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Could a chronic debilitating disease make the leap from deer to humans? This is a question that many people ask themselves after a few stories have circulated in recent weeks about MDC or what is also known as Zombie Deer Disease.
Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Policy Research at the University of Minnesota, was quoted in USA Today, claiming that it was likely that human cases of CWD associated with the consumption of meat could be documented in the coming years.
With so many hunters in Montana and deer meat consumers, Q2 told Bob Gibson of Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Friday about the spread of CWD and its concern.
"It has been geographically very slowly geographically, but it has happened and now we just have to deal with it," says Gibson.
Chronic wasting disease has existed for decades but was first detected in the wild in Montana about two years ago in a deer harvested in Carbon County near Bridger. Since then, he has appeared in a few other places in the state.
MDC is transmitted from animal to animal contact. Symptoms include weight loss, laxity, strange behavior and possibly death. Once this becomes evident, the animal is about to die. According to Gibson, the deer that was detected here in Montana had not yet reached this stage.
With regard to fears that the MDC may make the jump from animal to human, no such case has been reported. In fact, says Gibson, he has not even been moved to other animals.
"Antelopes, sheep, goats and even laboratory mice have not been able to capture this bad prion, and it has never been transmitted to humans either, but The WHO and the CDC recommend that if you have a deer that has a positive test for the MDC do not eat because you do not want to be first, "says Gibson.
Gibson says that if you are concerned about the meat you are harvesting, you can find details on how to test it on the Fisheries Framework website.
Gibson says that if you hunt in Carbon County, hunting regulations will be more liberal in 2019. This is a way for them to try to keep the deer population under control and to allow the spread of CWD.
"We know that the most common way of spreading CWD is from animal to animal. Therefore, if we can have fewer animals in an area – lighten them – it is less likely to spread and less degrade, "says Gibson.
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