Chronic Wasting Disease

The confirmation of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), also known as Zombie Deer Disease, in Florida has raised significant concerns among wildlife experts and health authorities.

What is Zombie Deer Disease (CWD)?

• Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a progressive neurological disease that primarily affects deer, elk, moose, and reindeer. It impacts the brain and spinal cord, leading to severe neurological dysfunction.

What Causes CWD?

• CWD is caused by prions, which are misfolded proteins that spread to other proteins in the brain, causing them to misfold as well. Unlike bacteria or viruses, prions don’t contain DNA or RNA. These misfolded proteins create spongy holes in brain tissue, which ultimately leads to brain damage and neurological decline.

How is CWD Transmitted?

• The disease is highly contagious and can spread through bodily fluids such as saliva, urine, feces, and blood. It can be transmitted directly (through contact with an infected animal) or indirectly (through contaminated soil, water, or plants).

• Once prions are in an area, they can remain infectious for years, posing a long-term risk to wildlife populations in that region.

Symptoms of CWD:

• The disease has an extended incubation period—often 18 to 24 months—so animals can appear normal during this time.

• As symptoms develop, the most noticeable sign is progressive weight loss.

• Behavioral changes may include:

  • Loss of fear of humans

  • Decreased social interaction

  • Increased drinking, urination, and salivation

  • Loss of awareness and motor skills.

• In the final stages, the animal becomes debilitated and eventually dies.

Can Humans Get CWD?

• While no confirmed cases of CWD transmission to humans have been reported so far, experts are cautious due to the nature of prion diseases. Prions can cause mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, so there remains a concern about potential risks, especially for hunters and those who consume infected meat.

• The CDC recommends not consuming meat from infected animals.

Why the Concern in Florida?

• The recent confirmation of CWD cases in Florida means the disease has spread to a new region, raising alarms about its potential to affect more wildlife.

• Since prions can stay infectious in the environment for a long time, once the disease takes hold in a population, it can be difficult to eradicate, and the impacts can last for years.