Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): The Start of a Zombie Apocalypse???

CWD currently only affects members of the deer family & spreads rapidly to other animal species. Here's everything you need to know about this animal illness.

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Number 8 What Is It?
It mainly affects cervids, members of the deer family, including moose, caribou, elk, white-tailed deer and mule deer. So far, there isn’t any evidence of transmission from cervids to humans. Yet, recent scientific research seems to indicate that might change at some point in the future.
Number 7 Discovery
CWD was first identified in northeastern Colorado, in 1967, in a herd of captive mule deer. It wasn’t until the early 80s that CWD was discovered in wild elk and mule deer, both in Colorado and Wyoming. At the time, an endemic zone for it was established in those states. From that point on CWD steadily spread throughout wild and captive populations.
Number 6 Where Is It Located?
As of 2019, the Centers for Control and Prevention have reported cases of CWD in 251 counties and 24 states in the US. There have also been reports from Alberta and Saskatchewan, in Canada. So far, the only European country where CWD has been detected is Norway. The origin of contamination in the Scandinavian country is unknown.
Number 5 Factors
The main factor behind its onset is believed to be a prion, which is a misfolded form of a normal protein, called the prion protein. Proteins are like building blocks in the body and they provide a large number of important biological functions. They’re, in turn, composed of many smaller building blocks called amino acids, which fold onto each other into 3D structures. The normal prion protein, called PrPC, is commonly found in the brain and spinal cord. Its’ not known what causes them to misfold, but the resulting form is much more resistant to unfolding and breaking down and it can convert other normally folded prion protein. Examined under a microscope, the cerebral cortex shows many holes, which make it resemble a sponge, hence the name spongiform. Another theory is that CWD isn’t caused by prions but by a bacterium called Spiroplasma.
Number 4 Symptoms
Even though it can be somewhat determined in a laboratory setting, there’s currently no commercially feasible diagnostic test to be used on animals. However, there are certain ethical and scalability issues that would argue against this method. Deer stricken by it exhibit dramatic weight loss, stumbling, lack of coordination and walking in set patterns. Drooling, teeth grinding, tremors and lowering of the head have also been observed.
Number 3 How?
However, that doesn’t mean that CWD prions can’t jump the species barrier, at some point. The most worrying aspect is that it has been transmitted to macaques, monkeys that are genetically closer to humans than any other animal. According to Mark Zabel, associate director at the Prion Research Center at Colorado State University, the prions that cause CWD are flexible and able to adopt many shapes with relative ease.
Number 2 Transmission
Another frightening aspect about CWD is the multiple ways in which it can be transmitted. The prions cling tightly to soil particles and remain in the environment for a long time.
Number 1 How does it affect you?
A negative result doesn’t guarantee an individual animal isn’t infected, but it does reduce the chances. Information about testing is available in many states and people should check if it is recommended or required in their area. If the test is positive for CWD, the overall consensus is don’t eat the meat.

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