Chronic wasting disease (CWD), also known as “zombie deer disease,” is a transmissible spongiform caused by misfolded proteins called prions. This infectious disease is affecting deer populations over the entire U.S. While this is a problem, it’s also a concern to people as it’s affecting more than just deer populations.

The discovery dates back to 1967 in Colorado, and has since spread across nearly the entire U.S. Not only has CWD spread across the U.S., but it has also spread to other places such as Canada, Norway, Finland, and South Korea.

This plague slowly destroys the brains of deer, elk, moose, and other cousins of the general populace. The animals appear to be unhealthily thin, drooling, limping, bruised, stumbling, and with foggy eyes. They are often crazed as well, driven to madness by their pain. They have been reported to hit their heads into trees and accidentally break off their antlers completely.

This is quite alarming to the public, as this plague is a family member of the “mad cow” disease, which is quite similar as they are both related through a disease called prion.

“CWD has huge ecological implications…I’ve warned that if we get a disease that we can’t fix, cure, or vaccinate our way out of, we are really going to have a problem. Unfortunately, Chronic Waste Disease (CWD) falls into that category.” Spoke Thomas Roffe, a veterinarian and retired chief of wildlife health for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“We are quite unprepared if humans contract the disease,” said Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert who led the response to Covid-19 as the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, and is heading its CWD effort. “If we saw a spillover right now, we would be in freefall. There are no contingency plans for what to do or how to follow up. It’s a chronic slow-moving disaster.”

Despite concerns about human health, no cases have shown that CWD can be transmitted to people; however, health experts and officials advise to take caution, especially for those who are not very educated on the signs of the deer that carry CWD.

The rise of CWD has sparked an ethical debate about how much intervention against the disease is necessary in managing wildlife, while also keeping the animal’s wildness. Some argue that culling infected animals is necessary to protect the broader ecosystem. Others may be concerned that the ethical implications of removing animals from their natural habitats are going to be bad for the wildlife.

With everything above, chronic wasting disease poses a serious threat to wildlife, specifically whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, moose, and other varieties. It doesn’t appear to affect humans directly, but science proves that it’s not impossible for CWD to be found in humans. Continued research and awareness are essential to controlling the spread of CWD and minimizing its harm to ecosystems.