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See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 31 Fotos
Introducing zombie deer disease
- Chronic wasting disease (CWD), otherwise known as zombie deer disease, is a type of prion disease that affects hoofed ruminant mammals, such as deer, elk, and moose.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
The cause
- It's an infectious disease, although it is not caused by a bacterium or virus. Instead, it's caused by a misfolded prion protein.
© Shutterstock
2 / 31 Fotos
The effect
- Scientists do not yet know what causes the abnormal protein, but they do know that the misfolded prion proteins kill off brain cells and cause significant bodily dysfunction.
© Shutterstock
3 / 31 Fotos
Symptoms
- Symptoms of CWD include weight loss, increased drinking and urination, poor balance and coordination, as well as drooping ears and difficulty swallowing.
© Shutterstock
4 / 31 Fotos
Fatal affliction
- The difficulty swallowing can cause drooling (hence the name zombie deer disease) and ultimately results in pneumonia and death.
© Shutterstock
5 / 31 Fotos
How it spreads
- CWD passes between animals through direct contact with bodily fluids and waste, as well as through indirect contact with contaminated soil, food, and waste.
© Shutterstock
6 / 31 Fotos
Human transmission
- Current evidence does not suggest that the disease can be passed to humans in either of these ways. Indeed, there is no evidence of human transmission to date.
© Shutterstock
7 / 31 Fotos
Cannot be ruled out
- However, scientists are concerned that the possibility of this disease passing from animals to humans cannot yet be ruled out.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
Reason for concern
- The main reason for concern is that there are other types of prion disease that have been passed from animals to humans in the recent past.
© Shutterstock
9 / 31 Fotos
Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
- The best example of a previous animal-to-human transmission is variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (or vCJD).
© Shutterstock
10 / 31 Fotos
Mad cow disease
- Researchers have confirmed that vCJD is caused by the same infectious agent as that which leads to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.
© Shutterstock
11 / 31 Fotos
Infected beef
- The BSE prion is passed from cows to humans when the latter consumes infected beef. To date, there have been around 230 cases of vCJD reported worldwide.
© Shutterstock
12 / 31 Fotos
Not jumping to conclusions
- However, scientists, such as Michael Osterholm at the University of Minnesota, are hesitant to make like-for-like comparisons between BSE and CWD.
© Shutterstock
13 / 31 Fotos
Mad cow vs. zombie deer
- According to Osterholm, there are structural differences between the BSE and CWD prions, and we “cannot know whether the pathology and clinical presentation would be comparable if transmission were to occur.”
© Shutterstock
14 / 31 Fotos
Experimental research
- The possibility of animal-to-human transmission of CWD is an area of active research. Let's now have a look at the results of the experimental studies thus far.
© Shutterstock
15 / 31 Fotos
2018 study
- In 2018, the National Institutes of Health conducted a study on macaques, which share around 93% of their genome with humans.
© Shutterstock
16 / 31 Fotos
Macaques
- The researchers exposed the macaques to CWD-infected brain matter and then monitored them for decades, screening their tissue using various tests.
© Shutterstock
17 / 31 Fotos
No evidence of transmission
- The researchers found no evidence of CWD transmission from the infected deer and elk tissue to the macaques.
© Shutterstock
18 / 31 Fotos
Caveat
- This is only one study, however, and according to one BBC article, there is other experimental research, some unpublished, which has found evidence to the contrary.
© Shutterstock
19 / 31 Fotos
2022 study
- In 2022, researchers at the University of Calgary conducted another experimental study, this time on "humanized mice."
© Shutterstock
20 / 31 Fotos
Mice
- Humanized mice are mice that have been genetically modified for the purpose of investigating human diseases.
© Shutterstock
21 / 31 Fotos
Evidence of transmission
- The researchers injected the mice with CWD isolates taken from infected deer, and they observed that over 2.5 years the mice did develop CWD.
© Shutterstock
22 / 31 Fotos
Atypical prion signature
- The researchers noted that the mice developed an atypical prion signature, which they took to suggest that if transmission to humans were possible, it may manifest with atypical symptoms, which would make it hard to diagnose.
© Shutterstock
23 / 31 Fotos
Infected fecal matter
- The researchers also observed that the mice shed infectious prion proteins in their waste. This suggests that in humans, one infected person could spread the disease to another via infected fecal matter.
© Shutterstock
24 / 31 Fotos
In summary
- These studies do raise concerns, but they are by no means definitive. We do not have enough evidence yet to say whether a human transmission of CWD is possible.
© Shutterstock
25 / 31 Fotos
Looking ahead
- Looking ahead, several expert groups are nonetheless taking steps to learn more about the disease and make plans for how to react should the worst happen.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
Contingency plan
- The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) has assembled a group to form a contingency plan if CWD does pass over to humans.
© Shutterstock
27 / 31 Fotos
Continuing research
- Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have been analyzing the gut microbiota of both CWD-infected and non-infected deer, in order to learn more about the disease.
© Shutterstock
28 / 31 Fotos
Jury is out
- As emphasized, we cannot yet say whether people should be worried about the human transmission of zombie deer disease.
© Shutterstock
29 / 31 Fotos
Awaiting conclusions
- This is an area of active research that will hopefully produce findings that let us know, one way or the other. Sources: (BBC) (The Guardian) (CDC) See also: What is this killer respiratory disease nobody has heard of?
© Shutterstock
30 / 31 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 31 Fotos
Introducing zombie deer disease
- Chronic wasting disease (CWD), otherwise known as zombie deer disease, is a type of prion disease that affects hoofed ruminant mammals, such as deer, elk, and moose.
© Getty Images
1 / 31 Fotos
The cause
- It's an infectious disease, although it is not caused by a bacterium or virus. Instead, it's caused by a misfolded prion protein.
© Shutterstock
2 / 31 Fotos
The effect
- Scientists do not yet know what causes the abnormal protein, but they do know that the misfolded prion proteins kill off brain cells and cause significant bodily dysfunction.
© Shutterstock
3 / 31 Fotos
Symptoms
- Symptoms of CWD include weight loss, increased drinking and urination, poor balance and coordination, as well as drooping ears and difficulty swallowing.
© Shutterstock
4 / 31 Fotos
Fatal affliction
- The difficulty swallowing can cause drooling (hence the name zombie deer disease) and ultimately results in pneumonia and death.
© Shutterstock
5 / 31 Fotos
How it spreads
- CWD passes between animals through direct contact with bodily fluids and waste, as well as through indirect contact with contaminated soil, food, and waste.
© Shutterstock
6 / 31 Fotos
Human transmission
- Current evidence does not suggest that the disease can be passed to humans in either of these ways. Indeed, there is no evidence of human transmission to date.
© Shutterstock
7 / 31 Fotos
Cannot be ruled out
- However, scientists are concerned that the possibility of this disease passing from animals to humans cannot yet be ruled out.
© Getty Images
8 / 31 Fotos
Reason for concern
- The main reason for concern is that there are other types of prion disease that have been passed from animals to humans in the recent past.
© Shutterstock
9 / 31 Fotos
Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
- The best example of a previous animal-to-human transmission is variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (or vCJD).
© Shutterstock
10 / 31 Fotos
Mad cow disease
- Researchers have confirmed that vCJD is caused by the same infectious agent as that which leads to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.
© Shutterstock
11 / 31 Fotos
Infected beef
- The BSE prion is passed from cows to humans when the latter consumes infected beef. To date, there have been around 230 cases of vCJD reported worldwide.
© Shutterstock
12 / 31 Fotos
Not jumping to conclusions
- However, scientists, such as Michael Osterholm at the University of Minnesota, are hesitant to make like-for-like comparisons between BSE and CWD.
© Shutterstock
13 / 31 Fotos
Mad cow vs. zombie deer
- According to Osterholm, there are structural differences between the BSE and CWD prions, and we “cannot know whether the pathology and clinical presentation would be comparable if transmission were to occur.”
© Shutterstock
14 / 31 Fotos
Experimental research
- The possibility of animal-to-human transmission of CWD is an area of active research. Let's now have a look at the results of the experimental studies thus far.
© Shutterstock
15 / 31 Fotos
2018 study
- In 2018, the National Institutes of Health conducted a study on macaques, which share around 93% of their genome with humans.
© Shutterstock
16 / 31 Fotos
Macaques
- The researchers exposed the macaques to CWD-infected brain matter and then monitored them for decades, screening their tissue using various tests.
© Shutterstock
17 / 31 Fotos
No evidence of transmission
- The researchers found no evidence of CWD transmission from the infected deer and elk tissue to the macaques.
© Shutterstock
18 / 31 Fotos
Caveat
- This is only one study, however, and according to one BBC article, there is other experimental research, some unpublished, which has found evidence to the contrary.
© Shutterstock
19 / 31 Fotos
2022 study
- In 2022, researchers at the University of Calgary conducted another experimental study, this time on "humanized mice."
© Shutterstock
20 / 31 Fotos
Mice
- Humanized mice are mice that have been genetically modified for the purpose of investigating human diseases.
© Shutterstock
21 / 31 Fotos
Evidence of transmission
- The researchers injected the mice with CWD isolates taken from infected deer, and they observed that over 2.5 years the mice did develop CWD.
© Shutterstock
22 / 31 Fotos
Atypical prion signature
- The researchers noted that the mice developed an atypical prion signature, which they took to suggest that if transmission to humans were possible, it may manifest with atypical symptoms, which would make it hard to diagnose.
© Shutterstock
23 / 31 Fotos
Infected fecal matter
- The researchers also observed that the mice shed infectious prion proteins in their waste. This suggests that in humans, one infected person could spread the disease to another via infected fecal matter.
© Shutterstock
24 / 31 Fotos
In summary
- These studies do raise concerns, but they are by no means definitive. We do not have enough evidence yet to say whether a human transmission of CWD is possible.
© Shutterstock
25 / 31 Fotos
Looking ahead
- Looking ahead, several expert groups are nonetheless taking steps to learn more about the disease and make plans for how to react should the worst happen.
© Shutterstock
26 / 31 Fotos
Contingency plan
- The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) has assembled a group to form a contingency plan if CWD does pass over to humans.
© Shutterstock
27 / 31 Fotos
Continuing research
- Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have been analyzing the gut microbiota of both CWD-infected and non-infected deer, in order to learn more about the disease.
© Shutterstock
28 / 31 Fotos
Jury is out
- As emphasized, we cannot yet say whether people should be worried about the human transmission of zombie deer disease.
© Shutterstock
29 / 31 Fotos
Awaiting conclusions
- This is an area of active research that will hopefully produce findings that let us know, one way or the other. Sources: (BBC) (The Guardian) (CDC) See also: What is this killer respiratory disease nobody has heard of?
© Shutterstock
30 / 31 Fotos
What is zombie deer disease?
And does it pose a risk to humans?
© Shutterstock
You've probably heard of mad cow disease, but what about zombie deer disease? Officially called chronic wasting disease, this nasty illness causes weight loss, difficulty swallowing, and ultimately death in hoofed ruminant mammals. To date, there is no evidence of this disease passing over to humans, but that doesn't mean scientists aren't concerned.
Curious? Check out this gallery to learn more.
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