Chronic wasting disease (CWD) infections are reported in the U.S., which creates new fears among wildlife experts and the public. The first case was reported near Yellowstone Lake in the southeastern part of Yellowstone National Park. The infection was in an adult mule deer buck corpse found near Yellowstone Lake. The deer wore a GPS collar, and as it is a part of the population study in Cody, Wyoming, it helped the authorities quickly identify its death in mid-October 2023. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), along with Yellowstone staff, tracked down the carcasses, performed examinations, and confirmed the infection with zombie deer disease.

The infections were also found in two wild deer in Oklahoma, one in Texas, and one in Woodward. Oklahoma has a 7,50,000 wild, free-roaming deer population.

Chronic wasting disease, a neurological disease also called zombie deer disease, is a prion illness (misshapen or folden proteins that cause other proteins to fold in the same way, leading to cellular death) that infects deer, elk, reindeer, and moose.  The prion accumulates in the brain and other tissues, causing behavioral and physical changes that finally lead to death. The infection spreads through direct animal-to-animal contact or contact with the infectious particles present in the environment, such as soil, vegetation, and excreta. The symptoms include weight loss, excessive drooling, listlessness, increased drinking and urination, lowering of the head, and loss of coordination. The main challenge is that the symptoms in the deer may show up after one year; during that period, it can spread the infection to other animals, which makes it unable to identify the infection early, and it is a fatal prion disease.

Initially, in the late 1960s, CWD was identified in a captive deer in a Colorado research facility. In 1981, it was also seen in the wild deer population. And then it spread to 31 states in the United States. The infection is also reported in South Korea, Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

There is no vaccine or cure available for the treatment of the disease; strict prevention measures are imperative. Hunters are advised to take precautionary measures. Also, there are no reported cases of CWD in humans. The research implies that the infection poses a threat to nonhuman primates, such as monkeys. The World Health Organization stresses the importance of preventing agents of prion diseases like CWD from entering the food chain of humans. The CDC also instructs people to avoid contact with sick animals and wear latex gloves and protective gear while dealing with them. Research is underway to discern the risk of infection in humans.

Reference:

Input from various media sources.

https://www.cdc.gov/prions/cwd/index.html

(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina)