United States: Scientists and experts have been now studying the possible effects of “zombie deer disease” among humans. Concerns have been raised following the upsurge in cases linked to the spread of disease.
The fear of the disease emerged after the first-ever case of zombie deer disease was found in a deer carcass lived in Yellowstone National Park. The deer tested positive in the Wyoming area of the park. The infection is popularly known as chronic wasting disease, which is highly contagious, according to the experts analyzing the spread.
Following the first-ever case, the disease has spread in deer, elk, and moose in approximately 33 states of the US, Canada, Norway, and South Korea, according to the New York Post.
Addressing the increasing cases of the disease – across the United States, the New York State Department of Health mentioned that the disease “damages portions of the brain and typically causes progressive loss of body condition, behavioral changes, excessive salivation, and death.”
According to the reports published by the New York Post, the disease is 100 percent fatal, and the experts suggest that there are no treatments or vaccinations for the same.
What experts have to comment?
An expert in infectious disease at the University of Minnesota – Michael Osterholm, told KFF Health News, “The bottom-line message is we are quite unprepared.” He continued saying, “If we saw a spillover right now, we would be in free fall. There are no contingency plans for what to do or how to follow up.”
According to the statement by the experts, the only way that the disease could be transmitted is through the consumption of infected venison. Fortunately, no case of the disease has been found in humans – despite the 15,000 deer and elk eaten every year. However, the experts underlined that precautions must be followed as this doesn’t mean that the disease cannot mutate.
Spread of other prions disease in humans
According to several reports, there are a few diseases that have originated in prison and then evolved to infect humans.
While addressing the same, a researcher at Canada’s University of Calgary – Sabine Gilch, mentioned that a disease named bovine spongiform encephalopathy – which was transferred from cow to humans, “jumped the transmission barrier from animals to humans.”
She furthermore stated, “During the BSE crisis, BSE was transmitted through contaminated meat or food products to humans and caused a new form of human prion disease, called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease,” as per the reports by the New York Post.