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Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a transmissible neurological disease that affects deer and related species. "Zombie deer disease" is a colloquial phrase for CWD. The disease was given the moniker "zombie deer disease" because of the symptoms it causes in afflicted animals, which include emaciation, behavioral abnormalities, stumbling, and a vacant or "zombie-like" appearance.
The disease was given the label "zombie deer disease" because of the symptoms it causes in affected animals, which include emaciation, behavioral abnormalities, stumbling, and a vacant or "zombie-like" appearance.
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CWD was first found in captive mule deer in Colorado in the 1960s, but it can affect a wide range of deer species, including white-tailed deer, elk, moose, and reindeer.
Direct contact with an affected animal or contaminated environs can both transmit the disease. Prions excreted by sick animals can survive for a long time in the environment.
ADVICE
“Although there is no evidence that CWD can infect humans, there are concerns about the risk. As a precaution, health officials advise against eating meat from CWD-infected animals. “