What you need to know about the so-called "zombie" deer disease

This week, you may have heard that "zombie" deer disease is on the rise and is a threat to human health. The actual name of the disease is chronic debilitating disease (CDD) – and it is currently known that this only affects certain wildlife. But he seems to have attracted the attention of the media Recently, infectious disease researchers have expressed concern about the recent spread of CWD and its potential impact on humans.

The MDC is not new and was identified for the first time in the 1960s, according to the Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention (CDC). But, according to the CDC, the disease has become increasingly common in the Midwestern, Southwestern and parts of the east coast.

The disease was identified in at least 24 states in the United States in January, says the CDC. And that number could be higher, but not all states have strong animal monitoring systems, notes the organization. "Once the CWD is established in an area, the risk can remain in the environment for a long time," says the CDC. "The affected areas are likely to continue to grow."

Before starting to panic, the disease mainly affects wild animals such as deer, elk and moose. At this stage, there is no conclusive evidence that CWD could have an impact on humans. But as the disease remains unknown to date, some experts believe the issue deserves caution, especially for those who consume meat from these animals.

So, here is what we know about the disease and how you can protect yourself until more information is discovered about it.

MDC is a progressive and fatal disease that can cause strange behavior in animals.

It's a type of prion disease, which means that it's called proteins called prions. These proteins are often present normally on the surface of cells, Johns Hopkins Medicine explains. But if they become abnormal or agglomerated in the brain, prions can trigger other problematic alterations of proteins in the body, resulting in brain damage, Johns Hopkins Medicine explains. Why these prion proteins change in a harmful way is not yet understood. (You have probably heard of mad cow disease, or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, which is another type of prion disease.)

MDC specifically affects the brain, spinal cord and other tissues of deer, elk and farmed and roaming moose, CDC said. This can lead to brain damage, significant weight loss and behavioral changes, such as stumbling, lack of coordination, apathy, drooling, excessive thirst or excessive urination, droopy ears, lack of fear of people or aggression, according to the CDC . (Which probably explains why people sometimes call it "zombie deer disease"). But it can take up to a year for an animal to have symptoms, so it's not always easy to know when an animal has MDC.

Scientists are not quite sure how the MDC spreads, but they think it happens through contact with bodily fluids and contaminated tissue or contaminated water or food.

There is growing concern that the MDC may be pbaded on to humans.

As the CDC says, the CWD prion was shown in the search to infect squirrel monkeys, laboratory mice and macaque monkeys. the research involving macaque monkeys discovered that the monkeys had developed CWD after ingesting contaminated meat from deer and elk, and that some of the meat came from deer infected with CWD but not yet showing symptoms. . however, other research, published in April 2018 in the Virology Journal, could not show transmission to macaques.

Whether or not it can be pbaded on to the man is not clear yet. "We have not seen a case of MDC in humans, but that does not mean that there has not been," SELF Amesh A. Adalja, an expert in infectious diseases, told SELF. "This disease is difficult to diagnose." It also took a long time to prove that mad cow disease could pbad cows to humans, he notes, and the fear is that the same thing happens with the MDC.

"It's biologically possible for the MDC to infect people," says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine at SELF. "At this point, we can not say that it will never happen and we can not say that it will happen either. But there is a lot of concern that he will do it. "

Hunters and people who consume deer, elk and moose meat are theoretically the most exposed.

If the MDC is able to transmit itself to people, it would probably be by consuming infected meat, CDC said. And because MDC is a prion disease, says Dr. Adalja, properly cooking meat will not reduce the risk of being exposed to this disease as it would be for pathogens such as E. coli or salmonella .

There is also no known cure or vaccine for MDC, and treatment generally can only help slow down its progression, says the CDC. So hunters should follow the Current recommendations of the CDC to remain as safe as possible regarding the MDC. For example, the CDC suggests minimizing the time you spend manipulating the organs of the animal (especially the brain and spinal cord) and having the animal tested before eating it.

Although Mr. Adalja has stated that the MDC was "probably underestimated as a threat to human health" at the moment, there is still a ton of things we do not know about it – this 39 is exactly why some experts are concerned. "CWD worries everyone because there is no clear and complete answer," says Dr. Schaffner. While waiting for these answers, being extremely careful with these animals is a "very sensible" idea, he says.

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