New Yorkers are being urged not to eat deer meat this hunting season after ‘zombie deer disease’ was discovered in an animal in the western part of the state.
Officials confirmed the case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) at an unidentified facility in a northern province bordering Canada.
It is the first confirmed case of CWD in the state in nearly two decades.
The condition, nicknamed ‘zombie deer disease’, causes parts of the brain to slowly deteriorate to a spongy consistency, causing infected animals to drool and stare blankly before dying.
The condition is 100 percent fatal and spreads between animals such as deer and elk.
The disease was discovered in an unspecified animal as part of routine testing by the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets, but officials do not believe the disease is present in the wild deer population.
The Department of Environmental Conservation added in a statement that “the threat to public health is low.”
However, the department still warned that people should not consume meat from animals suspected of having the disease.
Pictured is a deer showing signs of chronic wasting disease, a 100 percent fatal condition that causes parts of the brain to slowly degenerate into a spongy consistency, causing animals to drool and stare blankly before dying
The CDC map above shows the counties where CWD has been detected as of August 2024, according to the most recent data available. This includes 475 counties in 35 states
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The statement said that while there is no evidence that CWD can infect humans, people should not consume meat from infected animals.
This is the first reported case of CWD in New York since 2005, with the majority of U.S. cases reported in Midwestern states such as Kansas, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
The state said it is implementing its Interagency CWD Response Plan. It will increase sampling and monitoring of wild deer and encourages residents to report sick or dead deer in the area.
CWD is caused by proteins in the body that do not fold into the correct shape, called prions.
After infection, prions travel through the central nervous system, leaving prion deposits in brain tissue and organs.
There are no treatments or vaccines.
The disease is also highly contagious, so if one animal tests positive, the entire herd is considered infected.
It is unclear exactly how CWD spreads, but it is believed that animals transmit it by eating food or water contaminated with infected feces or by exposure to carcasses.
Direct contact, including saliva, blood, urine and even antler velvet during the annual molt, can also contribute to transmission.
CWD has never been shown to spread to humans, although some experts fear it is possible.
Earlier this year, a medical journal described the cases of two fighters who died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a similar brain-disrupting disease with a 100 percent mortality rate.
Like CWD, CJD is caused by misfolded prions and usually affects patients randomly. However, the researchers noted that it is possible that the hunters became ill after eating contaminated deet meat.
She wrote: ‘While causality remains unproven, this cluster highlights the need for further research into the potential risks of consuming CWD-infected deer and its implications for public health.’
Research suggests it’s possible that prions in CWD that attach to elements in the environment could cause prion properties to be altered, including how contagious the disease is and its potential to infect other species or even humans.
According to the CDC, CWD has been found in animals in at least 35 states, four Canadian provinces and four other countries abroad.
Symptoms to look for in animals include drastic weight loss, stumbling, drooling, lethargy, excessive thirst, drooping ears, or a lack of fear of people.
To reduce the risk of CWD, New York state officials recommended deboning all deer carcasses hunted outside New York before bringing them back into the state.
In addition, carcasses should be disposed of in a landfill rather than in the open air.
