
(AmericanProsperity.com) – In an alarming development, the so-called “zombie deer disease” is spreading across America and now scientists warn it could infect humans.
This deadly neurological disorder, officially known as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), has already devastated deer populations.
With cases now detected in Yellowstone National Park and wild pigs, the threat to America’s food supply and hunting traditions is real and growing.
CWD is part of the same family of diseases as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as “mad cow disease.”
It causes severe weight loss, stumbling, and neurological issues in deer, elk and moose.
It is 100% fatal, with no known treatments or vaccines. The disease has earned its gruesome nickname due to the zombie-like symptoms it causes in infected animals.
What is truly alarming is how resilient and contagious CWD is. The prions (misfolded proteins) that cause the disease can persist in the environment for years.
They can resist disinfectants and high temperatures, making eradication nearly impossible once an area is contaminated.
While no human infections have been confirmed yet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that CWD may pose a risk to certain non-human primates and potentially humans.
The World Health Organization recommends keeping these prions out of our food chain entirely.
Dr. Cory Anderson, a program co-director at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, warned:
“The BSE outbreak in Britain provided an example of how, overnight, things can get crazy when a spillover event happens from, say, livestock to people We’re talking about the potential of something similar occurring. No one is saying that it’s definitely going to happen, but it’s important for people to be prepared.”
Humans unknowingly consume an estimated 7,000 to 15,000 CWD-infected animals each year, and that number is expected to rise.
The disease has already spread across Wyoming since the mid-1980s, affecting 10-15% of mule deer near Cody.
Even more concerning, CWD has now been detected in wild pigs. Infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Osterholm sounded the alarm:
“If they can get infected, surely it’s possible domestic swine could also become infected? What would that do to the swine market? What would that do to the cattle market? These are huge issues.”
While the CDC advises hunters to test animals for CWD before consumption, this is far from a definitive solution.
The threat of CWD extends beyond America’s health and food supply. It endangers hunting traditions, threatens ecosystems and could have devastating economic impacts on rural communities that depend on deer hunting.
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