In a shocking turn of events, two hunters who consumed infected deer meat have developed neurological diseases, sparking concerns among scientists that ‘zombie deer disease’ could potentially pass to humans, similar to how mad cow disease spread in the past.
The hunters, who ate meat from deer known to have chronic wasting disease (CWD) or “zombie deer disease,” developed similar neurological conditions and tragically passed away. This has raised alarm bells within the scientific community about the potential transmission of the disease from animals to humans.
Chronic wasting disease was first discovered in deer in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming in the 1990s and has since spread to at least 32 states across the U.S. The disease earned the nickname “zombie deer” due to its symptoms, which include weight loss, lack of coordination, stumbling, drooling, and a lack of fear of humans.
Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio reported on the troubling case involving the two hunters who died after consuming infected deer meat. The men developed sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a neurological condition similar to CWD, leading to their untimely deaths.
While there has been no confirmed case of deer-to-human transmission of ‘zombie deer disease,’ the recent incidents have raised concerns about the potential risks associated with consuming infected deer meat. Scientists are urging further investigation into the matter to understand the implications for public health.
As chronic wasting disease continues to spread to more states, the need for vigilance and caution when consuming deer meat has never been more critical. The potential consequences of a human outbreak of ‘zombie deer disease’ could be catastrophic, similar to the crisis caused by mad cow disease in the past.
