What is “zombie deer disease” and why is its spread concerning?

Symbolic and dream Yellowstone National Park, North West Wyoming in United State, Home of the famous Yogi Bear and its ecosystem It is home to the largest and most diverse collection of large land mammals in the countryIn recent months, it has transformed intoCreeping disasterAccording to its authorities, due to the increasing spread of “deer disease.”

It's about a A dangerous deadly virus in animals Which causes chronic wasting disease (CWD), caused by prions (unnatural and transmissible pathogens), which It has spread stealthily throughout North America It has already been reported on More than 31 US states In recent years, two provinces CanadaCases have been reported in South KoreaAccording to the US Geological Survey.

Scientists are analyzing whether there are possibilities for the virus to be transmitted to humans. Although the US National Park Service stated this There is currently no evidence that CWD It can infect humans or pets, and consuming tissue from infected animals is not recommended.

Co-Director of the Program at the US Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Corey AndersonHe warned of the risk of transmission of infection from livestock to humans: “An outbreak of mad cow disease, or mad cow disease, in Britain Give an example of how things can get messy overnight The occurrence of an infection eventFor example, from livestock to humans.”

The expert considered that there was a “possibility of something similar occurring” to what happened in the outbreak Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)“, popularly known as “Mad cow disease“.

He added: “No one is saying that this will happen for sure, but it is important that people are prepared.” The disease is “always fatal.”He told the British newspaper: “It is incurable and highly contagious.” guardian.

“The concern is that we don't have an easy and effective way to eliminate it, Nor from the animals it infects Nor the environment it pollutes.”

Once the environment is infected, it becomes very difficult to eliminate the pathogen. It can last for years in dirt or surfaces Scientists report that it is resistant For disinfectants, formaldehyde, radiation and incineration at 600°C (1100°F).

Invisible pathogens or prions cause strange behavior in deer that many hunters have discovered. Scientists say the disease causes changes in the brain and nervous system in hosts, leaving the animals drooling, lethargic, emaciated, stumbling and with a “blank stare.” Which has led some to call it “zombie deer disease.” It is spread through the cluster family: deer, moose, moose, caribou and reindeer. It is fatal and there are no known treatments or vaccines.

“This represents an important public wake-up call. This case puts CWD on the radar of widespread attention in a way it has never been before, and ironically that's a good thing. It's a disease,” said Dr. Thomas Ruff, a veterinarian and former head of animal health at the Institute of Animal Health. “It has huge environmental impacts.” fish and wildlife service, US federal agency.

Rove predicted decades ago that chronic wasting disease would reach Yellowstone, Warning that the federal government and the state of Wyoming need to take tough action To help slow its spread. He says these warnings were largely ignored, and now the consequences will be felt for the millions of people who visit the park each year.

Experts say the area is a great laboratory for monitoring what happens when CWD infiltrates an ecosystem with its full, original range of biodiversity.

Hundreds of thousands of elk and deer move across Yellowstonesupporting populations of brown bears, wolves, pumas, coyotes and other scavengers.

“The disease is a slow-moving disaster,” said Dr. Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist who has studied the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or “mad cow disease,” in the United Kingdom and is director of the Center for Disease Control and Research. Infectious Disease Policy from the University of Minnesota.

In the United States and Canada, CWD has attracted attention not only because it affects large game animals but also because… The possibility of jumping the species barrier. Deer and elk can infect livestock, other mammals, birds, or even humans. the Epidemiologists They say that the absence of an “extension” situation does not mean that it will not happen.

CWD is one of a group of fatal neurological disorders that includes mad cow disease.

Raina Plowright A disease ecologist at Cornell University said guardian That CWD should be considered in the context of serious zoonotic pathogens that move back and forth across species barriers between humans, livestock, and wildlife globally. Outbreaks occur as human settlements and agricultural operations They are increasingly entering environments where contact with disease-carrying animals is increasing.

With the start of the hunting season in the United States, Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and individual states strongly recommend this Harvested game animals are inspected for diseases Deer meat that appears sick should not be eaten.

the Alliance for Public Wildlife Estimated in 2017 Between 7,000 and 15,000 animals infected with CWD are unknowingly eaten by humans each year, and the number is expected to increase by 20% annually. In Wisconsin, where testing for bushmeat is voluntary, Anderson and Osterholm say several thousand people have likely eaten meat from infected deer.

Wyoming serves as a benchmark for other states. Since 1997, 92,000 tissue samples have been collected and analyzed there, said Breanna Ball with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Last year, the meat of 6,701 deer, elk and moose was analyzed. The disease was present in about 800 samples, indicating that infection rates are increasing.

According to the US Geological SurveyChronic wasting disease is currently present in 32 states and three Canadian provinces, and experts stress that nature must be allowed to move and humans must not eliminate it.

Studies show that animals that some hunters consider competitors may actually be allies. Wildlife predators, such as wolves, mountain lions and bears, are able to detect sick animals long before humans and prey on them, removing them from the landscape. Until now, they have maintained immunity to diseases.