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Experts are as in the dark as any of us when it comes to answering the question: Can zombie deer diseases be transmitted to humans? Although they are still climbing this hill, the rising number of cases in the US is taking its toll on the fear factor.
In their attempt to find a way out, scientists are conducting experimental studies and connecting the dots with mad cow disease. In the latter case, it has already been confirmed that prions can be transmitted from cattle to humans.
In his interview with bbcJennifer Mullinax, associate professor of wildlife ecology and management at the University of Maryland, said, “So far, there has been no transmission from deer or elk to humans.” If animal-to-human transmission becomes a reality, all those wild, dystopian fictional scenarios could easily transform into our new nightmarish reality.
“However, given the nature of [the misfolded proteins]”The CDC and other agencies have supported all efforts to keep any prion diseases out of the food chain,” the professor added.
Also read: Bubonic plague in the US: symptoms and preventive tips, everything you want to know
About zombie deer disease
The recent outbreak of zombie disease is a prion disease, also known as chronic wasting disease (CWD). While scientists are still pondering their impact on humans, other prion diseases have had a history of being harmful to both animals and humans.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that deer, moose, reindeer, sika deer and moose are the affected parties of CWD, all of which have been discovered so far in Canada , the United States, Norway and South Korea.
Regarding transmission, CWD prions are transmitted through feces, saliva, blood and urine. Although CWD is a contagious degenerative disease, the US Department of Agriculture Zoosanitary and plant inspection The service does not list bacteria or viruses as its cause. Instead, a natural protein emerges as a lethal factor and becomes infectious when it folds incorrectly.
Once again, the cause of this error is shrouded in mystery. However, they confirmed that once a normal prion protein adopts this deadly form, it also converts other common proteins to their misfolded form. As the degeneration continues, the affected animal’s brain cells die, eventually leading to its death.
What are the chances of zombie deer disease being transmitted to humans?
In 2023, surveillance results from the province of Alberta, Canada, showed that the mule deer positivity rate had increased to 23%.
In line with the lack of current evidence suggesting that CWD can be transmitted to humans, Mullinax said: “The current body of research is heterogeneous, which means we don’t know yet.”
The director of policy and research at the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Diseases, Michael Osterholm, also added his version of the research to the ongoing debate. Although researchers are still evaluating the possible exposure of humans who come into contact with contaminated soil or water, they have noted that mad cow disease and chronic wasting disease prions are structurally different.