
(DailyEmailNews.com) – American hunters and wildlife enthusiasts beware! A sinister threat is prowling in American forests, potentially endangering their health.
The so-called “zombie deer disease” is spreading across the nation, and some scientists are sounding the alarm about its possible jump to humans.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), commonly known as “zombie deer disease,” has been detected for the first time in Yellowstone National Park.
This fatal illness, which affects deer, elk and moose, causes symptoms like weight loss, stumbling and neurological issues.
The disease’s spread raises serious concerns about the health of American wildlife populations and the potential risks to human health.
While no human cases have been recorded yet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that CWD may pose a risk to certain monkeys, apes and potentially humans.
This revelation comes as scientists estimate that humans consume 7,000 to 15,000 CWD-infected animals annually, and the number is expected to rise.
The World Health Organization recommends preventing prion diseases from entering the human food chain.
Prion diseases are a rare, fatal and incurable brain disorder that affects humans and animals.
However, the government’s response to this growing threat has been lackluster at best.
Instead of taking decisive action to protect American families, bureaucrats are dragging their feet while the disease continues to spread.
CWD is one of a group of deadly neurological disorders that includes Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as “mad cow disease.”
“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,” said Dr. Cory Anderson.
Anderson is the co-director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy’s (CIDRAP) program.
“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,” he added.
The situation becomes even more alarming with the detection of CWD in wild pigs.
Dr. Michael Osterholm, a respected expert in the field, warns:
“We have some limited data now suggesting that feral pigs might be infected. 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.”
This potential threat to the livestock industry could have devastating consequences for American farmers and ranchers and impact the food supply.
Adding to the concern, cooking infected meat does not prevent CWD transmission.
The prions responsible for the disease become more concentrated when cooked, potentially increasing the risk of exposure.
“We know that people are being exposed [to CWD] through consumption [of meat] with prions. What we don’t understand yet is what would it take for that prion to actually infect that human with ingestion,” Dr. Osterholm explained.
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