The chronic debilitating disease that is spreading in the United States could infect humans

Chronic debilitating disease, called "zombie deer disease," is a disease that infects the brain, spine and tissues of deer, elk and moose.

According to the CDC, the disease begins by infecting prion proteins in the brain and is transmitted through contact with body fluids and contaminated tissues.

Affected animals exhibit symptoms such as emaciation related to forgetfulness of eating, excessive drooling and stumbling.

There is no treatment or vaccine against MDC and the disease is fatal.

As of January 2019, CWD cases of deer, elk and / or moose at large have been reported in at least 24 states of the continental United States, including three counties in North Dakota (Grant, Divide, Sioux), as well as two provinces. in Canada.

In addition, MDC cases have been reported in reindeer and moose in Norway and Finland, and a small number of imported cases have been reported in South Korea.

The CDC has sounded the alarm about the potential for CWD infection by humans, particularly since July 2017, when a study found that monkeys eating infected deer meat had contracted the disease.

NBC News reported that many experts were concerned that the disease could be transmitted to humans through the consumption of deer meat. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Policy Research at the University of Minnesota, told state lawmakers last week that he feared that this will happen soon .

"It is likely that human cases of chronic debilitating disease badociated with the consumption of contaminated meat will be documented in the coming years," he told the Minnesota legislature last week. "It is possible that the number of human cases is substantial and not an isolated event."

There is no known case of CWD in a person.

However, the CDC has warned the public to test venison or elk meat for CWD before eating it in areas with documented infections.