to humans.