What Is Zombie Deer Disease?

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25 April 2024

Chronic wasting disease, also known as 'zombie deer disease', is the illness that leaves animals confused and drooling

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It was first detected in Yellowstone National Park in November last year


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Recently, 2 white-tailed deer inside Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD)


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The disease is caused by misfolded proteins - when proteins do not fold into the correct shape - known as prions


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After infection, prions travel throughout the central nervous system, leaving prion deposits in brain tissues and organs


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The deer affected by it are left drooling, stumbling, lethargic and with a blank stare


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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it may take over a year for symptoms in the deer to develop


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No known case of CWD in humans has ever been recorded, according to Fox News


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Studies suggests chronic wasting disease is a risk to monkeys that eat infected animal meat or come in contact with infected animal brains or bodily fluids


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